The Savannah tribune. [volume] (Savannah [Ga.]) 1876-1960, 1888-08-11
GIANT SIGHTS IN CUBA.
IGatUTIAR ROADS AND CURIOUS
CTS TOMS ON THE ISLANDS.

ness. Good Feeling and Religion
Coffee, Cigars and Kind Wishes.
Describing some of the quaint sights
Witnessed on trip through Cuba, a
correspondent of the Worcester Spy
says: We crossed two rivers on our
journey, the Sio del Gaaratre, where two
massive unfinished arches told of the
splendid Improvements underway quar-
TER of a century ago, and the Rio Cana,
whose margins for leagues bristle with
wHd. cane from which whistles, baskets
and bird cages are made for the Havana
markets, when we left the lower shore
ss&esregion for the upland district. For
ahe4whole distance on every hand were
Rowers and luxuriant verdure, broken
saigf by the cleared grounds about lowly
end once noble haciendas and the
reaches of cultivated fields of the estan-
cias, or plantations, devoted to general
farming. One could see from the road
side. alone anones, mamoncillos man
goes, guanabanas, nisperos, cultivated
aud wild oranges, tamarnds, ba-
nauas, carmitos, mammees. zapota and
piHeapples, while the stately star of
Bethlehem, the mignonette, the vinca,
the golden jasmine, the hibiscus,
the galen de noche, the flaming
hamboyant, the star cactus, the Carolina
tree, the campanile, the Cherokee, Mare
.caIai Neil and cape rose, the jacqueminot
i@nquil and lilies of the valley, the wild
pea, honeysuckle and heliotrope, and
myriads more Of the almost unnameable
fora of Cuba, da zled the eye with color
and filed the air with matchless frag-
rance. But true to the bitter contrasts
-eEeEywhere noticeable in the island, the
road itself was exe.rable beyond descrip-
tion.
They are all alike. Though usually
inciosed, as are the American country
roads, they are utterly impossible for
any manner of vehicles. Indeed, no
vehicles are used in Cuba, save in the
hrge cities. In this region, agricultur-
ally the richest portion of the island, the
needs between hundreds upon hundreds
of.great plantations and Trinidad have
been met by "packings" on the backs of
ponies and mules for over 200 years =
and during one-f fourth OF the time the
road are altogether impossible. Every
sack of coffee, every pound of food, every
article of furniture, has always been
SFpacked" back and forth in this shift
hess manner.
The roads crook and turn to avoid
obstacles just as the Cuban will do six
days labor to avoid one ''Beware the
Eantanos!" was the warning from every
tUngue throughout the day These
s'pantanos" are sinks in the clay soil
where one animal viii plunge from per.
fectly solid footing fairly out of sight
We rescued five animals so miIed with
their muddy panniers and packs, for
dolorous and grateful pilgrims during
tSae day. The ''pantanos" arc bad
enough, but the desechos literally, re-
fusals; avoidQnces) are worse These
are always cut around impossible places
Involving careful ridIn~ through boys
and juuges, and not intrequent goings
sstray N the dense forests
The fences of these remarkable
<TUadsn are curious affairs. Frequently
ahey are of the Spanish bayonet and the
hemequen with bread leaf and barbed
point six inches long, strong enough to
lg1fpale Il horse. Again, strips of stone
fence will be seen. Some are Of the
Ena de ration or bastard pine apple tree
But the larger number are of phones
botiia. Green limbs are cut from this,
ard when thrust in the ground grow in
SANITY and luXuriously. Between the
Branches the vejuco de augaulla, a
hardy vine, is planted This weaves it
sell through and through the hedge in
&lI manner Of fantastic and tightening
freaks; ana rs it bears lovely purple
Blossom, this fence is always strkingly
beautiful to the eye.
The overlooking hospitality of all