, 1888-05-06
COAsIwIsE VIEWS.
Attractive spots along the Cuba
Shores.

quaint features in scene and architecture,
which renders Havana so fascinating to
the stranger, is so bright and pleasing
witha,, and so sunny and warm in its opu-
lent social and business activities, that one
almost feels, after knowing it, that there
is some hope for Cuba, even with its
curse of Spanish misrule fastened like a
monstrous devil fish Upon it. To the
north, east and west, for a great distance
behind it, the country gradually and al
most imperceptibly rises toward the cen
trail mountain range of the island, and
upon this fair slope are hundreds of the
richest plantations in Cuba. Forest, vale,
ranch, plantation, succeed each other in
every direction; the luxuriance of nature
is indescribable; and with American
methods of cultivation and American
thrift to house the gains. the whole vast
region would at once become a garden of
tr~anscendent beauty and a s%torehouse Of
incalculable wealth.
The commercial importance Of the city Is
by no means insignificant. Large exports
are made of sugar, tobacco, cattle, tai
low, hides. beeswax, and enormous ship
ments of the valuable Cuban woods such
as mahogany and cedar. Millions OF dol
lars OF American capital are invested
here. Many OF the largest sugar plan
tations arc owned and operated by capt.
~talists in New York, Boston and Phila-
delphia; and it is not unusual to find the
handsomest structures of the really beau
] eel - - l.. ,rH,la n
large number of the most important com
mercial houses owe their prestige to
American money and the association Of
American business men. Cienfuegos can
not but soon rival Havana in business i'm
portance. and should there be a success
full completion of a canal across the 18th
mus, / venture the prediction that here
will be found in n quarter of a century
the largest, richest and most brilliant city
of America south of New Orleans. The
cathedral and plaza at Cienfuegos are
striklnrly beautiful, and the building oc,
cupied by It's leading club, the "Clrculo
de instruction y recreo el Liceo,' on the
Gale dc Santa Cruz, formerly a wealthy
Cuban's residence, is oriental in de-
sign, appointments and embellishments.
The harbor is one of the finest in the
world. 1t is named Bahia (bay) Jagua,
from the iagua tree which grows pro
fusely in this part of the island. The
iagua resembles our American locust,
though its leaves are more nearly like
those of the poplar. 1t bears a fruit
something like the sweet zapOta in APP
pearancc, but is only edible by swine,
which fatteu upon it as rapidly as upon
corn. The bay is five leagues in dame
ter; and as we steamed over it en- route
for Trinidad, some 80 miles by sea to the
east, the picture of the splendid city, en-
ciraling the white shore, and brilliant in
its odd colorings of pink, blue and yellow,
backed by far reaching waves of luxuriant
foliage, was one which the Mediterran-
cans shores can not surpass. The harbor
entrance is most interesting. 1t follows
sea in %sinuous winding. h~ugging a bold
the ocean bluff, upon which looms a grim
fort of Moorish design; and Just within,
along the d%ebouching shore, are delight
full d~uintas and villas, brilliant -hued bath
ing boxes, and numberless quaint fishers
cabins, above which are endless flowers
and tropical verdure.
Our trip along the southern coast of
Cuba was a lazy and dreamful one. I'm
derneath great awnings, perhaps half a
hundred pas the larger number
Of pure Castillian, or the darker hued
mixed Cuban types, lolled the whole day
long in languid siesta. But to me, and
my componion whose eyes kindled with
delight as Olden scenes were discovered
or suffused with tears as olden memories
of the brave and bitter struggle for the
liberty of his loved land were awakened,
the passage was replete with interest.
For the whole distance we were never q
league, and often within hailing distance,
from these witching shores. Something
as upon the great Bahama banks, the
c%oraline formation gives wonderful color
to the water. Here, it is as milk. There,
it has the glowing flush OF the opal.
Again, we cross a bit of green o%utrivalling
the palest shades OF the emerald. Now
our course is where the blue of the sea
deepens to crimson tinted purple. And
more than once we glided through still
waters like amber, where seward and
shoreward there swept over hidden coral
reefs mile long surfs high and stately like
massed columns of milk white steods,
decked with snowy plumes.
Myriads of sea gulls circled around us
lazily, uttering their half whistled moan
ings; and at mid day even the sleepy
Cubans were reused into activity by the
lowering of one of these mammoth birds
of the sea, the albatross or 'man-of-war''
as the sailors have it, which followed for
fully n half hour in majestic circlings, APP
pgrently without a movement of its ire
mendous wings, Soon the San Juan
river was seen. At its mouth great
breakers were tossed back and forth over
coral reefs, which, here aud there, rose in
black, white or notified lodges and pin
nacles to the height of an hundred feet.
At the peaceful shore edge beyond, on
either side of the river mouth, %inconceiva-
bly, large turtles lay summing themselves
upon ripple washed rocks occasionally
moving in awkward lethargy, or, as fde-
termined on sudden mission, ~plunging
from sight into the depths below. Here
and there, in barren. tide washed spaces
of shore, there suddenly emerged from
the jungles behind, herds of wild hogs.
which, catching sight of the passing
steamer, with excited gyrations and ca
workings, expressed their astouishment in
snortings and short barkings, not unlike
those of the American coyote, and with
curved backs and wild iumpings into the
air on all TOURS suddenly disappeared.
Some fishers huts Of palmetto and palm
were set here and there beneath lofty