The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1895-04-20


OF be quite as perpendicular as are the
sides of a tree stump. This curious
mountain is of volcanic origin.
AS we approached the eastern end OF
Cuba, we finally saw Cape Maysi light
! house, standing close to the waters edge
on the sand. Not building or sign of
human life was in sight except this tall
tower of white and yellow limetone and
the little house of the keeper at the foot
OF it, as we steamed close by it, scarcely
more than a mile from the shore.
The real end of the island extends to
the eastward of this light and is of rath-
er extraordinary appearance. The noun
tain range terminates in a great ridge.
hat is almost a mountain i'll proportions
and almost of human construction i'll
| appearance. 1t is made up of four titan
ic terraces, held up by as many sheer
precipices, that extend for miles along
the northeast side of the islands end,
and are as regular as if they were the
walls of human Notifications. just to
the east of the lighthouse the first ter
race and precipice begins. The beach
| gives place to sea wall of white and
| yellow limestone that rises higher and
higher till it is perhaps on an average
IL or Is feet above the breakers, that
have worn all manner of curious holes
and arcbed recesses in the soft rock. On
top of this is level, that extends back
perhaps 100 yards TO the second precipioe
and is covered with gray and dreary look
ing cactus, that at the distance of mile
gives the appearance of the fur of an old
gray rat.
| Apparently a road extendt along this
shore terrace, for with the aid of glass
we saw seine sort of vehicle creeping
along toward the lighthouse.
The second precipice is at least from
60 to 20 feet in height and extends at a
remarkably uniform distance from the
sea-wall. It's face is everywhere perpen-
dicular, but rarely smooth of surface,
being fairly worm-eaten. SO to speak, by
the elements, and presenting an infinite
var iety of fantastic holes and caves. 1t
suggests the rotting surface of the great
tim hers in some old tum bIe-down house
or mill, not only in outline, but in color,
for the stone is covered with grayish
liehens and looks more like wood or clay
than rock and the holes in it seem mora
like the result of internal decay than the
external action of the elements.
AS one gentleman aboard the steamer
suggested, they were probably worn by
the waves, centuries ago, when this sec
ond precipice was the sea wall. But
whether it WIS lifted above the waves by
volcanic action upon the whole end of
the island, or whether the ocean level
has lowered during the ages was some
thing of query.
These terraces evidently extend below
the sea level, for the captain of the
steamer told us that he could sail his
vessel almost near enough to the sea-
wall TO throw stone on shore ami yet
there would be plenty of water for her.
Back of the second precipice the land
slopes up for long distance to a third
sheer wall and above that rises the
rounding crest of the mountainous
ridge. The whole is covered with the
gray cactus or scrub bushes and looks
desolate aud inhospitable in the extreme.
On the very top are few scattered trees
and under some OF them we thought
we could see q small house or hut
through the glass.
Several great crevices or gulches extend
| down through the terraces and the dark
er color of the verdure in their depths
| %
rivulet. Other than this there was no
more sign OF water than in any desert.
The whole extraordinary spectacle sug-
gested the fancy that nature had been
trying her hand at building Notifications
and earthworks on her own stupendous
scale.
For nearly an hour we steamed past
this grandly desolate landscape, fire.
quenty within a half mile of the shore
and always subject to be legally fred
upon by any prowling Spanish man-of-
war, suspicious of revolutionary sympa-
thizers and aid.
The thought of the revolt that had
taken place on that island, the upris-
| ing of people of our own new world.
eager for freedom and civilization,
against the tyranny of an old world
nation, as eager today for nothing but
the tribute and the wealth of the new
world as were its ancestral buccaneers
gave to this singular looking land an in
tense interest. Nor was our wish much
less intense that the revolutionists might
| he successful
Some 40 mile around the point on
the southern side was the city of Santi-
ago, we ere told. Later in Kingston.
Jamaica, che fact that we had passed SO
near this city gave an added interest to
the newspaper information about the
two American citizens SO unjustly i'm
prisoned there. Four great American
men-of-war lay at anchor in Kingston
harbor when that Information came ana
they continued to lay there for week
after, and are at the present writing.
Had those Imprisoned men in Santiago
been British subjects, and those modern
| II I