The evening bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1887-1905, 1896-04-11


the lands end of Pinar del Rio, the
tourist traverses magnificent stretches
Of plateau and crosses innumerable val
leys, skirts high mountains aud follows
deep and picturesque gorges, but the
mountains become hills, and these are
gradually shaded down until in the ex-
IRENE west surface, generally level, is
reached, although in the vicinity Of the
| Queen City, Havana, small but rugged
peaks, with precipitous sides, may be
seen in many directions along the shore.
The Wrecks of War.
But it is not with the beauties that ma
ture has shed broadcast that the travel
er's thoughts are occupied while he
threads his way among the wrecks that
war has made. His mind is charged
with melancholy as he views the burn
ed out canefelds, the neglected tobacco
| plantations, the ruins of stately resi-
dences that lift up their blackened arms
in mute but penetrating cutlery against
the barbarities of conflict and the curse
of tyranny. There is no need, however,
to dwell upon this somber picture, for
we know what time can do in this land
of endless aud indestructible resource
| and there are pleasanter topics TO COM
mand our attention, the greatest being
Havana, tho capital and the very heart
of Cuba. To say that it is picturesque
and beauv?,ul is but to give vent to the
first superficial expression that comes to
your lips. Spain itself cannot show a
more curious or interesting city. Study
it as you approach it from the sea, with
mighty Moro set high upon the head
land, time dyed in notified splotches of
yellow, gray and black, and the red and
yellow flags above, with La Junta> across
the narrow channel, prim and White,
save where the ugly dahlgren guns flash
at you like venomous black eyes, and
the city is as interesting and impressive
sight as human eye ever beheld.
AS the capital, metropolis and chief
seaport of Cuba, it is one of the best
known cities in the American hemi-
sphere. It's splendid harbor, its CONNER
cial importance, its climate and the
tinge of romance that ever attaches to
its people have made its fame world
wide. Havana has about 260, 900 inhab-
itants. 1t was founded but 23 years aft
er the discovery by Columbus and has
always been the commercial emporium
of the Antilles.
Few cities have such beautiful parks
and driveways as Havana. The great
Plaza de Armas is the chief. 1t COM
prises four parks, in the center of which
is statue of Ferdinand VII. Then there
are the Alameda de Paula, bordering on
the bay, and the Campo de Marie, used
as drill ground for the military. This
is an enormous park. 1t has four hand
some gates, named respectively Colon,
Cortez, Pizarro and Tacon. The Paseo
de Tacon is a magnificent drive with
double rows Of trees. 1t has numerous
columns and statues, among the latter
one of Charles III, ranking among the
tnest works of art in America.
The commerce of Havana is only sur
passed in the new world by that of New
York. Two-thirds of the products of
Cuba find outlet through Havana. The
exports of sugar alone are annually
about 1870, 900, 900 pounds.
Havana was first called San Cristo.
bal de la Rabana, in honor Of Column
bus, but gradually the prefix was drop
ped. Havana has been frequently at
tackled from the sea- Drake tried to take
it in 1886, but failed. In 1862 a British
feet under Admiral Pocock bombarded
the city and compelled it to capitulate,
but it was restored to the Spaniards the
next year by the treaty Of Paris.
Not Hot Country.
We are accustomed to think Of Cuba
as hot country, situated as it is under
the tropics, and the common impression
is correct to the extent that the mean
average temperature of the year is high
er than in countries farther north but
the climate is more equable. There are
not those sudden variations that in
many parts of the United States are so
severe ON the human constitution. In
Havana, for example, the average tenn
perature of the hottest month is "a de-
grees of the coolest, ~. In Santiago de
Cuba, city often mentioned in the war
dispatches, the average of the year is
| So of the hottest month, "a; Of the
coolest, 70. These are high figures, but
not very high for an island lying III
equatorial regions and surrounded by
water that is warm to the hand all the
year round. To stranger frCsn a dry
country feature more Objectionable
than the steady heat is the tremendous
rainfall. The geographical and topo-
graphical situation Of Cuba provides
two seasons only, the wet and the dry.
During the latter rains are not frequent,
being atoned for, however, by the
abundance of the dew, but in the rainy
season Jupiter Pluvius seems to turn
himself loose to excel all previous eff
forts, and from 1876 to 40 inches of rain
are not uncommon, there being about
102 days when the rain comes down
j - L.. IL