Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1896-03-27

y. We. IL IOAD1A l. NI-
and there are pleasanter topics to COM
mand our attention, the greatest being
Havana, the capital and the very heart
of Cuba. To say that it is picturesque
and beautiful 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 mottled 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 fash
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, 1t is one Of the best
known cities in the American hemi-
sphere, Its 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 $50, 900 inhab-
itants. 1t was founded but 28 years aft
or 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. It 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 Marte, used
as drill ground for the military. This
is an enormous park. It 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. It has numerous
columns and statues, among the latter
one of Charles LII, ranking among the
finest works Of art in America.
The commerce Of Havana is only sur
passed in the new world by that of New
York. Two-tbirds of the products Of
Cuba find outlet through Havana: The
exports of sugar alone are annually
about 12O, 900. 900 pounds.
Havana was first called San Cristo-
bal de la Habana, in honor Of Colum-
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 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 1t is under
the tropics, and the common impression
is correct to the extent that the mean
average temperature Of the year is high
or 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 80
severe on the human constitution. In
Havana, for example, the average tenn
perature Of the hottest month is "a de-
grees; Of the coldest, "a. Id Santiago de
Cuba, city often mentioned in the war
dispatches, the average Of the year is
80; of the hottest month, "a; Of the
coolest, 73. These are high figures, but
not very high for an island lying in
equatorial regions and surrounded by
water that Is warm to the hand all the
year round. To q stranger from dry
country a 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 ef-
forts, and from 125 to 140 inches Of rain
are not uncommon, there being about
1O2 days when the rain comes down
not in drops, but in sheets, in masses,
in tubfuls at time, as though the
windows Of the heavens were opened
and the foods Of the great aerial deep
had broken loose. So abundant is the
rainfall, in fact, that, as recent travel
er remarks, the wonder is that any is-
land remains; that the whole is not dis
solved and carried off into the sea- But
in Cuba uo nue minds the rain.
Notwithstanding the peculiarities of
its coast line, Cuba has more than 200
excellent ports. The principal Of these
are Havana, Bahia Hondo. Puerto de
Cabanas, Matanzas, Cardenas, Sagua la
Grande, La Guanaja, Nuevitas, Mala-
gueta, Manati, Puerto del Padre, Santi-
ago de Cuba, Manzanillo, Canto, Santa