The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-03-27
CUBA HARD 10 CONQUER.
of Those Who Know Hel
Coast Line aud AmhuSCades.

Advantage of Those Who Know Her
Coast Line and Ambuscades.
Felix l.. Oswald IN North American Re-
view.
There is a story about a troop of emf
grants who left their berths in the steer
age and tried to encamp on deck in conse-
quence of a ghostly apparition, as the cap
tain tried to explain it. Till commission
investigated the internal arrangements OF
the steamer.
mo need of supernatural explanations.
was the prompt report of the chief COM
missioner: 'the only wonder is that the
condition of the ship did not tempt the
passengers to Jump overheard"
With similar suddenness traveller in
the coast hill of Cuba would arrive at
practical explanation for the contin-
ued assertions that decimate the ranks OF
tho Spanish troops. which their officers at
trib.:te to the magic persuasivcness of the
rebel emissaries. With the possible exccp
ton of western Sumatra. where the natives
of little bushwhacker kingdom have de-
fed their would-be conquerors for series
OF centuries. no country in the world can
rival Cuba in the excellence and variety
OF the facilities for ambuscades. and all
other conditions that make land a para
disc of native insurgents and hades OF
their foreign pursuers. The very coast is a
smugglers Eden. Havana ard a few sea-
Maysi have safe harbors. with deep waters
to the very wharves but the whole south
west shore is beset with mud banks and
dangerous reefs, where shipwreck oan be
avoided only by an intimate knowledge OF
the intricate and ever-shifting channels.
Owing 10 the steep gradient Of the hill
slopes. nearly ali the coast rivers are tor
rents. which, after every heavy rain bring
down the deluvium of the cultivated lands
TO deposit them in the form of submarine
boys. that allow the Eight falucas of the
contrabands TO slip across. but entangle
vessel of deeper draught almost beyond
the hope of rescue II its Roadway cannot be
checked at the first jar of the grounding
keel.
Burglars that would enter a treasury
vault often watch their chance from
hired room in the Deighborhooa Of the bank
building. and nature seems purposely 20
have Accommodated West Indian ilibusters
with similar observatories in the form
of the numerous small islands scattered
along the west coast Of Cuba, which en-
stGes a hidden privateer 10 watch the
movements OF the hostile gunhoats.
Yet the task of the marine coast patrols
Is A mere trifle compared with the prob
lem Of checking the movements II iRsur~
gent rangers in the forest labyrinth OF Inc
coast hills. Close 20 the shore-often with
In n hundred yards OF the snowy shell
sea-begins the espinal, or thorn jungle.
as the crsoles cali it from the preiomi-
nance Of spinescert plants, then follows
a belt Of palms ami catssho trees, with a
dense ua4erbrush. and along the foot OF
she coast hills a strip OF swamp. banked
IN by the inland rocks on one side and
by the drift sands of the dunes on the
other At many points OF the southwest
coast this belt OF lacustrfne tanglewoods
Is more than ten miles broad and as try
ing to pedestrians as nargreTe hicks.t,
where evergreen ard practically indie
strnStscle plants sprout In a SottoffsleSs
coxe alternating with qoicEsaFG h9aGaSs.
TIE Cuban coast swa-nps impede the pro
xress % horse azsi foos soldiers alike, AT
aay time OF Shs year. but become siIlos'
faTr~netraols in summer. wren the BROOKS
arr swollen from the heavy rams OF me
highla-is and he lagoors can ne formed
only with the aid OF native guides, wSo
ts,ke ca-e ROT 20 give foreigner, the hene-
AZ OF their hest knowledge. though 10 y
nav consent TO accompany them 10 the
esasewRvs which intelligent pioneers
might discover without ASSISTANCE.
These e&uSewzvs. though often over
grown with a rank tangie of swamp vege-
;a,fon. can Re found ut Intervals OF zen or
fifteen English miles bat the spanish o4a-
GERS complain that their pursuit OF tagf-
1--WE rebels ia almost invariably harIei by
the fact that the natives know scores ~
trlts rrnessiate crossing places ana Win
start OF only few hundred yarns VIII
effect their escape in iocasifses ~sieFs sheiF
p,arsuers ten minutes later. have to stag
ger about in network Of ereSIseFs ana
aquatic plants tal a sudden plunge into
q xer-Eo,t lagoon a1rrseufsfes eSesr pso-
neess % admit the hspeaessSess Of the En-
farprise.
In the terrace lands the difficulties e
progress Moderate for few a-.Ass ol1y