Evening star., 1896-01-20

Spanish Outpost on Road Leading
From Cuban Headquarters.
panied your correspond ent leaving the 9TH
er two at the post. Again going into the
thickest kind of a thicke.. the guides riding
ahead and cutting, with wonderful deXteri-
ty and swiftness, overnanginy branches and
snarly vines. 1t seemed hours before the
open was reached.
But this was not much of an improve
ment for there were apparently no beaten
paths, and monster rocks were mere sown
in surprising and annoying abundance. The
earth, where 1t could be seen, WAS brickish:
red and very hard. There was grass to
speak of, out priar and bramble bushes,
about reaching to the stirrups. were thick.
A few pretty blue flowers, woefully In
strange company, We're like baby smiles
in dungeon.
Successive ridges. each higher than the
former, were passed over by the little band
| in a distance of ten miles, and every mile
or two the challenge, "Quien Va, Quien
Viva?" Who goes and whole livesn was
given by mounted sentineIs and the rarty.
answering properly, proceeded. Between
the ridges were narrow plateaus, each slop-
ing toward the main ridge, and each stony
and covered with ihickets after the manner
of the first described There were a few
paths, but they are unknown except to the
most experienced guides.
Reaching at length the last ridge, that
rises almost perpa pa1dicuiarly for eight hun
dred feet, each mcmtar Of the party dis
mounted. and the Task o. making the re-
naming four miles las begun. The narrow
pass between rocks. wound this way and
that out over lodges, though scrubby
| brush and occasionally on siding paIci.es of
hard red clay. in ::ome pieces 1t was almost
| impossible to keep from slipping off ard
down, and the poor unshod horses seemed
to have narrow escapes each minute.
Why Spain Doesn't Attack.
One can hardly imagine the condition of
this road" up Cubitas mountain. But af-
for oil limb
| ing out for oneself why the Spaniards have
| made no attempt to dislodge The rebel gov
ernment. Spain might send every soldier
| she at present has in the Island of Cuba
| Q19,OO0 regulars and G0,OO0 volnnteers) and
| she would be unable TO cope with the 900
nsen who form the guard of President Cis-
neros.
| Nor could she starve them out, for the
| top OF Cubitas mountain is fertile pla ateau
| OF 5000 acres. where potatoes, corn and
other vegetables and cereals thrive. Even
should Gomez, Maceo and the other leaders
| in the field be killed or captured, and the
revolution be otherwise put down, the gar
rison at Cuban headquarters might hold out
| for years; and the roof of this natural
fortress could remain little republic, over
which the lone star flag might float in
| fearless and independent impunity.
Reaching the summit, there is beautiful
view to the northward. Immediately below
the jagged side of the mountain it sloped
wayIntil it reached the second lower ridge,
| which, with the others beyond it, appeared
| as battlements surrounding an immense
| castle. Still beyond green fields and great
| patches of jungle led away to the blue
waters OF the Atlantic in the hazy distance
| But in other directions the vista was OBJ
structed by growth Of timber, very unlike
| that that seemed to flourish among the
| orags below. Mahogany grew abundantly
| and wealth of other tropical woods was all
| about
Another challenge and another reply. and
| mounted
| rode along over a very good, but narrow
| road running to the headquarters, three
| miles away, almost in the center of the
| plateau. A mile through the woods and
| open fields were found, and though past the
supper hour, many men were working in the
beds of yams and patches of corn.
| Executive Headquarters.
Passing through another small grove the
four large buildings comprising the exec
| utive quarters came into view. Two COM
| panies Of soldiers were going through the
manual Of arms and several small squads
were marching and facing. Around, lying
| on the grass, were several hundred men.
| smoking and playing games. They viewed
| curiously some of the party and neglected TO
| salute one of its members, Col. Manuel Orb :
| but little cannon at the farther end of the
green boomed welcome and President Cis-
| reros, emerging from picturesquely rustic
| little house, greeted all warmly.
| He said he was very pleased to see the
representative OF an American newspaper in
| the washington of the Cuban republic
| 1t being remarked that the location of the
| Headquarters and the road leading thereto
| were not inducements to American corre-
| spohdents, President Cisneros replied, oh
it is not them that we wish to keep away
but the Spaniards, you know"
| Salvador Csneros-Betancourt,t that is his
| full name, president of the republic of Cuba
| is democratic man despite his great wealth
and the honors that have been bestowed up
| hV he Snl mi oh To l,,
| part of his life in the United States and
! few years ago became a citizen, renouncing
his title of Marquis of Santa Lucia for that
| Of plain mister. He is a great admirer of
| the American nation and people.
During the last war in Cuba he was elect
| ed president of the revolutionary republic
and was the life of the movement But
years have counted heavily against Mr. Cis
reros, and he could not now take the field
| as he did in days gone by. Still he is far
| from being decrepdt, and moves with alac-
rity worthy of much younger men. He is
| quite slight In build, straight as an arrow
and speaks English charmingly.
| Here he is surrounded by his cabinet Of
| hcers, and directs from Cubitas mountain
all the diplomatic work of the movement.
| His secretaries Of war. finance, ETC., have
| charge of the different departments under
his guidance. The headquarters are in al
| most uninterrupted communication with all
parts Of Cuba by means of a courier mail
| system, supplemented by carrier pigeons
| Indeed. one of the most interesting features
here is that part Of the post office building
devoted to the sixty pigeons. Each day two
| or three are taken away and each day also
| two or three return with notes from the
| generals in the field. An occasional bird
| files in with good news from the revolution
ary junta in New York.
Gen. Roloff. acting secretary of war, is
| here in charge Of the executive guard He
was recently seriously wounded. but is again
about; and when sent for by President Cis-
| reros was sleeping in his hammock stretch
| ed from trees back of the war department
building. From the general down to the
privates all sleep out of doors in hammocks
| hung in the same clean grove. The air is
| pure end, at this time of the year, cool: and
generally healthier body of men it would
| be hard to find.
Life at the Insurgent Capital.
| regular routine of duty is established,
and during one week soldier at Cubitas
will have served In all the branches, from
working in the fields or tending cattle to
| guard or courier duty between the head
| quarters and Puerto Principe.
I'VE are quite secure here" said President