St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1896-03-27
THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES.
[continued from eighth page.l

I'M.
not very high for an island living
equatorial regions and surrounded h
water that is warm to the hand all III
year round. To stranger from dr.
country feature more obiectionabl
than the steady heat is the tremendon
rainfall. The geographical and tono
graphical situation Of Cuba provide
two seasons only, the wet and the DIV
During the latter rains are not freonent
being atoned for, however, by tb,
abundance of the dew, but in the rain,
season Jupiter Pluvius seems to turr
himself loose to excel all previous Of
forts, and from 1876 to 140 inches of raj,
are not uncommon, there being about
102 days when the rain comes dowr
not in drops, but in sheets, in masses
in tubfuls at time, as thoupb the
windows of the heavens were onened
and the floods of the great aerial deer
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 no oue 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, MaIa.
gueta, Manati, Puerto del Padre, Sauti-
ago do Cuba. Manzanillo, Canto, Santa
Cruz, Cienfuegos. Cocl& los and La Broa
The rivers of Cuba are not large. but
numerous, there being no less than 260
Oh them, all told, and that is exclusive
of small creeks and dry beds of torrents.
called arroyos. The Canto, the only real
~ navlgable stream, rises in the Sierra
del Cobre and has its outlet on the soutb
coast near Manzanillo. There are a few
other streams which are navigable for
small boats for distance of from to
20 miles. Next in Importance are the
streams Guines and Ay. At one time it
was the intention to cut a canal through
the land intervening and bisect the is.
land, but the idea was finally abandoned
as impracticable.
Cuba contains many mineral springs
which are famed for their valuable heal.
Ing properties, principal among them
being those known as the baths of San
Diego
The temperature OF the water is SO
degrees f., and it is very strongly i'm
with oxygen, carbonic acid
gases, chloride of sodium, sulphate of
lime, nitrate of lime, iron, magnesia, ST.
lex and chloride of calcium. Four lasses
II 1T day and two baths are the regu-
alton cure for almost every disease
Known to .nateria medica, but it is prob
tole that the warm, pure air, simple
ilet and faith have much to do with it.
At any rate, a great many surprising
ures have been effected, particularly
y bronchial and scrofulous complaints.
'eople have been brought here from the
teamer on litters, apparently just ready
die, who in a weeks time, have been
lding over the hills ON horseback and
month have gone home as good as
ew'' and we'll as anybody. If these
prings were in the United States. with
be same air to accompany them, or if
managed where they are by some sensi.
lie, wide awake Anglo-Saxon, they would
ecome the sanitarium of the world, be-
de which Saratoga, Carlsbad. Las We
as and White Sulphur would hide their
heads.
All Kinds of Minerals.
Nearly all metals and minerals that ,
re useful in any sort of industry are ;
'und IN Cuba-gold, silver, iron, cop
'r, quicksilver, lead, asphaltum in all
forms, antimony, arsenic, manganese,
operas, red lead, etc. In the Sarama-
lacan and several other rivers gold
rs been found, though not in paying !
iantities. Silver OF certain grade
'ounds in Pinar del Rio, San Fernando
I'd Yumuri. Almost all the metamor- 7
lio rocks contain copper, and these are =
altered all over the island. 1t is usu- \
~ found in the form of pyrites and
lphurets. =
In the eastern part of Cuba, about 10 \
lies from Santiago, the rich copper h
ines Of Ell Cobre were worked for a
cd many years by an Eng ish COM n
ny. They were abandoned during the n
st revolution. There are other mines h
t yet open and some not yet exhausted. r
The city Of Santiago, by the way, is 81
nth more than mere passing mention, n
being the chief city of the eastern de- A.
rtment. 1t lies 600 miles southeast q,
the present capital and ranks third fl
commercial importance-Havana NJ
st and Matanzas second. 1t is the te
'hbishop's residence, and to it people Ia
ok from all parts Of the island during nj
tain yearly religious festivals, which of
celebrated with remarkable pomp Of
ceremony. 1t is also the terminus le
two railway lines, one Of which is of
outlet Of Lomas de Cobre, the IA di
us copper mines, and the other, pass co
through the richest sugar district, sn
ords transportation for that great wi
pie. The exports of the port reach al
handsome annual aggregate of 49,
1000, three-fourths of which is in ne
Jar, the rest cocoa, rum, tobacco, re,
icy and mahogany. or
u the fertility of Cuba's soil too gi,
Gu cannot be said. In the western ref
the celebrated Vuelta Abajo tobac- res
is raised. 1t has no equal in tho are
Id Tn tho aos+orx S,,.,t -. cy.;