Evening star., 1898-08-06
QUAINT, QUIET BARACOA
An Old Cuban Town With an Interesting
History.
1t Has Been Rediscovered and May
Prove to Be a Delightful
Winter Resort.

From the New York Tribune.
Baracoa, the most eastern port of the
newly acquired American possessions in
Cuba, presents phases in history more
unique than those of it's sister towns. The
site was discovered by Columbus in 1901
and the Spanish dwellers, in true Alham-
brio tale-telling style. point out a crum-
bling ruin in prominent part of the town
as the foundation of building erected by
Columbus He saw here a harbor safe from
storms and one favorably situated for ship
repairs The discoverer, however, was not
privileged to utilize 1t, scarce even to pub
hsh Its advantages to the civilized world
as soon after his visit his career was cut
short by the cruel hand of the nation which
he had served. Eleven years afterward
Velasquez took possession of the town Sew
eral houses said to have been erected by
him yet remain.
Rendezvous for Pirates.
Later Baracoa served Cortez as a halting
place for ship repairs and for recruits,
when arranging his descent on the Aztecs
1t next became famous in history as a rem
devious for pirates. 1t easily commanded
the marine highway between Mexico and
Spain; the abrupt heights Immediately back
of the bay offered excellent watch ground.
and the coral caves that fianked the shore
afforded safe storage for plunder. Civiliza-
ton put these marauders to flight. Baracoa
then assumed and has since maintained an
air of respectablity, serving little purpose
in the active world except as safe port
for storm-tossed vessels.
About Sixty-f1ye years ago M. Salett,
wealthy French resident of the town, rec
ognizing it as the natural port of the rich
est banana district of all Cuba, freighted a
small schooner with five hundred punches
of the fruit. This was the beginning of the
fro6 of la tor t~n&,,
that port and New York.
Another and still more novel chapter in
history is now opening for the time-worn
town. 1t has been rediscovered. Perhaps
1t Will figure as winter resort, after mod
ern conveniences are introduced. so that
comfort and luxury may abound in the
strangely old and picturesque city.
Quaint and Dreamy Old Place.
The inhabitants are of the varied types
common to Cuban towns, and number up
ward of six thousand. This fact makes it
self manifest only on fete days, so quiet
and dreamy is daily existence. The town is
built on coral palisades about thirty feet
in height, though a portion of it, little else
than a streak of roofs, nestles at their base.
Communication between the two towns is
by means of steps roughly hewn in the
coral formation and used alike by man and
beast. The dwellings are mainly of one
story, with fortress-like walls of grout,
roofs of red, futed tiles and with windows
covered by fancy iron gratings. The streets
are narrow, generally unpaved, save for
few worn-down stepping stones, and are
shadeless The beautiful gardens of which
the inhabitants beast are either incosed
by nigh walls or else occupy the hollow
square around which some of the houses
are built.
Cave Bath Houses.
Some of the palisade caves which extend
into the bay have been fashioned into bath
houses, steps, doors and seats having been
hewn in the coral or made of rustic wood
work. A bath here is ideal, especially if
taken in the early morning under the infiu-
ence of a soft atmosphere. which never
fails to inspire one with sense of peace
and happiness. The music of the wavelets
tapping at the base of the fairy-like struc-
ture, the iridescent tints reflected by the
sparkling water to every chnk and Granny
or the fancifu walls, the seductive intu-.
ence of the water tempered by tropical
neat all tend TO dispel dull care and trans
port the bather to elysian fields.
Directly back of the town, crowning an al
most perpendicular ledge about two hun
dred feet in height and seeming a finish to
the natural ledge formation, is the old
Spanish fort, used of late years as a hos
pital. :,