The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-06-14
NOTES ON CUBA.

and magazines have been 1ull OF CuDdi
| literature an article containing so con
| else and accurate a description of Cuba.
coupled with the clearest, briefest and
most convincing Indictment of the Span
iards. for their misrule of the island,
| ms is contained in the following arti-
Gle written by Prof. j. A. Holmes, State
Geologist:
Cuba has an area, including its 1,30O
adjacent islands, of nearly $4,000
square miles, about equal to that of the
State of New York, and nearly one
fourth the size of Spain, and about g.
600 square miles less than the area OF
North Carolina. With the exception OF
strip on the southern side of central
Cuba the island as whole stands well
above the sea; it is thoroughly drained
and presents a rugged aspect when view
ed from the sea. About one-fourth of
the total area is said to be mountainous;
about three-fourths of the area may be
described as Il rolling or undulating plain
with valleys and gentle cultiyatablc
slopes, somewhat like Piedmont, n. G.
The remainder of the island, especially
along the southern shore of central and
western Cuba is swampy.
The island is about $50 miles long; It's
width varies from 30 miles across Santl-
ago to less than 20 miles in the vicinity
of Havana: the eastern end of the island
lies directly south of New York, while
the western end lies south of Cincinnati
The coast line is very extensive, measur-
ing without following the minor linden
tations. nearly 1900 miles. On all sides
except the southern shore of central and
western Cuba the coast is abrupt and
elevated In many places the immediate
coast line is Il narrow beach or shelf of
elevated coral reef rock. only a few
yards in width and some twenty feet
above the sea. Back Of this coast the
higher bluffs rise by a succession of old
sea beaches which reach in places to
from one thousand to two thousand feet
elevation.
The mountains of Cuba do not form,
as has been stated. backbone extend
ing the entire length of the island, but
are arranged in three distinct and indie
pendent groups; one in the western pro-
vince of Pinar del Rio between Havana
and Cape Antonio. the higher hills of
which rise to an altitude of $500 feet,
and the slopes of which are covered with
a growth of pine and flanked with many
beautiful valleys The central group
is short one extending from Cienfue-
COS some fifty miles eastward on the
south side of the central portion of the
island, reaching a maximum height of
nearly 5000 feet The third group lies
on the southern side of Santiago pro-
vince in eastern Cuba, the crest of the
mountains lying parallel to the adjacent
sea towards which the slopes descend
precipitously. The mountains Of this east
'ern group reach n maximum height of
1900 feet-some 1000 feet higher than
Mt Mitchell. in western North Carolina.
Near Santiago harbor, the scene of hostil-
tiles at present, there are some peaks
more than 5000 feet high; the scenery
is fine and the climate is delightful.
The last great range of mountains be-
longs geographically with the Blue
mountains of Jamaica which reach an
elevation of 1000 feet, and the higher
mountains in Hayti which reach an ele-
vatian of IL 900 feet. The larger part of
the area of Cuba cat least three-ffths) is
made mp of the elevated limestone plains
with an elevation of from 500 to LOO
feet Much of this region is cut by
streams into hills and valleys; and Il
considerable portion, especially in San
tiago province, is exceedingly wild and
rugged. In Cuba the great sugar planta-
tons are on these elevated plains and
not. as in Louisiana, on the low river
flats. The fine tobacco is also grown on
the slopes of these hills and low noun
tains. On the mountain slopes of west
ern Cuba and on the hills and mountains
of the eastern provinces there are said to
be 100000 acres of unbroken forests.
never penetrated by Spaniards.
The fora Of Cuba is said to be quite
varied. more that 5000 species
of native plants having been collected
and catal0gued. The beauty and abund-
ance of the vegetation first caused the
island to he called the Pearl of the An
titles. This includes over thirty species
of palm while associated with these are
pines, which are so characteristic of the
Southern United States, the mahogany,
the lignum vitae and the cocoa wood.
Among the more valuable fruits that
grow very abundantly may be mention
ed the lime. the orange, the lemon, the
banana. and the pineapple. The last of
these together with the manioc, the
said to be indigenous to the island.
Concerning the climate of Cuba but
few reliable records are obtainable: on
the whole. however, the climate is much
more salubrioils than most descriptions
would lead us to believe. A gentleman
who has travelled n great deal in differ
ent parts of Cuba in Il recent article
says:
1.-THE winter months are delightful
in fact ideal-while the summer months
are more endurablc than in most of our
own territory. The current impressions
of insalubrity have arisen from an err
roneous confusion of bad sanitation with
the weather. While it is true that sick
ness follows the seasons, the former
would be greatly allayed-almost abated
IF public hygiene received proper of
fetal consideration.
In July and August the mean temper
allure is so degrees T.. the maximum
temperature being SS, the minimum rs.
At Charlotte the maximum temperature
| AThe Royal 10 the highest grade baking powder
| I k0O,vn. Actual tests show IL goes ono