The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1898-04-05

guago OF tho railroad engineer, Is varied
and picturesque, here high peak, there
valley, thero plain. Beginning at
Santiago do Cuba, tho most easterly of
tho six provinces, and proceeding west
ward through Puerto Principe, Santa
Clara, Matanzas IIabana and to the
lands end Of Pinar del Rio, the tourist
trayerses magnificent stretches of pla.
teau and crosses innumerablo valleys,
skirts high mountains and follows deep
and picturesque gorges, but the noun
tains become hills. and thoso arc grad.
ually shaded down until in the extreme
west a surface, generally level, is reach
ed, although in tho vicinity OF the
Queen City, Havana, small but rugged
peaks with precipitous Sides may DO
seen in many directions along the shore.
Picturesque Havana.
10 say that Havana is picturesque
and beautiful is but to give vent to tho
first superficial expression that comes to
your lips. Spain itself cannot show a
more curious or interesting city. Study
1t as you approach it from tho sea, with
mighty MORO set high upon the head
land, timo dyed in mottled splotchos Of
yellow, gray and black, and the rod and
yellow flags above, with La Junta across
the narrow channel, prim and white,
save where the ugly dahlgren guns flash
at you like venomous black eyes, and
the city is rs interesting and impressive
sight rs human oyo ever beheld.
AS tho capital, metropolis and chief
seaport Of Cuba it is ono of the best
known cities in the American hemi-
sphere. Its splendid harbor, it's CONNER
cial Importance, its climate and the
tlnge of romance that ever attaches to
Its people have made its famo world
vide Havana has abop 400, 900 inhab-
itants. 1t was founded but 23 years
after the discovery by Columbus and
has always been the commercial en-
porium of tho Antilles.
Few cities have such beautiful parks
and drlyeways US has Havana. Tho great
Plaza dc Armas Is tho chief 1t COM
prises four parks, in tho center of which
Is statue Of Ferdinand VII. Then
there arc the Alameda do Paula, Dor y.
dcring on tho bay, and tho Campo do
Marto, used rs a drill ground for tho
military. This is Rn enormous park 1t
has four handsome gates, named rcspeo-
lively Colon, Cortoz, Pizarro and Tacon.
Tho Paseo do Tacon is magnificent
drive with double rows Of trees. 1t has
numerous columns and statues, among
tho latter one Of Charles III, ranking
among the finest works Of art in Amer.
lea.
Tho commerce Of Havana il only sur
passed III the new world by that Of New
York. Two-thirds of tho products Of
Cuba find outlet through Havana. Tho
exports Of sugar alono are annually about
100. 900, 600 pounds.
Havana was first called San Cristobal
do Ia Habana. in honor Of Columbus,
but gradually the prefix was dropped.
Havana has been frequently attacked
from tho sea. Drake tried to take it in
1885, but failed. In l762 British fleet
under Admiral Pocook bombarded tho
city and compelled it to capitulate, but
1t was restored to tho Spanards tho
next year by tho treaty Of Paris.
Not Hot Country.
We arc accustomed to think Of Cuba
as hot country, situated az it Is under
the tropics, and the common impression
Is correct to tho extent that the mean
average temperature Of tho year is high
or than in countries farther north but
the climate is more equablo. There are
not those sudden variations that in
many parts Of the United States arc SO
severe on tho human constitution. In
Havana, for example, tho average tenn
perature OF the hottest month is 81
degrees; OF tho coldest, ~. In Santiago
de Cuba, q city often mentioned in tho
war dispatches, tho average Of tho year
il 80; Of tho hottest month. 81; Of the
coolest 73. These are high figures, but
not very high for an island lying in
equatorial regions and surrounded by
water that Is warm to tho hand all tho
year round. TO stranger from dry
country feature moro Objectionable
than tho steady heat is tho tremendous
rainfall. Tho geographical and topo-
graphical situation OF Cuba provides
two seasons only, tho wet and tho dry.
During tho latter rains ara not frequent,
being atoncd for, however, by the abun
dance Of tho dew, but in tho rainy sea-
son Jupiter Pluvius seems to turn him
self loose to excel all previous efforts,
and from 125 to l10 inches Of rain ia
not uncommon, there being about 102
days when tho rain comes down not in
drops, but in sheets, in masses, in tub
fuls at q time, as though tho windows
or tho heavens wero opened and tho