The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-10-01
B SOUTHERN A
BoRDERED BY NUMBERS OF PIC
TUREsaUE vINE-CLAD ISLANDS.
A Long Coast Line with Comparative
wiIderness-MineraI wealth.
sneciaI Corresnondence.

0 80 aD0af -
find yourself at once in the mazes of an
other green archipelago-the Banco de LOO
Jardines y Jardinillas. Reef OF Gardens
and GARDENERS" And very appropriate 10
the name bestowed by the verbose Span
iards, for every islet. big and little. is q
veritable conservatory OF bloom and beauty.
though nature is the only gardener the
archipelago has ever known. This particular
group numbers about fifty islands. the
largest not more than six or eight miles
long, the smallest. a bit Of coral rock just
peeping above the waves. To the north.
between Los Jardines and the Peninsula de
Zapata C"The Shoe" so called because or
its shape. which forms the southwest end
OF Santa Clara province). the tranquil Car
ibbean is dotted thick with islets. each
fringed with mangrove thickets. the home
Of crocodiles. parrots and sea fowl innu-
merable. The latter find secure breeding
places in these miniature paradises unfre-
quented by the human species and birds OF
every feather fatten on the wild fruits and
seeds. This is the chosen home OF the Cuban
parrots and paroquets. which find such
profitable sale in the United States. Every
thicket is alive with them and their shrill
screaming fills the air. The fowler has
only to row out from the mainland in his
canoe. set his snares in the bushes and
wait for the gorgeous green and yellow fell
low to futter into them. A modern Crusoe.
cast ashore on one of these islands. would
not fare badly. providing he kept at a re-
spectful distance from the crocodiles' jaws
and voracious land crabs did not devour
him. Besides fish and Holsters. the finest
TO be found anywhere, oysters clinging 20
the mangrove branches and birds that will
almost come at call, having never learned
the fear OF man-are various wild fruits.
including oranges. figs. plantains. cocoa
nuts, malangoes "a species of indigenous
potato), yucca. cassava and other edible
roots, and usually plenty of fresh water.
No country on earth is so rich in nas-
ural gardens of the sea as Cuba, being en-
vironed by no fewer than fifteen hundred
islands of account. besides innumerabie
reefs anG Gays, the smallest of them ca
pable of sustaining a few people almost in
dependently. Most of these islets are not
unlike the Bahama and Florida reefs, hav-
ing been created D. the same coral build
ers that to-day may be seen through the
transparent waters woi king as busily al
when this old world was young and COM
paratively poor in islands.
FAMED FOR THEIR SALT.
Next to the Isla de Pinos, the largest OF
Cuba's islands lies off the north shore.
stretching forty miles or more between the
province of Puerto Principe and the old Ba-
hama channel, and is locally known as
Cayo Romano. Correctly speaking, IL Is
four big islands, set close together and sur
rounded by a score Of little ones. and their
combined area is about two hundred square
miles. They are unique In being a vast nat
ural salt mine, capable OF supplying half
the world. Their surface is broken all over
by many small depressions, two or three
feet deep. During winter storms Atlantic
pillows surge completely over these Gays.
leaving the hollows filled with brine. The
burning sun of summer soon dries the water
ard deposits OF pure salt are left behind,
all ready for use without the trouble of
evaporating. The sole industry of Cayo
Romano is that of gathering what the sea
has thus provided. and the only inhabitants
are a few salt miners, who remain less than
half the year and work in desultory fashion.
Of the southern coast OF Cuba Grande Cay
man and the two smaller Caymans are the
most important islands, always excepting
Pinos, and next TO them in area is the long
and narrow archipelago called Cayos de los
Doce Leguas. Between the latter and
Puerto Principe province are scattered the
brightest gems of the Caribbean-hawless
emeralds set in turquoise and sapphire-the
hundred howery. bird-haunted islets OF eter-
nal summer, which Columbus named the
Queens Gardens when his caravels were
becalmed among them. For one who has
had enough OF life in cities and longs for
peace days, far from the madding
crowd" what more perfect piece of retire
ment could be found than one OF these
beautiful islets? For very little money one
of these "Gardines de la Reina" might be
bought and a lodge or bungalow built there
on. and nearly everything the blessed her
nit would need to sustain life he might
raise I'm his dooryard, assisted by natures
bounty in the way OF wild fruits. fish. etc.
There are neither snakes nor wild animals
to be feared. the climate Is absolute perfec-
ton. epidemic diseases are unknown. and
protected by the long Cayos de los Doce
Leguas on the one hand and the mainland
on the other-hurricanes and severe storms
never visit the enchanted locality.
CUBA'S SOUTHERN PORTS.
As everybody knows. the entire circuit OF
Cuba. following the coast line as nearly as
possible. is about 1.72o miles. In all this dis
lance there are ffty-four ports. fifteen OF
which are open to commerce. and only nine
teen lighthouses. Some of the noble har-
bors are tolerably well fortified. so far az
stone walls go. but their prominent features.
according to war experts. are a source OF
weakness rather than Strength. the forts
almost Invariably occupying high elevaz~
tons and the walls. carried high up. a.
fording splendid targets for bombardment
By the shells OF modern war vessels. the
ships themselves remaining safely out OF
range Of the cannon in he forts. BY the
way. one is struck by the number OF MORO
Castles" in this island, and wonder why
the Spaniards did not exercise their custom.
airy verbosity in naming their defenses- The
explanation Is simple. The word MORO
means 'promontory." The old spanish idea
was 10 set all their forts on hills, after the
fashion of the buccaneers. so that a sharp
lookout for enemies might be maintained.
Most OF Cuba's harbors are curiously land
locked bays. opening 10 the sea through
long and narrow channels. They have been
well compared to the shape Of a mans
hand, with the fingers spread and the wrist
reduced I'm size. The wrist is marked with
warts OF bold. rocky headlands where the
channel enters the sea, one side generally
much lower than the other: and on the
higher and sleeper angle OF the shore. be-
tween the harbor entrance on one side aud
the ocean on the other. stands the MORO.