The times., 1899-09-17
Rounding the Western End of Cuba,


Although yellow jack has pre-emptei
August and September for his harvesting
months in this part of world, there ned
be no fear of him in a voyage around the
edges of the islands. The prevailing idea
that winter is the season, par excellence,
for a Caribbean cruise, is erroneous. The
most favorable time in the year for a
lesurely tour of the Antilles is in the
dog days''-that sultry, oppressive mid
season between summer and autumn, whel
perspiring multitudes swarm our stuffy
Northern resorts, in vain quest of com
fort. An ideal rounding-off of ones sum
mer outing is a few weeks spent in the
region of romance and beauty below the
Gulf stream, vaguely known as the Span
cooled by sleepy trade-winds, the skies
are absolutely cloudless, and the sea blue,
than the bluest sky that ever arched above
it; where the nights are glorious with the
golden moon OF the tropics, the stars near
er and more numerous than ever seen at
home and the Southern Cross guides the
mariner, in lieu of the absent North Star
You pass the long days reclining on deck
lazily watching the clumsy play OF the
porpoises, flying fish skimming the waves
like swallows, and those curious little nav
igators Portuguese men of-war" gliding
by with all sails set; you find dreamy in
terest in hundreds of unnamed islands thai
float before you like a mirage OF fa.rylani
always another island just ahead, ali
bathed in eternal summer, green as the
greenest emerald. with purple heights ami
silver beeches and cocoa palms crowding
to the waters edge. And then the never
falling delight of arriving at the p.ctur-
esque West Indian ports, with their
glimpses of life as quantity foreign as the
remotest corner of Europe; the echoing
OF the ships signal gun reyerberating
from hill TO hill, instantly answered f.on
sea and shore by fleet of negro boats
with wildly gibbering crews, swarming out
to meet you.
Products of Rich Red Earth.
Today there are many miles of growing
tobacco in Pinar del Rio, even running up
the sides of the chalk cliffs that mark the
beginning of the Vuelta hills, and appear
ing to thrive as well in rock soil as in
loan. The rich red earth of this province
produces equally well corn, sugar cane,
and sweet potatoes and no doubt other
vegetables, il the farmers cared to raise
them. Every "bohio" (natiye hut is en-
powered in a banana grove, and wild or
ange trees are laden with fruit. We pass
ed a splendid pine apple plantation-the
sight of lifetime, it seemed to me
more than eighty thousand plats in full
bearing. There is something peculiarly
fascinating about the graceful curve of the
smooth, harp-edged leaves, bristling far
as the eye can see like the bayonets of an
army on the march, and the golden fruit
thrust upward from pink centres. Each
plant bears but one great, juicy globe of
sweetness at a time; but the same plant
is good for another apple" a few months
later, and another and another; and then
ii must be pulled up by the roots and re-
placed by a new slip.
Pinar del Rio city, capital of the province
Of the same name, has in the neighborhood
of 5000 population, about the same as be-
fore the war, because it was never abnor-
mally swollen by RECOMMENDATION, nor de-
creased by extraordinary suffering. 1t
happened that the country people were
driven in another direction and thousands
penned in smaller villages in the eastern
end of the province. Shoemaking is the
chief industry of Pinar. engaging nearly
half the populaton-each on his own
hook, 50 TO speak, for there is no factory
and labor-saving machinery has never
been introduced. There are many com
Portable homes in the city, and substantial
shops and stores, and one of the finest hos
pitals have ever seen. Most of the pub
lie edifices, including the handsome resi-
dence of the civil governor of the province
are ranged around the central plaza.
a Voyage Par Excellence.
Racidac ha Ia haau+,, ~ =
voyage-the same at any time of the year
there is blessed immunity from excessive
heat mosquitoes, flies, fieas, and other land
pests Of the late summer; to say nothing
of incalculable gain to health in the tonic
of ocean breeZes. Even for travelling in
land on these semi-tropical islands-avoid-
ing the few fever infested localities. II you
are timid-there is no time SO good as Just
now, between the wet season and the dry.
while the face of the country, washed clean
by recent heavy rains, is yet at its beauti-
full best, before the dust returns that later
spreads a white pail upon the fairest land
scape.
We have determined to wind up our long
stay in Cuba by circumnavigating ii again.
stopping at important ports for a day or
two and jaunung short distances inland
wherever interest or pleasure invites. We
allow ourselves a month for the tour and
then-Providence and the bubonic plague
permitting intend to HE ourselves across
the Atlantic, to see how old mother Spain
is making the best Of it in bearing up under
her losses; and then, if all goes well, we
hope for a few weeks in the Philippines.
returning, 81 dios quire in time to celebrate
the twentieth century in Paris
In pursuance of this extensive pro-
gramme, whose uncertainties rival the
merry dreams of Perrette with her milk
pail on her head-we hastened TO Habana
to begin the first step, Of circumnavigating
Cuba. Finding ourselves compelled TO wait
a couple of days for the next westward
going coaster, we concluded TO utilize the
interim by a railway trip into Pinar del
Rio province, the western end of the island
You pay the English capitalists. who own
the only railroad in this province, cents
a mile for the privilege of travelling at an
OK pace in a fourth-rate coach, hitched to
the tren de cargo, or local freight train.
But this slow locomotion is not with ont
advantages If time is mo object" 1t affords
you a fine opportunity to see the country
You may get out and walk ahead whenever
inclined, or linger behind to explore way-
side villages and catch up" with the cars
at leisure; or, if sure of decent horse, YOU
may even make considerable detour in
land and strike the railway miles farther
on, In advance of the train
Towns Down at the Heel.
The towns en- route are all after the
general Cuban pattern, except that these
look little more shabby and shiftless than
most. San Antonio de Barios. only two
or three hours run from Habana, was once
a notable place, made so by its mineral
waters and the baths of San Antonio
Today IL Is woefully run down at the heel;
but with agricultural recuperation perhaps
MD filrala