The daily morning journal and courier., 1899-10-12
EXPLORATION. IN CUBA.
COMPARATIVELY LITTLE KNO WN
 PORTIONS OF THE ISLAND.

Cape Alpha and Omega the First Poin' 1 Discovered Baracou, c ibara and Oth-
 CT Northeastern Towns-The Great
 IossaI North American Colonization
 Scheme.
 Especial Correspondence of the Journal
 and Courer.1
 Nuevitas, Cuba, Sept. 6.-From san tiago around the eastern end of the is-
 land to Baracoa on the north coast, is
 an all-nlght's run. The earliest | glimpse ashore reveals dim highlands
 tapped with clouds, so vague in the morning mists that none can say where
 land ends and sky begins. The low 1 hills that encompass southeastern Cuba, rising in natural terraces from 1 the waters edge, bear a striking resem-
 blance to the artificially terraced slopes
 of the Peruvian Andes, whereon the l 1ncas cultivated cocoa. Farther to the
 westward these hills mount higher and l higher, till merged in the dark, cloud- | canopied Maestro range; while to the eastward they suddenly disappear in series of steep cliffs, to be resumed at irregular intervals on the north shore in the Cuchilas de Baracoa, the Santa de Moa and other mountains.
 Just before reaching Baracoa you pass Point Mafsi, the extreme eastern tip of Cuba, which is separated from Haiti by the swift and narrow channel
 o,I D1, sage" And well it deserves the name, for all the contrary winds that blow seem to frolic here. tossing the surface into boisterous pillows that cause the
 most hardened sea -goers to cast their bread upon the waters, leaning over
 the steamers rail like so many limp bundles. The tall white shaft of Maisi
 lighthouse, in the form of a much elon-
 gated Cleopatra Needle, is not unlike
 the monument erected in Washington in
 honor of the Father of his Country, ex-
 cept for the beacon-signal on the top of
 this. Readers of history will remem-
 Der that the name West Indies was first applied al Point Maisf Columbus called 1t Alpha and Omega" believing that he had touched the eastern end of
 Asia, the border-land of the Grand
 Khan, whom that colossal liar Marco
 Polo, had so lucidly described. The great admiral came ashore here, the first point upon which he set his feet in Cuba, and dispatched an embassy to the imaginary potentate with gifts and friendly messages. Though it proved a frutless expedition, there being no Grand Khan to be conciliated, nor any city of mighty proportions such as Polo had romanced about. another dis covery was made of more importance to future generations, viz, that of tobac- co. In Las Casas narrative entitled "El Primer Vlaje de Colon (Colum- bus First Voyage) we translate as fol- lows: He beheld several of the na- tives going about with fre-brands in their hands and certain dried herbs, which they rolled up in a leaf. and lighting one end put the other end into their mouths, continually exhaling and pulling out the smoke. A roll of this they called tabac, ename sine transferred to the weed from whose leaves the rolls were made"
 Near Maisi are some extensive and very curious caverns, which were evi- dently much frequented by those old time smokers Unfortunately. on &C., count of dangerous reefs and pounding serf. the steamer does not go near enough for passengers to discern more than black spots in the shoreward bluffs, indicating the mouths of these caves. It Is worth rowing back to them from Baracoa No thorough explora- ton of their recesses has ever been made, but petrifed crana and many strange relics found near their en- frances show traces of the aborigines.
 Raracoa S tiny harbor is extremely difficult of access through the usual narrow and winding channel character istic of the coasts of Cuba. When once inside the land-locked bay, whose tran quil waters mirror the bluest skies and greenest hills and tallest palms inag- inable, you realize the truth of the | glowing report which Columbus gave of | it to his sovereign. He named it Puer- to Santos, port of the Saints" and | described it in these quaint words: The ! of the rivers, through which | the sand at the bottom may be seen | the multitude of palm trees of various | forms the lghtest and most beautiful I have ever met. together with an infin- ity of great and green trees; the birds in rich plumage and the verdure of the fields render this country of most Se- rene Princes of such marvellous beauty | that it surpasses all others in charms and graces, as day doth the night in Iuster. l have been so overwhelmed at the sight of SO much beauty that truly know not how to relate it to your ma esties'
 The traveller of to-day finds himself in similar predicament. for words fail in depicting the supreme loveliness of tha 'egion whether viewed from the sea or rom the hills that r,se behind Baracoa. Graceful palms fringe the shores and sdorn the slopes mountains lift their reads above a sea of forest which eems to retain all it's primeval fresh- less and majesty; while tho great ta Dle-topped mesa, close behind the own, is the most conspicuous feature or many miles, This singular moun- ain still bears its aboriginal name, Tunque, and about it many traditions ling. To this day the natives declare hat at times the face and figure of the cacique, Hatuey, who was burned at the stake by the greedy ,paniards in the hope that he would lisclose the secret of hidden gold