The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-07-30
lSLE OF PINES RICHES
BEAUTIFUL CABINET WOODS AND
TROPICAL FRUITS IN PRO-
FUSION
SOIL IS POOR AND SANDY

DULL Id EUOh AMI SANDY
Some Interesting Facts About the
Natives-The Wonders of the
Great Cienaga Swamp-The. EIec-
trio Beetle With Its Night-Burn-
ing Lnmps-Great Atlas Moth,
Fur-COated and Night-FIying.
CIENFUEGOS, Cuba, July 16.-With
the close of the Spanish sovereignty in
the Western world there came to the
United States, by right of conquest, the
large island lying to the southwest of
Cuba, known as the Isle of Pines. 1t was
discovered by Columbus in one of his
voyages, and was named by him Evan
geIist island" The isle of Pines con-
sists really of two islands, separated by
by a tidal swamp. 1t lies due south from
the province of Pinar del Rio, at a dis
lance of thirty-eight miles, and contains
in area about 1,214 square miles. This is
the only one of the islands lying adjacent
to Cuba which is not entirely of coral
formation. not merely an elevated reef
of mangrove swamp, and which has
geological structure and configuration
comparable to the mainland
The island is peculiar in shape, resem-
bling very much in outline a Spanish vo-
lante and is almost divided in the middle
by bayou or salty depression, the south
ern portion being an enormous "cienaga'
swamp that extends from Siguanea bay
on the east In a word, the southern half
of the island is one vast marsh, while
the upper portion is hilly and mountain
Gus and densely wooded with royal
palms, palmetto pines and endless or
chards of wild fruit trees. There are
mountains near the northern coast which
are 1000 feet above the sea level, and
here are scattered the few towns and
most Of the people that live on the island.
Nuevo Corona is the principal settlement,
containing about 400 inhabitants, and the
Spanish garrison that formerly coupled
the place had here a prison for soldiers
and civilians who were sentenced for
crime. AS rule, however, most of the
prisoners were Cuban insurgents. trans
ported hither by their Spanish captors
from the provinces of the greater island.
The houses are built chiefly of stone rub
BILE or mud adobe, and are miserable con-
trivances and makeshifts for human hab-
itations
In general the soil Of the island is poor
and sandy, but back of the mountains he
gin the great forests, and in these lie
the chief wealth of the Isle of Pines
There are all sorts Of trees on the island
such as mahogany, ebony, cedar g1nebra-
hacha "a kind Of fir), guayacan, maranon
"a tree which yields gum arabic). oak
plno de tea, ocuje "a wood used for cab
met purposes), sabina, walnut. mataeua
Qrom which cordage for ships is madel
capeche, fustic, cocoa, banana and the
magnificent cieba
Inc royal palm, or palm real, is most
common. and, like the maguev of NTay,co
Is Inc mainstay of the natives. AS for
plhes' there are pines everywhere: but
% d heavy KIND, full of resin, and for
IRE give out so much smoke and soot
that the natives prefer mahogany ehonv
or some other hard wood for fuel There
are also marble quarries of blue. white
ana green tnts, and over near a small
settlement called Santa Fe are a number
OF mineral springs, acknowledged to be
sthe pest IN the world for all troubIes of
the stomach. Along the edge of the great
swamp IN the south strong and service
able spars are cut for vessels and If &c
said they are unequaled by those oh
tanned from any other land or cline
FRUITS are very prolific In a wild state
such as the guava, caimito (called the
vegetable brain), papaya, pineappIes ma
ranJas, or blood oranges, and such man
goes as it would be hard to find else
Where IN the world, whole groves of them
making a mountain of color impossible
10 describe. Bananas bear all the wear
round ana In the stream bottoms and
other rich spots corn, vegetables. the
sugar cane and tobacco are cultivated.
Inc maranon is richly favored tree
fruit, and the "cocoa-agua or water
cocoanut, yields a delightful drink that
is free from harmful tendencies and is
really beneficial to health
The forests OF beautiful MAHOGANY
trees ebony and pfno de tea, however
as yet almost untouched, offer the great
est prize of all in this legacy left by Spain
to the United States. The natives do not
understand the vafue of these beautiful
woods, and one may see coWpens and
stable yards fenced in by rails of this
kind, and in rude huts of bamboo and
sud the roofs are supported by rafters
of mahogany and ebony, usually covered
with coat of whitewash to improve
their appearance. Indeed, in the convict
prison at Nueva Corona, the inside work
is all of such expensive material, and
this, handsome framework is generally
smeared with cheap whiteWash The
same custom obtains in the underground
cells at MORO Castle and the Estrolla
battery at Santiago, Cuba.
The whole southern portion of the Isle
of Pines is taken up by the Cienaga
swamp, which is totally impossible ex-
cept to natives foot. 1t is infested
with crocodiles, constructor serpents
filed with fish and turtles of every va
riety, the natural home of tropical birds