The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1918-08-02

muri river the road follows the beach
more or less, whereas the road from
Baracoa to Malta allows no view Of
the sea. While in places progress is
somewhat impeded by the heavy sand,
the road from Malta to the Yumuri
ferry makes up in beauty what it lacks
in convenience.
The Yumuri river-and it should be
noted that Cuba boasts of two Yumuri
rivers, the other one being found near
Matanzas in the center of the island
has width of about two hundred
yards at the mouth with, in all seasons
excepting the rainy season, depth Of
not over three feet. This lack of depth
is due to sand banks which form in the
mouth of the river, thanks to the heavy
swell which deposits large quantities
of coraline sand. Some short distance
from the mouth can be found large
ferry which carries the traveller and
his horse to the other shore. There be-
. ing no carriage roads between Baracoa
and Maisi, there is Of course no neces-
sity for bridge or for ferry large
enough to transport vehicles.
To all who have Travelled in the
West Indies, the mouth of the Yumuri
river must forever linger in their
memory as perhaps the most pictur-
esque spot visited. With towering
banks on either side, the Yumuri
wends its peaceful course toward the
sea, protected as it were by the deep
~ hoc fo,
told centuries. The very walls of this
canyon are covered with verdure, with
here and there a snow-white spot Of
limestone to show the underlying
foundation and to relieve the green
monotOny.
On the Plateau.
The ferry once crossed, the path as
cends the tableland in a dizzy zigzag
which at times puts a great fear into
the travellers heart, especially so If
his horse should happen to be stumble
footed. The tableland is fully 300 feet
above the level of the sea and stretches
from the banks Of the Yumuri east to
the shores of Cape Maisi. Perhaps
the first thing that Will strike the new
conner Is the cool nights on this pla-
teau. When Baracoa and the rest Of
the Cuban republic are smothering I'M
der the heat Of tropical sun, this
lakeland is invariably cool, and the
nights are such that blanket not only
is comfort but an actual necessity.
The cold winds coming from the At
lantic through the ,Windward passage
between Cuba and Hayti are response
BILE for this phenomenon and are also
responsible for the destructive storms
which occasionally visit this region.
From Sabana Grande to the east,
the lakeland of Maisi is known as La
Gran TERRA de Maya (the great land
of Maya, thus named after the Maya
river which finds it's source here. 1t is
here that extensive plantations are
found, where coffee and bananas are
raised.
The inhabitants Of the Gran TERRA
de Maya live in q manner which can
only be compared to that of the patri-
archs Of old. Each finca (farm) is self
supporting, and 1t is but seldom that
Tic pIOpllcIOI ScchS' the UuSlef mdrIS
Of Baracoa. Where lavish nature
provides palms, which supply not only
wood for the house but also roof COW
ering, food and clothing and calabash
trees, which go far toward filling a
want for kitchen utensils; where
guinea grass grows like weeds and fur
nishes a never-failing supply of fodder
for cattle and horses where fruits are
found in wild lavishness and the small
est cultivated patch will sustain a
large family and where, lastly, half
acre of coffee bushes will keep a
Cuban supplied with enough pocket
money to have funds to lose on the
outcome Of a cock fight-the favorite
outdoor sport of Cuba in general and
of this region in particular-it is no
wonder that the inhabitant of the
Gran TERRA de Maya does not wan
der far from his native heath.