THE TOPOGRAPHY AND RESOURCES OF CUBA.
Cuba lies in the northern portion of the torrid zone, and immediately
south of Florida. From Key West to the nearest point on the Cuban coast,
the distance in 86 miles.
The form of Cuba is an irregular crescent, with a large number of bays
or indentations. The coast line is about 2,200 miles, exclusive of the
indentations; or, if we include the latter, nearly 7,000 miles.
The island is about 760 miles long. Its breadth varies from 127 miles at
a point some fifty miles west of Santiago to 28 miles from Havana to the
south.
Its area is 43,314 square miles, which includes the Isle of Pines and
several smaller islands.
Cuba is intersected by a range of mountains, more or less broken, which
extends across the entire island, from east to west, and from which the
rivers flow to the sea. This range is called the Sierra del Cobra, and
it includes the Pico de Turginuo, with an altitude of 7,670 feet, the
highest point on the whole island. There are other ranges, and the
eastern portion of the island is particularly hilly. We must not forget
the famous Pan of Matanzas which received its name from its resemblance
to a loaf of sugar. It is 1,300 feet high, and has been of great service
to mariners in enabling them to get their bearings.
Naturally the rivers are small, but they are numerous. The principal
one, and the only one that can properly be called navigable, is the
Canto. Schooners ascend this for about sixty miles. It rises in the
Sierra del Cobre, and empties upon the south coast, a few miles from
Manzanillo. Mineral springs abound, and their medicinal qualities are in
high repute.
Of lakes there are only a few, and most of these lie in the marsh lands.
The Scientific American says:
"The country may be broadly divided into the region of the plains the
rolling uplands and the forest lands. The lowlands form a practically
continuous belt around the island, and in them are to be found the great
sugar plantations. Above these and on the lower slopes are found the
grazing and farm lands, upon, which, among other things, is raised the
famous Havana tobacco. The remainder of the island, especially the
eastern portion is covered with a dense forest growth."
The vegetation of Cuba is of the most luxuriant and beautiful
description. The forests are full of a large variety of trees, almost
all of them most valuable for mechanical purposes. Some of them are
almost as hard as iron. One of these is called the quiebra hacha (the
axe breaker). There are other woods such as the jucaro, which are
indestructible, even under water. Still others are lignum vitae, ebony,
rosewood, mahogany, cedar, lancewood and many other species. There are
over fifty varieties of palm, and the orange and lemon trees are
indigenous. Although the forests are so dense so to be almost
impenetrable, there are no wild animals in them larger than the wild
dogs, which closely resemble wolves both in appearance and habits.
The fruits are those natural to the tropics, but only oranges,
pineapples and bananas are raised for exportation.
The land is not suited to the cultivation of cereals, and there is no
flour mill on the island. At one time, the coffee plantations were in a
flourishing condition, but the recent outbreak has largely interfered
with this industry.
By far the chief industries in the island are the cultivation of sugar
and tobacco, both of which are famous the world over.
The soil of Cuba is simply a marvel of richness, practically unrivalled
in any other part of the world. Except occasionally in the case of
tobacco, fertilizers are not used. Crops have been grown on the same
ground without an atom of fertilization for over a hundred years. This
superb soil gives the Cuban sugar planter an enormous advantage over his
competitors in other countries. For instance, in Jamaica, one to two
hogsheads of sugar is considered a good yield, but in Cuba, three
hogsheads are the average.
The introduction of modern machinery, which is very expensive, has done
much to drive out the small planters, and the tax imposed by the Spanish
government almost trebled the cost to the planter.
In times of peace, the sugar production of Cuba averaged a million of
tons a year, but this is nothing like what the island might be made to
yield under a decent government and proper enterprise. It has been
estimated that if all the land suitable to the growth of sugar cane were
devoted to that industry, Cuba might supply the entire western
hemisphere with sugar.
Mr. Gollan, the British consul general, says:
"Until a very recent date the manufacture of sugar and the growing of
the cane in Cuba were extremely profitable undertakings, and the reasons
for their prosperity may be stated as:
"1. The excellence of the climate and the fertility of the soil, which
allow of large crops of good cane. The rainfall, about 50 inches, is so
distributed that irrigation is not a necessity, though it would in many
cases be advisable.
"2. The great movement toward the centralization of the estates which
took place in the early eighties, planters having understood the value
of large sugar houses and overcome their difficulty in this way.
"3. The proximity of the United States, affording, as it does, a cash
market for the sugar."
To show how the sugar trade has been injured by the Cuban uprising, the
following figures are of interest:
Description. Tons in 1895. Tons in 1896.
Exports 832,431 235,628
Stocks 135,181 36,260
---------- ----------
Local consumption 967,612 271,888
50,000 40,000
---------- ----------
1,017,612 311,888
Stock on January 1
(previous crop) 13,348 86,667
--------- -------
Total production 1,004,264 225,221
The decrease in 1895-96 was 779,043 tons, equivalent to 77.574 per cent.
While the tobacco crop of some portions of Cuba is unsurpassed, notably
that of Vuelta Alajo and of Mayari, it is of excellent quality all over
the island, the poorest of it being quite as good as that of Hayti. The
entire crop is estimated at $10,000,000 annually. Yet, owing to the
extortions of the government, which loaded it with restrictions and
exactions of every description, the tobacco industry has always been an
uncertain one. It is said that the tobacco growers, disgusted with their
treatment, have always been in favor of the revolutionists.
The mineral riches of the island have never been exploited to any
considerable extent and yet it is known that they are by no means
unimportant. Gold and silver exist. Some specimens of the finest gold
have been obtained, but at an expense of time and labor that could not
remunerate the parties engaged in the enterprise. There are copper mines
near Santiago of large extent and very rich in ore. There are also
several iron mines. Numerous deposits of manganese have been found in
the Sierra Maestra range. As nearly all the manganese used in the United
States comes from the Black Sea, it is thought that these mines will
prove very valuable, when the conditions for operating them are more
favorable. Bituminous coal is very abundant. Marble, jasper and slate
are also to be found in many parts of the island.
The trade of the United States with Cuba since 1891 is given as follows
by the bureau of statistics, Treasury Department:
Imports. Exports.
1891 $61,714,395 $12,224,888
1892 77,931,671 17,953,570
1893 78,706,506 24,157,698
1894 75,678,261 20,125,321
1895 52,871,259 12,807,661
1896 40,017,730 7,530,880
1897 18,406,815 8,259,776
The commerce of Spain with Cuba since 1891, the figures up to 1895 being
taken from a compilation by the department of agriculture, and those for
1896 from a British foreign office report was:
Imports from Exports to
Cuba. Cuba.
1891 $7,193,173 $22,168,050
1892 9,570,399 28,046,636
1893 5,697,291 24,689,373
1894 7,265,120 22,592,943
1895 7,176,105 26,298,497
1896 4,257,360 26,145,800
The railways are insufficient and wretchedly managed, while the roads
are in a deplorable condition, sometimes, in wet weather, being almost
impassible.
In regard to the future commercial prosperity of Cuba, Mr. Hyatt, who
until recently was our consul at Santiago, gives the following opinion:
"Railroads and other highways, improved machinery and more modern
methods of doing business are among the wants of Cuba; and with the
onward march of civilization these will doubtless be hers in the near
future. Cuba, like other tropical and semi-tropical countries, is not
given to manufacturing; her people would rather sell the products of the
soil and mines and buy manufactured goods. The possibilities of the
island are great, while the probabilities remain an unsolved problem."
When the tropical position of Cuba is taken into consideration, it may
be stated that its climate is generally mild. In fact, we can say that
it is one of the best, if not the very best, of the countries lying
within the tropics; and, during the dry season, it is unsurpassable
anywhere. In this season, the days are delightful, and the nights, with
the clear, transparent air, and the sky spangled with myriads of stars
(many of which, notably the constellation known as "The Southern Cross,"
are not visible in more northern countries), are veritable dreams of
beauty.
The heat and cold are never extreme, and there is only a slight
difference in the temperature all the year round. The warmest month at
Havana is July, with an average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit,
and the coldest is January, with an average temperature of 70 degrees.
The rainy season lasts from the first of May till the first of October.
The popular impression is that it rains pretty nearly all the time
during this season, but this is a mistake. On an average there are not
more than ten rainy days a month, and the rain generally comes in the
afternoon. The temperature of Havana in the summer is but little higher
than that of New Orleans, while its rainfall is infinitely less. Yellow
fever exists in the coast cities all the year round, but it rarely makes
its appearance in the interior. The western part of the island is as
habitable as is Ohio.
It is certain that the effects of the climate upon the Spanish soldiers
has been disastrous, but much of the mortality among them have been due
not to the climate alone, but to a bad system of hygiene, wretched diet,
unsuitable clothing and a criminal disregard on the part of the military
authorities of the health of the men under their control.
The Medical Record, in an article on the subject, says:
"There is no evading the fact, however, that the landing of a large body
of more or less raw, unacclimatized men in the lowlands of a reputed
unhealthy coast at the beginning of the rainy season is an experiment
that must from the very nature of things be attended with much risk."
But the danger to our own soldiers must also from the very nature of
things, be much less than it has proved to the Spaniards. Our army is
composed of a much higher class of men intellectually, and besides that,
they will be infinitely better taken care of.
The next point to be considered is the population of Cuba. There has
been no official census taken since 1887. Then the entire population was
estimated at 1,631,687. Of these about one-fifth were natives of Spain,
10,500 were whites of foreign blood, 485,187 were free negroes, about
50,000 were Chinese and the rest native Cubans.
It may be interesting to note the percentage of whites and blacks, and
to see how the negro element has been decreasing both relatively and
absolutely during late years. At the present time the negroes are in all
probability not more than one-fourth of the entire population.
Per
Year. White. Negro. Cent.
1804 234,000 198,000 45.8
1819 239,830 213,203 47.
1830 332,352 423,343 56.
1841 418,291 589,333 58.4
1850 479,490 494,252 50.75
1860 632,797 566,632 47.
1869 797,596 602,215 43.
1877 985,325 492,249 33.
1887 1,102,689 485,188 30.55
The island is divided into six political divisions, each province taking
the name of its capital city: Havana, Matanzas, Santa Clara, Puerto
Principe, Santiago de Cuba and Pinar del Rio.
The figures in the following table give the population by provinces, as
well as the density of population (number of inhabitants per square
kilometer.)
Square
Provinces. Inhabitants. Kilometers. Density.
Pinar del Rio 225,891 14,967 15.09
Habana 451,928 8,610 52.49
Matanzas 259,578 8,486 30.59
Santa Clara 354,122 23,083 15.34
Puerto Principe 67,789 32,341 2.10
Santiago de Cuba 272,379 35,119 7.76
--------- ------- -----
Totals 1,631,687 122,606 13.31
In Cuba, under Spanish rule, the Roman Catholic is the only religion
tolerated by the government. There are no Protestant or Jewish places of
worship. A decree promulgated in Madrid in 1892 declares that, while a
person who should comply with all other requirements might be permitted
to remain on the island, he would not be allowed to advance doctrines at
variance with those of the established church. As Catholicism is a state
religion, its maintenance is charged to the revenues of the island, and
amounts to something like $400,000 a year.
Education in Cuba is, or has been, at a very low ebb. That is due, as
many other things are, to the wretched, short-sighted policy of Spain,
the country which has never completely emerged from the darkness of
barbarism. She was afraid to give education to the Cubans, thinking that
she could better dominate them in their ignorance. There is a royal
university in Havana, and a collegiate institute in each of the six
provinces, the number of students in all amounting to nearly three
thousand, but these come almost without exception from the ranks of the
well-to-do.
Less than one out of every forty-five of the children in Cuba attend the
public schools. There was a farcical law passed in 1880, making
education compulsory. How could such a law be of any effect when there
was neither the ability nor the desire to provide school-houses and
instructors? Now let us take a brief glance at some of the chief cities
of Cuba.
Havana, the principal and capital city of the island, is situated on the
west side of the bay of Havana, on a peninsula of level land of
limestone formation.
It is the seat of the general government and captain-generalcy, superior
court of Havana (audencia,) general direction of finance, naval station,
arsenal, observatory, diocese of the bishopric and the residence of all
the administrative officers of the island (civil, military, maritime,
judicial and economic).
Its strategic position at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico has aptly
given to the city the name of the Key of the Gulf; and a symbolic key is
emblazoned in its coat-of-arms. The harbor, the entrance to which is
narrow, is wide and deep, and a thousand ships could easily ride there
at anchor.
It has always been supposed to be strongly fortified, its chief defences
being Morro Castle, the Cabana, the Castillo del Principe, Fort Atares,
the Punta and the Reina Battery.
The population of Havana, from the last official estimate, is about
220,000.
Before the present war, Havana was one of the most charming places in
the world for the tourist to visit, more especially during the winter
months.
There is scarcely a city in Europe which, to the American seemed so
foreign as Havana. The whole appearance of the place, its manners and
customs, were all totally different to what the American had been
accustomed.
The streets are so narrow that vehicles by law are obliged to pass down
one street and up another, while the sidewalks are not more than two
feet wide and hollowed down in the centre by the constant trampling of
feet. This applies to the city proper, for, outside the walls, there are
many broad and beautiful avenues. The streets are very noisy and, as a
rule, excessively unclean.
The houses, many of them palaces, wonderfully beautiful within, but
situated on dark and dirty alleys, are all built about a central
courtway. There are no fireplaces anywhere, nor a window shielded with
glass in the whole city. The windows have iron bars, and within those of
the first story is the inevitable row of American rocking chairs.
Through these bars the Cuban lover interviews his inamorata. It would be
the height of indecorum for him to approach nearer, to seek to speak
with her within the walls of her own home, even in the presence of her
father and mother.
Cows are driven about the streets and milked in front of your own door,
when you desire the lacteal fluid. This custom is, at all events, a
safeguard against adulteration.
Ladies do not go into the shops to make purchases, but all goods are
brought out to them as they sit in their volantes.
By the way, the volante (flyer) is the national carriage and no other,
practically, is used in the country. It consists of a two seated
vehicle, slung low down by leather straps from the axle of two large
wheels, and it has shafts fifteen feet long. The horse in the shafts is
led by a postillion, whose horse is harnessed on the other side of the
shafts in the same manner. The carriage is extremely comfortable to
travel in, and the height of the wheels and their distance apart prevent
all danger of turning over, although the roads in the country are for
the most part, mere tracks through fields and open land. Ox carts and
pack mules are used for conveying goods in the interior of the island
outside of the meagre railway lines.
Havana has some beautiful public parks and some really fine statues,
chiefly those of Spain's former rulers.
Its principal theatre, the Tacon, is celebrated throughout the world for
its size and beauty. In regard to theatres, there is one peculiar custom
in Havana: By the payment of a certain sum, beyond the price of
admission, one is allowed to go behind the scenes between the acts. This
privilege has caused great annoyance to many eminent artists.
The cathedral of Havana is rather imposing in architecture, although it
is badly situated, but it is very interesting because there is an urn
within its walls which is said, and with a large semblance of truth, to
contain the bones of Columbus.
Space does not permit us to tell of all the charms of Havana, but,
suffice it to say, that it was and will be again, under far happier
conditions too, one of the most delightful cities in the world.
The city of Cuba, next in commercial importance to Havana, is Matanzas.
It is beautifully situated on the north coast, about seventy miles from
Havana, and has a population of about fifty thousand. The climate is
fine, and Matanzas is considered the healthiest city on the island. With
proper drainage (something that has hitherto been almost unknown in Cuba
as are all other sanitary arrangements) yellow fever and malaria would
be almost unknown. If it should ever come under American enterprise, the
city would develop into a superb pleasure resort and be a fatal rival to
the Florida towns. We cannot forbear to mention the Caves of Bellamar.
These are not far from Matanzas and are subterranean caverns, of which
there are a number in Cuba. The walls and roofs are covered with
stalactites of every conceivable hue and shape, and forming pictures of
beauty far beyond anything conceived of, even in the Arabian Nights.
The most modern city of importance is Cienfuegos (as its name signifies,
the City of a Hundred Fires). It has a population of about twenty-six
thousand and its harbor is one of the best on the southern coast, with a
depth of 27 feet at the anchorage, and from 14 to 16 feet at the
wharves.
Cardenas is a seaport on the north coast about 135 miles east of Havana.
Its population is about the same as Cienfuegos. In the rainy season, its
climate is distinctly bad and its sanitary conditions worse. It has some
large manufactories, and carries on a flourishing trade.
Santiago de Cuba, on the southeastern coast, is the second city of size
in Cuba (60,000 inhabitants), and the one on which all American eyes
have been fixed, for it is there that our brave Sampson bottled up
Cervera's illusive fleet, and on its suburbs a fierce battle was fought,
July 1, 2 and 3, between the American troops under General Shafter and
the Spanish army under General Linares, resulting in the defeat of the
latter and the subsequent surrender of the city to the United States'
forces on Sunday, July 17.
It is very difficult, by the way, to find the entrance to the harbor of
Santiago. Approaching it from the sea, nothing is seen but lofty
mountains. When quite near, two mountains seem to suddenly part, and a
channel only 180 yards wide, but of good depth, is revealed.
It is the oldest city in America, many years older than St. Augustine,
having been founded by Velasquez in 1514, and is exceedingly quaint and
mediaeval.
Its chief fortifications are the Castillo of La Socapa and the Morro
Castle, the largest and most picturesque of the three of that name. The
latter was built about 1640, and is a fine specimen of the feudal
"donjon keep" with battlemented walls, moats, drawbridge, portcullis and
all the other paraphernalia of the days of romance. The harbor itself,
around which so much interest has clustered, is naturally one of the
finest in the world, but no pains has been taken to improve it, the
funds appropriated for that purpose having been stolen by the Spanish
engineers and officials.
Santiago is Spanish for St. James, who is the special patron saint of
Spain, on account of a myth that he once made a journey to that country.
Cuba, in short, is one of the most beautiful and fertile countries on
the face of the globe, but man, in the shape of brutal Spain, has done
everything he could, to ruin the gifts Nature so lavishly bestowed.
Let us hope and believe, as surely we have every reason to do, that upon
the "Pearl of the Antilles," the sun of prosperity will rise, driving
away the gloomy shadows of oppression, and that the dawn will be not
long postponed.