THE ISLAND OF CUBA 47 



where the limestone formation prevails, as in all the white- 

 limestone areas of the tropics, a large portion of the drain- 

 age is subterranean, accompanied by many remarkable 

 caverns. The rivers Cuyajabos, Pedernales, Gnanajay, 

 Copellanias, San Antonio, and others along the south 

 slope of Pinar del Rio, disappear in limestone caverns, 

 where they continue their seaward course. The Falls of 

 Rosario in this province are of great beauty, as is also an 

 immense natural bridge. 



In the province of Santiago and part of Puerto Principe 

 the drainage is more complicated. Rio Magari of Santi- 

 ago has three fine cataracts before reaching the sea at 

 Nipe. The limestone plateaus of northern and eastern 

 Santiago de Cuba give rise to many rivers, the most re- 

 markable of which are the Cabanas, the Yamanigacy, and 

 the Moa, which in descending the escarpments of the high 

 levels of the Toar disappear beneath the surface and re- 

 appear on a lower terrace, over the edge of which they are 

 precipitated in cascades of three hundred feet to the coast. 

 Other streams, such as the Yumuri of the east, find outlet 

 through sharply cut canons indenting the limestone cliffs of 

 the back-coast border. The central portion of Santiago 

 province is dominated by the Rio Cauto and its ramifica- 

 tions. This is the longest river on the island, and flows in 

 a westerly direction for a distance of one hundred and fifty 

 miles, draining the wide and fertile valley to which its name 

 is applied. This stream is navigable for small boats for a 

 considerable distance (eighty to one hundred miles), but 

 its mouth has been obstructed by bars. The Sagua is a 

 tidal stream which is also navigable for a few miles, as 

 are also the Agabama near Trinidad, the Palma, and the 

 Jatibonico. 



There are no extensive lakes in the interior of Cuba, the 

 only one of note being Lake Ariguanabo, situated in the 

 hilly country twenty miles southwest of Havana. This is 

 about six square miles in area, thirty feet deep, and con- 

 tains many fishes. It is drained by a peculiar river, the 



