126 CUBA AND POETO HICO 



the large conical mountains from which a grand view of 

 the landscape may be obtained. The Pico del Potrerillo, the 

 highest mountain of central Cuba, is also accessible from 

 Trinidad. The Lomo del Puerto commands a valley said 

 to be the most beautiful on the south side of the island. 

 Within the boundaries of this valley are no less than fifty 

 ingenios, or sugar-plantations, some of them of the finest 

 class. A number of beautiful streams of water, including 

 the Ay and Agabama, unite to form the river Manati, 

 which empties into the sea east of Casilda. This stream is 

 navigable for seven miles, and by it the planters send their 

 sugar and molasses out of the valley. A railroad from 

 Casilda runs out of the valley for some distance. The 

 magnificent country place of the Cantera family, known as 

 the Recreo or Quinta, if it has been spared the devastation 

 of revolution, is one of the most beautiful private houses 

 in Cuba, rivaling even the palace of the captain-general 

 at Havana. A lovely canon leads out of the mountains 

 just behind the city. In the winter Trinidad is very 



gay. 



East of Trinidad, which is near the central meridian of 

 the island, important cities begin to appear in the interior, 

 such as Santa Clara, Remedios, Esperanza, Puerto Prin- 

 cipe, and Holguin. These are all peculiar and interesting 

 places, where true Cuban life can best be seen, uncontami- 

 nated by the modern commercial spirit. 



Santa Clara is now called Villa Clara. It was founded 

 in 1689, and numbered about twelve thousand inhabitants, 

 many of whom were formerly people of great wealth, the 

 women being celebrated for their beauty. At the time of 

 my last visit, in 1894, a large and excellent hotel had been 

 constructed. Spacious rooms, generous meals, clean ser- 

 vice, and hospitable attention were provided, all on the 

 European style, not equal to our best New York hotels, 

 but far better than are met with in interior towns of simi- 

 lar size in the United States. Villa Clara is connected by 

 two trains daily with Cienfuegos and Havana. The coun- 



