.\PK1L 1. I'JiJ. I 



THE INDIA RUBBER WORLD 



317 



broai! balcony, that overlooked a tiny plaza, where we took 

 all of our meals. The delicious quaintiiess of this town was 



Harbo? and Coat Lan'dixg, Baracoa. 



indescribable. . The streets were most ingeniously ill-paved except 

 for a stretch of about 300 yards that was smooth asphalt. This 

 was laid by a former reform mayor 

 (in front of his own residence) and 

 the townspeople point to it with 

 much pride. Carriages were few. 

 as a mile or two outside of the city 

 only trails existed. Xearly every- 

 one rode horseback and there were 

 many fine horses, beautiful trappings 

 and dashing and graceful riders. 

 As the country is mountainous, 

 bullocks, most surefooted of beasts, 

 are used instead of pack horses. 

 They are big black fellows often 

 gaily caparisoned and much more 

 picturesque than any other pack 

 animals that I have seen. 



We fell asleep that night to the 

 music of the bells in the nearby 

 cathedral. The next day we ex- 

 plored the city, bargained for 

 horses to take us into the valley 

 where the rubber grew, and bought 

 a few necessaries in the very e.x- 

 cellent stores. Then we looked up 

 the American consul, who is also 

 a physician and is doing a deal of 

 good in a community where fees are 

 small and not promptly collectible. 



Baracoa is very beautiful with its 

 tiny bay, its stretches of sandy 

 beach, its close encircling moun- 

 tains and its red tiled houses. The sky is constantly crossed by 

 fantastically drifting clouds and the sunsets are wonderful. 

 While the stores are exceedingly well equipped, the city could, 



however, not boast a dentist, an oculist or an automoliile. 

 it was during his first voyage in 1492 that Columbus entered 

 Baracoa harbor. It was first called 

 Puerto Santo but afterward the 

 name was changed to Puerto de 

 Baracoa. The secretary to the 

 great .\dmiral describes the dis- 

 covery and the landing very 

 graphically. The little caravels 

 anchored off shore and Columbus 

 jumped into a boat and had gone 

 in to take soundings. He soon 

 found the concealed mouth of the 

 harbor and was so delighted with 

 the freshness and beauty of the 

 trees along the shore, the clearness 

 of the water, and the many birds, 

 that he expressed a desire never 

 to leave the .place: Quoting from 

 the original "letter." 



"To give a true relation to 'the 

 Soverei.gns of the things they had 

 seen, a thousand tongues would 

 not suffice nor his hand to write it 

 for that it was like a scene of en- 

 chantment. He desired that many 

 other and prudent witnesses might 

 ^ce it and he was sure that they 

 would be as unable to exaggerate 

 the scene as was he." 



.As far as I could learn, the 



mountain valley estate where the 



rubber grew, and which was known as "Nunez," was only five 



miles out of town and the ride was to lie but a brief one. When, 



^l.\i,\ SrkEtT, DaraCua. 



therefore, we did not get away at seven in the morning as we 

 planned, and indeed were two hours late in starting, I fancied 

 that it made no difference at all. I was also perfectly content to 



