CUBA. 



The island is very rich in minerals, particularly in 

 copper, iron, and loadstone. In 1813, some persun> 

 endeavoured to work a mine which they found near 

 the city of Trinidad, and from which they obtained 

 good gold and silver. They were, however, obliged, 

 From want of funds, to desist, though it was highly 

 probable Uiat, with a sufficient capital, it could liave 

 been made profitable. For the same reason, together 

 \vitli the want of protection from the government, a 

 very rich mine of coal, which was opened in 1816, 

 near Bacuranao, was abandoned. In 1827, a silver 

 mine was discovered, yielding 7'5 of pure silver to a 

 quintal of ore. Iron seems to be abundant, as it 

 shows itself in parts of the great cordillera of Sierra 

 Maestra. Loadstone is found in the mountains of 

 Paragua and on the northern coast. Marbles of 

 various kinds, serpentine, chalcedony of excellent 



Juality, quart*, mineral bitumen, &c., are likewise 

 jund in the island. Our knowledge of the geologi- 

 cal and mineralogical structure of Cuba, however, is 

 comparatively small, on account of the thickness of 

 the forests and the asperity of the mountains, parti- 

 cularly on the eastern part. Most that we know on 

 this subject is derived from the researches of Alex- 

 ander von Humboldt. 



The soil of Cuba is so productive that it yields 

 two, and even three crops of corn in a year. The 

 fields, during the whole year, are covered with aro- 

 matic plants and trees in blossom. The climate is dry 

 and warm. In the months of July and August, the 

 thermometer ranges from 28 to 29 Reaumur (95 to 

 97 Fahrenheit), and in those of December and 

 January, which are the coldest, commonly between 

 17 and 21 of Reaumur (70 and 79 Fahrenheit). 

 It never freezes, not even on the highest moun- 

 tains. The coasts of the island are well known to 

 be unhealthy; but tin's is not the case with the 

 mountains. 



Among the animals indigenous in the island or the 

 surrounding sea, are the cayman or alligator (q. v.), 

 the mi mail or sea cow, the iguana (a species of lizard), 

 the turtle, &c. Many of the domestic animals of 

 Europe liave been introduced. A great number of 

 swine, and also of bees, are reared. Lately, the 

 breeding of i^ules has been carried on to a consider- 

 able extent. Birds are numerous in the forests. 

 Among them are the canary bird, the linnet, also a 

 bird resembling the nightingale, the cardinal gross- 

 beak, the bunting, &c. The rivers, though they 

 liave but a short course, and are deficient in water, 

 abound, at certain seasons, with excellent fish. 

 Reptiles are extremely numerous. Among the 

 insects, of which there are very many, are the 

 mosquitoes, verdaderamente una plaga que infesta los 

 cay os, costas y terrenos pantanosos, to use the 

 words of the Cuadro Estadistico mentioned below. 

 They are divided into different species mosquito 

 proper, coraci, zancudo, rodador, jagiiey, and lance- 

 tero. In the rainy season, they follow men anc 

 beasts into the interior of the island. The gregen 

 which is almost invisible, is exceedingly numerous 

 and very troublesome. Among the spiders the 

 peluda is the most disagreeable in appearance, am 

 its bite produces fever, yet without danger to life 

 There are other kinds particularly troublesome to 

 particular animals. The vegetable kingdom o 

 Cuba is extremely rich. Here are to be found th< 

 mahogany-tree, the cedar, and lignum-vitae, variou 

 kinds of ebony, besides numerous woods suitable fo 

 building houses, ships, &c. ; also palm-trees, among 

 which the palma real is remarkable for the utilit; 

 of every part to man and various animals ; sarsapa 

 rilla and many other plants useful in medicine ; alsc 

 the chestnut, the pine-apple, the annona or custarc 

 apple, the medlar, plantain,, orange, and various 



kinds of melons. Among the agricultural plants, 

 iiaize is the most important ; rice, beans, peas, 

 arbanzos, are also cultivated. The culture of wheat 

 s abandoned. 



The true riches of the country consist in its great 

 articles of export sugar, coffee, tobacco, wax, cocoa, 

 molasses, rum, maize, &c. According to a very 

 ecent and complete official publication Cttadro Ea- 

 adistico de la siemprefiel Made Cuba correspondiente 

 al anno de 1827 ', for mado por una Comission de Gefesy 

 Oficiales de orden y bajo de la Direction del Excel"""- 

 S'- Capitan General D. Fr. Dimisio Fives, Hal/ana, 

 1829 the export of sugar, in 1827, was 5,878,9241 

 arrobas (an arroba is equal to 25 pounds), or includ- 

 mg tare, &c., 6,300,000 arrobas. The whole amount 

 >roduced was 8,091,837 arrobas; consumed on the 

 sland, 1,791,837. Of coffee, the export, in the same 

 'ear, was 2,001, 583 i arrobas, and the amount, con- 

 tuned in the island, 881,944?. Of tobacco, the 

 amounts have not been so wefl ascertained. This 

 article pays a duty of six per cent, to the king (ordi- 

 nance of Oct. 8, 1827). In 1827, there were ex- 

 ported 61,898 cargas, or about 500,000 arrobas, of 

 which 79,l06i were en rama (in the leaf). Of wax, 

 the export, in 1827, was 22,4021 arrobas ; the whole 

 production, 63,160. Of cotton, the export, in the 

 same year, was 23,414 arrobas ; whole quantity raised 

 38,142. Of cocoa, the export was only 1953 arro- 

 jas, while the whole quantity raised was 23,806 arro- 

 t>as. Indigo began to be cultivated in 1795, but 

 little has as yet been raised in 1827, only 56 arro- 

 tws and of wheat only 120 arrobas. The export of 

 molasses, in 1827, was 74,083 bocoyes (hogsheads) ; of 

 rum (aguardiente de canna,) 2457 pipes. Rice is raised 

 in large quantity, but not enough to supply the great 

 dome consumption. In 1827, 520,897 arrobas were 

 produced on the island, and 590,820^ arrobas im- 

 ported. Of maize, 1,617,806 fanegas were raised, (a 

 fanega is about 100 pounds,) and yet there were 

 imported 70,497 arrobas of the corn, and 4,952 bar- 

 rels of the meal. Of beans (frijolles), there were 

 produced, in 1827, 134,185 arrobas, and imported, 

 58,418^. Notwithstanding this great production, it 

 is believed that only a seventh part of all the land 

 suitable for cultivation is actually brought into use. 



The commerce of the country has increased lately 

 very much. The island enjoys great privileges in 

 comparison with other countries under the yoke of 

 Spain. The trade of Cuba is carried on chiefly 

 through Havannah, the capital. There have been 

 times when the exports of the island amounted to 

 12,000,000 dollars, and its imports were over 

 15,000,000 dollars. In the year 1827, 17,352,854 

 dollars' worth of merchandise was imported, and 

 3,561,887 dollars' worth exported, making the con- 

 sumption amount to 13,791,267 dollars, which, after 

 the subtraction of articles of food imported for the 

 slaves, leaves 12,291,267 dollars for the value of im- 

 ported articles consumed by the 337,126 white and 

 106,494 coloured free persons, which gives 28 dollars 

 as the average consumption of each individual during 

 the year. The total value of the produce of the is- 

 land was lately estimated at 44,634,343 dollars. In 

 1827, the commerce of Havannah contributed to the 

 royal revenue 4,383,262 dollars, whilst, in 1815, it 

 paid only 1,726,963^ dollars. The interior adminis- 

 trations furnished to the revenue, in 1827, 2,272,808 

 dollars. The whole revenue of the island has been 

 estimated at 7,500,000 dollars, and the expenses ot 

 the government at 6,500,000 dollars. According to 

 the Balanza Mercantil of Havannah, for the year 1829 , 

 it appears, that the imports in American vessels from 



the United States into Havaunah, in 1829, amounted 



to the sum of 4,086,230 60 dollars. 



