14 



THE CUBA REVIEW. 



called Santa Clara. In 1513 the town was moved to the Indian village Caonao and to 

 Camagiiey, for the pirates were many and bold. 



Nuevitas as a city began its municipal career in 1819 as San Fernando de Nuevitas. 



Just across the harbor is "La Atalaya" (the watch tower) an American colony, and 

 when tlie owner, Mr. Saucier, of Boston, searched for a site for his house, he looked 

 for the remains of the old watch tower, wdiich stood there centuries ago to give warning 

 of the coming of the pirates and the workman found it and a trace of the old founda- 

 tion, and Mr. Saucier's house is there. The view from the upper balcony is one that 

 arouses the keenest admiration. Then the tarpon, the red snappers, needle fish, and other 

 varieties in the bay give the fishermen the gamest sport. In the mangrove swamps, 

 you will arouse the graceful heron, and he flies up through the palms like a patch 

 of blue sky. 



Far overhead are countless birds none more graceful that the one called "'man of 

 war" or frigate bird. Far up in the sky, a speck only, he floats along on suspended 

 wing apparently without effort. On a lower plane are the more plebeian birds, the 

 buzzards, and still low^er the ungainly pelicans. The former are the scavengers of 

 Cuba and there is a fine of $50.00 for shooting them. The latter are the clowns 

 of their kind and their peculiar habits are a perpetual entertainment to the tourist. 



Decidedly one should visit Nuevitas. One word, however, the hotels are abomina- 

 ble, absolutely, but you can stand it for a day or two if you are robust. 



But after all it is Havana, the queen city of this Queen island, to which tourist 

 eyes and hearts turn, and though all these coast towns north and south and 

 all the interior towns strung like beads on the lines 

 of the United, Western, and the Cuban railroads, 

 have attractions and characteristics and an archi- 

 tecture and an atmosphere entirely their own, all 

 calculated to arouse the keenest interest and to 

 yield enjoyment not to be secured in other lands, to 

 every tourist, it is Havana which has a little bit of 

 all the cities, but which most of all is its charming 

 self. 



So we leave Nuevitas and take the railroad at 

 the southern end of the city and start for Camagiiey, 

 reaching there in two and one-half hours. There 

 is much to see in this short ride and more to inter- 

 est. There are the stations, especially Lugareno 

 and Las Minas where we stop for a few minutes 

 to get a cup of coffee at the quaint little booth on 

 the platform, and you get "ron," that alluring" pro- 

 duct of Bacardi of Santiago, and if you want the 

 real thing, order a "chiquita" or "tasita" of black 

 coffee, a demi tasse if you please, and empty into 

 a still smaller glass of the aforesaid "ron" or rum and 

 don't forget the sugar, two pieces will, be enough. 

 You can also buy *naranjas or fpin^s or jelly and 

 paste of guava, and bread rolls or a sandwich 

 of 3'ou wish. While you are partaking of this 

 simple refreshment, a bell rings and the inex- 

 perienced traveler drops his rations and makes 

 a bee line for the train and — "nothin' doin'.*' 

 The train remains stationary and the veterans 

 sip their "cafe y leche" (coffee and milk) 

 leisurely. Again a bell rings, two strokes, and 

 nothing happens. But when shortly after- 

 wards three strokes sound, everybody gets 

 real busy and in the course of a few minutes, 

 the conductor blows his whistle and the 

 train proceeds. 



♦Oranges. tPineapples. 



GIANT CACTUS GUARD THE ROADS. 



