THE CUBA REVIEW 



13 



VISTA OF 

 TOWERING PALMS 



tor Cuba Review.) The island was restored 

 to Spain in the following year by the Treaty 

 of Paris and the first newspaper established, 

 the Diario de la Marina, which is still enjoy- 

 ing a hale and vigorous existence in Havana. 



Mountains, Plains and Distances. 



The Sierra ]\Iaestra are the highest 

 ranges in Cuba. They rise at Manzanillo on 

 the south coast and end at Cape Maisi. When 

 Columbus struck this point in 1494, he thought 

 he had reached the extreme point of Asia 

 and named the cape Alpha and Omega. 

 There is deep water here close to the shore, 

 and as one skirts the land, the great walls of 

 the canon of the Rio Grande, 2600 feet high, 

 seem to tower in the air. Near Santiago 

 they take the name of Cobre, meaning cop- 

 per, and there are great mines near the city, 

 which were first opened by Hernando de 

 Soto many centuries ago, but are now in 

 the hands of an American company. The 

 highest peaks in the island are here and 

 7670 feet is the maximum height. There 

 ■ are more mountains in Santa Clara Prov- 

 ince and others in Matanzas where the 

 well-known "Pan of Matanzas" greets the 

 visitor in approaching Cuba. Then there is 

 the "anvil" of Barocoa, the "saddle" of Gibara, 

 all picturesque mountains. 

 Pinar del Rio is broken by many beautiful ranges, the highest being another "Pan" 

 2530 feet high. In all of this latter range marble deposits are abundant. 



The coasts show a freedom from outlying rocks, reefs, bars and keys from Cape 

 Cruz, southwest corner of the Province of Santiago, to Nuevitas, about 200 miles, with 

 very few exceptions. P>om there on to Matanzas, the reefs are thick, but there are 

 many lighthouses along the coast. 



Speaking of Bahia Honda, Humboldt said: "Its possession might well tempt any 

 maritime power at war with Spain." 



Nuevitas has two bays, one called Nuevitas, and the other Mayanabo. The three 

 islands in the harbor which the steamer passes on the way to the anchorage are called 

 "Los Ballentos" (the young whales). 

 The water is shallow and the boat an- ~ ~ 

 cliors miles from shore. Columbus 

 sailed into this bay over four centuries 

 ago, with his queer old ships, and 

 called it Puerto Principe. The islands 

 fi the bay, probably "the young whales" 

 already mentioned, were named by him 

 "El jardin del Rey," 

 (the garden spot of the 

 King). It is said that 

 during the last election 

 in Cuba, a citizen of 

 Nuevitas fearing trou- 

 ble, moved with his 

 family to one of these 

 islands and remained 

 there until the elec- 

 tions were over. The 

 city was originally 



NATIVE HOME IN THE INTERIOR. 



