14 THE CUBA REVIEW 



Broad, undulating plains and shallow valleys are the chief characteristics of the 

 provinces of Havana, Alatanzas, Santa Clara and Camaguey. A range of hills traverses 

 Pinar del Rio and the southern slope from the tobacco region known as the Vuelta Abajo, 

 of world renown. In the provinces of Havana, Matanzas, Santa Clara and Camaguey, 

 prior to the Revolution, the land was highly cultivated. The province of Camaguey 

 is a great cattle-raising district. 



Gifted by nature with a balmy climate and great natural resources, Cuba possesses 

 many mines of minerals, such as iron, manganese and copper, but the scarcity of silver 

 and gold will prevent it from ever becoming an El Dorado. Although the native did not 

 wear gold ornaments when Cuba was discovered by Columbus, it is claimed that Velaz- 

 quez ^^sited gold districts in Cuba in 1514 and that he made consignments of gold to 

 Spain in 1515 and as late as 1534. We find mention also of a report written by Manuel 

 Fernandez de Castro in 1868, a Cuban geologist, that gold existed in Santa Clara Province. 



Ebony, mahogany, mastic, cedar and other precious woods abound in Cuba. Aca- 

 cias and a large variety of palms grow in profusion, while the cotton tree and the ceiba, 

 with lustrous foliage, tower above all the other denizens of the woods. The luxuriant 

 palm tree with smooth, slender trunk is an endless theme of inspiration for Cuban poets, 

 while the royal palm furnishes material for shelter and raiment. Thatched roofs are 

 made from the fil^rous substance of the royal palm and coarse garments are also woven 

 from this material. Not less generous is the cocoanut tree, which provides both cooling 

 drink and food. 



Not until 1776, during the administration of the Marcjuis de la Torre, the Captain 

 General, were thatched roofs abolished in Havana, and to this day Cuban cabins or bohios 

 have thatched roofs, hard pressed earth for floors, holes for chimneys and rude wooden 

 shutters instead of windows, for glass is never used except in the residences of the 

 wealthy. 



There are over three thousand three hundred and fifty plants indigenous to Cuba, 

 not including those imported from other countries. There are more than thirty species 

 of palms. 



Although a great part of the land has been cleared and cultivated, a large part re- 

 mains virgin soil, especially in the provinces of Santiago and Camaguey. 



A great deal has been said about Cuba's balmy climate. In Havana the mean 

 annual temperature is seventy-seven degrees Fahrenheit. During the most sultry 

 months the thermometer rarely exceeds eighty-two degrees and during the winter months 

 it sometimes falls to forty-eight degrees. The heat is tempered by trade ■v^dnds which 

 refresh the atmosphere. Night and morning are alwaj^s cool and a pleasant breeze is 

 usually stirring all the year round, both at early morn and after the sun has gone down. 

 The raim- season is from IMay to October, when thunder storms are frequent. At times 

 the rain descends in torrents in a vast sheet of water, blurring the view, and livers and 

 streams become impassable. 



Fauna 



St. Patrick may have visited Cuba as well as Ireland, for the island is comparatively 

 free of wild animals or venomous reptiles. The nearest approach to a wild beast is the 

 wild cat, found in mountainous districts, and wild boars, which are simply swine that have 

 run wild. The scorpion is the most venomous reptile, but its sting is not deadly and the 

 irritation produced by its sting may be allayed by simple remedies. There are no man- 

 killers of anj^ kind in Cuba. 



Deer abound and serve as game. These quadrupeds are easily tamed and are often 

 found on countr}' estates as pets of the children. There are no native deer, and the 

 origin of the species in Cuba is unknown. The largest snake indigenous to the island is 

 the maja, which grows to a great length but is harmless. It prej^s on chickens but never 

 attacks persons. When Cuba was discovered by Columbus the only native animal was 

 the dumb dog. When the Spanish conquerors introduced horses into the island, the 

 aborigines were frightened and dismayed. They fled before the Spanish hosts and were 



