222 



[In a letter to his mother of 30th April i860 Mr. Ramsden 

 reports his observations as showing that the mountain top is at 

 7,980 ft. while "Humboldt put it at 7,900 feet; pretty near as 

 his observations must have been taken from the sea." The 

 modern Century Atlas gives the peak as at 8,400 ft., while Dr. 

 Ekman determined the altitude as 6,800 ft. Whatever the 

 height, it is quite certain that Pico de Turquino (Spanish, for 

 which an equivalent is "Turquoise" — of a deep blue color, hence 

 blue mountain) is the highest peak in Cuba. 



In 1906 B. E. Fernow and Norman Taylor, also starting from 

 Santiago de Cuba and going west to the river known as Guama 

 (figured on the accompanying map), explored the region between 

 the Turquino and the sea and to the eastward. No elevation 

 higher than 3,000 ft. was reached and no attempt to reach the 

 top was made.* Collections made on this expedition were de- 

 posited at the New York Botanical Garden, among the first to 

 reach there from the Sierra Maestra, the general name for the range 

 of which the Turquino is the culmination. 



In March, 1912, collections were made by Dr. Britton and the 

 late John F. Cowell in the eastern part of the range above El 

 Cuero and in the western part near Ensenada de Moro, at ele- 

 vations under 2,000 ft.f 



Brother Leon, of Colegio de la Salle, at Havana, who has 

 explored much of Cuba, writes that "the best way to ascend the 

 Cusp of the Pico Turquino is by the valley of the River Yara, 

 following the spur of the Magdalena; it is nearer and easier. 

 The Ox River (Rio Buey) is farther and steeper, and it is more 

 difficult to get guides; this information was obtained from the 

 father of one of his students. 



"The peak can also be ascended from the sea, and it is from 

 this side that up to the present, most of the ascents of which 

 we have any knowledge have been made. But it takes more 

 than a week to reach the hills of Turquino and after that the 

 ascent takes 2 or 3 days good travelling to go up the peak. By 

 the Valley of the Yara it will hardly take a week from the town 

 of the Yara to the summit." It was also from the north or 

 land side of the range that Dr. Ekman, evidently influenced by 

 Brother Leon's advice, made the ascent in April, 191 5. An 

 account of his trip follows: — N. T.] 



"An interesting interview of a correspondent of the Cubano 

 Libre with Dr. Erik L. Ekman, dated May i, 1915, gives an 



* See Jour. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 7: 256-270. 1906. Forestry Quart. 4: 239-273. 

 1906. Torreya 7: 49-55. 1907. 

 tJour. N. Y. Bot. Gard. 13: 72-74. 



