ECONOMIC CONDITION OF CUBA. 869 



of free marriage, of seeking a new master at their option, of purchasing their 

 freedom by labour, and of acquiring property. 



With emancipation came the necessity of procuring labour from other sources. 

 "While the English and French planters had recourse mainly to Indian coolies, 

 those of Cuba applied to Macao and Canton for Chinese hands, " engaged " for a 

 term of compulsory labour. But the Asiatics at present in the island are far inferior 

 to the class introduced about the middle of the century. Yery few women ever 

 accompanied them, and nearly all were condemned to perish without posterity. 

 The census of 1877 returned 43,800 Chinese in Cuba; 120,000 had been intro- 

 duced altogether, and over 16,000, or nearly 12 per cent., had died on the passage. 

 Thousands of Maj^as have also been procured from Yucatan. 



Cuba and Puerto Rico may be referred to as tropical lands where the white 

 race has been permanently acclimatised. Cuba alone contains ten times more 

 whites of Spanish stock than all the British West Indies contain whites of English 

 stock. Nearly half of the labourers on the sugar plantations and in the sugar 

 refineries are of Spanish descent — Andalusiuns, Castillans, Basques, Galicians, 

 Catalonians and Islenos, that is, Canary Islanders — and all these settlers con- 

 stitute the class of peasantry called blancos de la tierra or goajiros. The Basques and 

 Catalonians, settled chiefly in the towns, are the most active, energetic and indus- 

 trious ; to them is largely due the material progress of the island. 



Eecent Political Events. 



Despite the Monroe doctrine, " America for the Americans," Cuba still 

 belongs to the descendants of the Spanish conquerors, although all the Spanish 

 possessions on the mainland have become independent. Yet the island was often 

 threatened by the English and French buccaneers. Twice Havana was occupied 

 by British troops, and since the beginning of the present century a rebellious spirit 

 has been manifested by the natives themselves against the mother-country. 



As in Mexico, the Spaniards by birth held the créoles in contempt, and 

 allowed them no share in the administration. The créoles on their part avenged 

 themselves hy squibs and lampoons, calling the Spaniards " Godos," or Goths, 

 meaning barbarians still enslaved by the superstitions of former times. Class 

 hatred spread even to the women, and while the Godas wore their hair long, the 

 Cuban dames cut theirs short, whence the name oi jielonas, or "croppies," given 

 them by the Spaniards. 



Despite the prevailing discontent no insurrection broke out at that time, and 

 the two classes even became suddenly reconciled in 1812 on hearing that the negroes 

 of the eastern district, near Holguin and Bayamo, had revolted. The planters 

 of Puerto Principe organised battues against the rebels, who were hounded down 

 and massacred in the forests, their leader, Aponte, being hanged, with eight of 

 his associates. 



Later, after losing all her possessions on the mainland, Spain granted the 

 Cubans the right of representation in the Certes, and afterwards deprived them 

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