TOPOGEAPIir OF CUBA. 



373 



of the capital, lies about midway between that place and the little port of Batabano 

 on the south coast over against the Isle of Pines. Tnis island itself remained 

 uninhabited till the last years of the eighteenth century ; here a military station was 

 founded in 1828 to guard the approaches to Havana from the south side. 



Matanzas, the second city and seaport of Cuba, occupies a position analogous to 

 that of the capital, on a deep inlet of the north coast. Its present name, meaning 

 the "Butcheries," replaces its official title of San Carlos Alcazar, awà recalls a 

 massacre of the aborigines during the early days of the conquest. But the town 

 itself dates only from the year 1693, when it was founded at the Yucayo headland 

 at the extremity of the bay between the Bios Yumuri and San Juan. But the 

 city has spread far beyond that headland, and the left bank of the Yumuri is occu- 



Fip;. 176, 



-Cuban Seapoets West op Havana. 

 Scale 1: 640 000. 



West oF breenwIcVi 



82'"4û' 



0to5 



Fathoms. 



Dppths 



5 to -200 

 F:i thorns. 



250 Fh thorns 

 and upwards. 



. 12 Miles. 



pied by the pleasant suburb of Versalles (Versailles), while the industrial quarters 

 of Puehlo Nuevo extend eastwards beyond the San Juan. 



The region stretching south and east of Matanzas towards Cardenas is the 

 most fertile in Cuba, and here are situated all the most important sugar mills and 

 refineries. Hence Matanzas, the natural outlet for the produce of this district, 

 has developed a large export trade, especially with the United States. Unfortu- 

 nately the harbour has become so obstructed by siltings and sediment from the 

 rivers that vessels of heavy draught have to ride at anchor in the roadstead. 

 The caverns at the foot of the neighbouring limestone cliffs have been converted 

 into delightful bathing-places, protected by gratings from the sharks. 



Cardenas, founded in 1828 on the coast east of Matanzas, has also become a 

 thriving seaport, doing a large export trade in sugar and molasses. It lies on a 

 spacious bay sheltered from the north-west winds by the long promontory of 

 Punta Icacos. Like Matanzas, Cardenas is connected with the Cuban railway 



