PAN DE GUAJAIBON 269 



curious impression as if about to slide down upon 

 the vega and bury it under a mass of white boul- 

 ders. The forest, relentlessly powerful by virtue 

 of a soil, rich as chocolate and wet with daily rains, 

 seemed to threaten a stealthy advance, and an 

 irresistible engulfment of the finca and its people. 



Soon after our arrival a small deer appeared in 

 the open, quite near the house, and the greatest 

 excitement ensued. Pancho seized his rifle and 

 started after, followed by the male population of 

 the ranch and all the dogs. Many shots were 

 fired that viciously echoed back and forth among 

 the encircling mountains, but the deer escaped. 

 This is a sub-species of the American deer {Odo- 

 coileus virginianus) imported into Cuba from some 

 unknown place and which has become quite abun- 

 dant in the pine loma country of Pinar del Rio 

 and in other wild parts of the island. 



Pan de Guajaibon is the highest of the Organos 

 Mountains and hence the greatest elevation of 

 western Cuba. The exact altitude is not definitely 

 known but is usually given as about 2500 to 3000 

 feet, with the base but little above sea level. It 

 is a sierra of limestone formation, probably Juras- 

 sic or Cretaceous, and lies a little to the north of 



