Geographic Notes 



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Courtesy of The Scientific American 



Diagram Showing the Railways of Cuba 



cattle do well everywhere, for the 

 grasses are luxuriant and highly nutri- 

 tious, and there is usually an abun- 

 dance of water. Around the coast are 

 to be found many excellent harbors, 

 and it is reported and believed that the 

 unexplored part of the island contains 

 much hidden mineral wealth. 



The interior, which is sparsely popu- 

 lated, is comparatively level, and largely 

 covered with hardwood timber, and 

 while the soil of the different districts 

 is generally of extraordinary fertility, 

 some places are more desirable than 

 others, both in this respect and in re- 

 gard to healthfulness. For the tropics, 

 the climate is a tolerable one, and the 

 island will soon be rendered, more 

 healthy by foreign irrigation, drainage, 

 and an improved system of sanitation. 

 The northern employes of the Cuba 

 company have as a rule been free from 



illness of any kind, notwithstanding 

 their employment on railway construc- 

 tion under conditions not always favor- 

 able to health. Unlike many of the 

 West India islands, Cuba is entirely 

 free from poisonous reptiles, and has 

 fewer mosquito and similar pests than 

 any other southern regions. 



There are no obtainable government 

 lands in Cuba ; practically all of the 

 lands are held by individuals, and in 

 the eastern half of the island they are 

 usually held in large areas. No system- 

 atic land survey has yet been made, 

 and the large tracts are mostly in irregu- 

 lar forms and their boundaries are diffi- 

 cult to define and trace ; land titles in 

 the unoccupied and in the newly settled 

 parts of Cuba are in many cases de- 

 fective and need investigation, though 

 the government has recently taken steps 

 toward the perfection of titles. 



