HUMBOLDT'S CUBA. 







CHAPTEE I 



GENERAL VIEWS. 



Political importance of the island of Cuba and port of Havana 

 — Their relations to contiguous countries — Increase of public 

 wealth and revenue — Description of Bay and City of Havana — 

 Public buildings — Streets — Public walks and grounds-— Ashes 

 of Columbus — Palms — Vicinity of Havana — Suburbs — Projected 

 moat — Defences of Havana — Population — Increase — Marriages, 

 births, and deaths — Hospitals — Health — Markets — Hospitality — 

 [Note. — Establishment of Navy yard at Havana — Don Augustin 

 de Arriola — List of ships built at Havana — Abandonment of the 

 Navy-yard.] 



The political importance of the island of Cuba 

 does not arise solely from its great extent, though it 

 is one half larger than Haiti, nor from the admirable 

 fertility of its soil, nor from its great naval resources, 1 

 nor from the nature "of its population, three-fourths 

 of which are freemen ; but it derives a far greater 



1 See Note at the end of the chapter. 

 5 



