GENEKAL VIEWS. 



99 



passages to the American Mediterranean and menace 

 the opposite coasts, as the fleets sailing from Cadiz 

 may hold the dominion of the ocean near the 

 Columns of Hercules. The Gulf of Mexico, and the 

 old and new Bahama channels unite under the 

 meridian of Havana. The opposing flow of their 

 currents, and the violent atmospherical agitations 

 natural there, particularly at the beginning of 

 winter, give a peculiar character to this spot on the 

 northern boundary of the equinoctial zone. 



The island of Cuba is not only the largest of the 

 Antilles (being nearly equal to England proper 

 without the principality of Wales), but from its long 

 and narrow form, its great extent of coast makes it 

 at once contiguous with Haiti, Jamaica, Florida 

 (the southern State of the United States), and 

 Yucatan, the eastern State of Mexico. This circum- 

 stance is worthy of the most mature consideration, 

 for these countries (Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and the 

 southern portions of the United States, from Louisiana 

 to Virginia), distant but a few days' sail from each 

 other, contain nearly two millions eight hundred 

 thousand Africans. As St. Domingo, Florida, and 

 Mexico have been separated from Spain, Cuba does 

 not assimilate politically with the countries it - 

 borders, although as they were for many ages subject 

 to the same laws, it has a similarity of religion, 

 language, and customs. 



