320 



humboldt's cuba. 



observe generally, that in the Western department 

 they are fair, in the Central poor, and in J;he 

 Eastern impracticable for wheel-carriages. The 

 common roads are little more than open portions of 

 country, left for public transit, and being without 

 grading or repair of any kind upon them, partake of 

 the qualities of the land where they may be located. 

 In places hilly, stony, and dangerous, 4n others, they 

 have a deep alluvial soil, intransitable except in the 

 dry season. Travelling is, therefore, a matter of no 

 little trouble and delay, and the consequent small 

 number of travellers enables Cuba to dispense with 

 those, in other countries, necessary institutions, 

 hotels and taverns ; and their absence has given rise 

 to that generous country hospitality so often noted by 

 tourists in Cuba. 



Many years since, a turnpike system was devised, 

 to extend over the most populous portions of the 

 island, but the great labor and expense of construct- 

 ing roads sufficiently stable to resist the heavy rains 

 of the tropics, made the progress of these very slow. 

 A few short ones have been constructed in the 

 vicinity of Havana, and are still being extended. 

 The principal turnpike runs, west from Havana 12 

 leagues to Guanajay. The southern turnpike extends 

 to Santiago de las Vegas 5 leagues ; the southeastern 

 is finished for a distance of f| leagues, and the 



