826 



humboldt's ouba. 



necting all the principal ports with. Havana, and an 

 acti ve trade is carried on by them. The lines on the 

 south coast connect with the Havana railroad, at 

 Batabano. In summer from six to eight, and in 

 winter from ten to twelve steamers, are kept con- 

 stantly running. 



Neither the " Balanzas de Comercio" nor the 

 "Cuadro Estadistico 75 give us any information in 

 relation to the coastwise trade by sea, although it is 

 very large, the entries at the Havana custom-house 

 in 1851, of vessels employed in this trade having 

 amounted to 3,493. The returns of the marine 

 department show that 433 vessels of twenty tons 

 burden and upwards, and 1,289 under twenty tons, 

 are matriculated, three-fourths of which are sup- 

 posed to be engaged in the domestic coasting trade. 

 This is by no means improbable, as the number of 

 vessels employed in this trade is very great, the 

 general movement of freight upon the railroads 

 being to the nearest seaport, whence it is conveyed 

 by sea to Havana. The larger class are generally 

 schooners, constructed on the finest models, and 

 many of them are built in Cuba from the admirable 

 timber furnished by her forests — mahogany being 

 often used in the frame, and cedar in planking 

 them. "Within a short time steam propellers have 



