ON THE NORTH SHORE. 157 
SaguA la Grande is on the river of the same name, which is the most 
important of the north coast, being navigable for twenty miles. The port 
of entry, La Isabel, called also Isabella de Sagua, is a town built on stilts 
over the water. Among the interesting Sagua relics of the past is an 
ancient looped tower, which was built for protection against the pirates. 
Caibarien is the seaport of Remedios, five and a half miles inland, 
and is an important sugar exporting point. There are large plantations 
in the vicinity. Other industries are sponge fishing, mahogany and cedar 
cutting, and the production of honey. 
Nuevitas is situated on a very narrow, winding passage, four and a half 
miles in length. From the entrance open two bays, Mayabano and Nue- 
vitas. Vessels anchor in the harbor two miles from the wharf. Pas¬ 
sengers are conveyed to and from the ship in small boats, for which,- the 
fare is 5 ° cents. Nuevitas is the seaport of Puerto Principe, with which 
it is connected by the Puerto Principe & Nuevitas Railroad. The popu¬ 
lation in 1899 was 10,355- I he town, situated in the center of a crescent 
range of hills surrounding the harbor, rises from the water in a^ series of 
terraces, and as seen from the bay the picture is pleasing. The Church of 
the Virgen de la Caridad and the municipal building stand out conspicuously 
on the summit of the hill. The bay is noted for its fish and sponges; 
good tarpon fishing may be had. Numerous tame pelicans are a pleas¬ 
ing feature. The chief export of Nuevitas is sugar. Entering this 
harbor Oct. 28, 1492, Columbus named it Puerto Principe, and here in 
I 5 I S was established the town of that name, which was afterward re¬ 
moved to the old Indian village of Camaguey. The present Nuevitas 
was established in 1820. 
La Gloria, the well known American colony, is pleasantly situated four 
miles inland from Guanajay Bay, fifty miles west of Nuevitas, from 
which port of entry it is reached by steamboat via a canal connecting 
Guanajay and Nuevitas bays. Established in 1899, the colony now has 
a substantial population of English-speaking people. A further note of 
La Gloria will be found on another page. Fruit growing and agriculture 
are the principal industries. 
Fifty miles east of Nuevitas is the harbor of Puerto Padre, entered 
through a winding channel between low banks of mangroves and coral 
rock, which looks like the Florida coquina. The ship anchors in the bay 
a mile from the town, which is small and without interest. The port is of 
growing importance as the center of extensive sugar production. The 
Chaparra sugar mill, of which the smoke stacks are seen in the distance 
on the left as the ship enters the harbor, is the largest in existence; it is 
owned by an American company in which Mrs. Hetty Green is interested. 
Gibara is another town which has picturesque situation on a hill slope 
rising from the water. The houses are brightly painted, and if we enter 
the harbor late in the day the scene is full of color. In the foreground 
the custom house overhanging the water is painted pink and red; to the 
