ON THE NORTH SHORE. ISO 
character made it a favorite military station for troops newly arrived from 
Spain, who were sent here for acclimatization. Gen. Prando took 5,000 
troops to Santiago when that city was under siege by the Americans, and 
10,000 more remained here. When the Spaniards evacuated the town they ( 
left 3,000 cases of small-pox, and the streets were filled with filth, dead 
animals and wrecked furniture. The entire city had to be cleaned and^ 
scraped from end to end. But here, as elsewhere in Cuba, the. Americans; 
did the work thoroughly, and Holguin has been a clean and healthy town, 
ever since. There are still many reminders of the Spanish military occu¬ 
pation. On the summit of a high hill overlooking Holguin, and silhouetted 
against the blue sky, is an old Spanish watchtower, occupying a position 
whence the country might be scanned for miles in all directions. Near it 
stands a wooden cross, marking the spot to which vast multitudes resort 
for the celebration of the first of May., Dia de la Cruz—the Day of the 
Cross. As many as 10,000 people have participated in some of the festivals. 
Despite its Spanish garrisons, Holguin was the center of military opera¬ 
tions in the early days of the last war, and was at one time in the posses¬ 
sion of the revolutionists. Its patriotic people have bestowed on the three 
plazas the names of Cespedes, Garcia and Maceo. Holguin householders 
affect pink, red, yellow, brown and delicate pea-green for exterior colors; 
there are in the narrow streets many fascinating bits of architecture and 
color which halt the exploring visitor; and in the old Church of San Jose 
Holguin has a study to delight an artist. Holguin has direct rail com 
nection with Cacocum, on the Cuba Railroad. 
Sagua de Tanamo. the next port east of Gibara, is entered through a 
narrow winding’ channel opening into a bay filled with clusters of islands, 
on which are little settlements of thatched houses surrounded by banana 
groves. The background is of mountains, parting very high, their slopes 
clothed with dense verdure in many shades of green. The combination 
of bay and islands and mountains makes up one of the loveliest land¬ 
scapes in Cuba. The town is situated ten miles inland on the Sagua River. 
Uipe Bay is the finest harbor on the north coast. There is no bar; the 
chart shows 198 to 210 feet in mid channel between Mayan and Ramon 
points, which mark the entrance from the sea. The slopes of Carenero 
Point just within the mouth of the harbor and the opposite shores are 
covered with miles of banana plantations, and a higher elevation glows 
with the vivid green of alfalfa fields. The bay opens before us like an 
inland sea; it is ten miles between shores from east to west, and eight 
miles from north to south. The channel carries deep water clear up to 
Corojal Bay in the northwest corner, where on Corojal Point, the 
terminus of the Cuba Railroad, Sir William Van Horn has located the 
model town of Antilla. One would go far to find a more beautiful site, 
or one of more generous possibilities and richer promise. From Corojal the 
eye takes in the broad sweep of bay and range of mountains in the 
