mutually agreed upon for the sanitation of the cities of the island, to the end that a recurrence of epidemic and infectious diseases may be prevented, thereby assuring protection to the people and commerce of Cuba, as well as to the commerce of the southern ports of the United States and the people residing therein.

(6) That the Isle of Pines shall be omitted from the proposed constitutional boundaries of Cuba and the title thereto left to future adjustment by treaty.

(7) That to enable the United States to maintain the independence of Cuba, and to protect the people thereof, as well as for its own defense, the government of Cuba will sell or lease to the United States lands necessary for coaling or naval stations at certain specific points to be agreed upon with the President of the United States.

(8) That by way of further assurance the government of Cuba will embody the foregoing provisions in a permanent treaty with the United States.

Inasmuch as her commercial and other relations are so close with this country we deem it expedient to briefly describe the island. Should this people find self-government a problem too intricate for them to solve the action then to follow will probably be a request for admission into the Union or intervention by this country as the only course to save life and property.

HISTORY.

The "Ever-Faithful Isle," the "Pearl" or "Queen of the Antilles" as Cuba has been called by Spain, was discovered by Christopher Columbus on Oct. 28, 1492, when he made his first voyage. He then visited an adjacent island, but on his second voyage he visited the mainland, and gave it the name Juana for the son of the King and Queen of Spain. Later he changed the name to Fernandina in honor of the King and again to Santiago. But the original name, Cuba, clung to it and the others were lost to memory. When he discovered the island he found a race of Indians living on it and they were divided into nine independent dvisions, but all believed in a Supreme Being and the immortality of the soul.

Columbus made a third voyage and nine years after his son, Diego Columbus, came and made various settlements. The natives were used as slaves and were compelled to raise the crops and were so misused as to become extinct as a race in a short time. Negroes were brought to serve as laborers as it was thought they could endure the labor better. And it was in this way that negro slavery began in the New World.

Havana was destroyed by the French in 1554 and the island was in danger of being invaded by French, Dutch and English for some time.

Spain made various laws forbidding all foreigners from settling on the island or trading with the natives.

This resulted in smuggling which was carried on to a great extent after England captured Jamaica in 1655. The United States have felt great sympathy for Cuba and has several times tried to buy the island.

During the last revolt of the Cubans Gen. Martinez Campos with 120,000 troops came from Spain and the insurgents were in command of Gomez and Maceo.

PREVIOUS GOVERNMENT.

Cuba was formerly divided into six provinces. A GovernorGeneral was at the head and he was aided by a council.

These were appointed by a royal decree in Spain, and had both military and civil power.

Cuba was represented in the Spanish Cortes by sixteen Senators and thirty Deputies. Each province of the island had a local judge.

Great care was taken to place the control of the government with Spaniards who had come from Spain. Trouble arose and complaints were made by the natives that the Cuban interests were sacrificed for home government and that the Spaniards had entire control. A revolt ensued which was a movement for independence on the part of Cuba. Cuba had an army of 25,000 and before a year was over Spain had a force of 117,000 men. The Spaniards made slow progress as they were not used to the climate and suffered from yellow fever.

The United States manifested great interest and sympathy with Cuba in her distress, and money and arms and ammunition were forwarded, much to the indignation of Spain against this country.

In April, 1896, owing to the apparent success of the insurrection the Congress of the United States passed a resolution to recognize the Cubans as belligerents.

Troubles continued until Cuba came under the protection of the United States during the Spanish-American war.

POSITION AND SURFACE.

Cuba, the largest and most wealthy of the West Indies, is southeast of the United States and lies at the mouth of the Gulf of Mexico. It extends from 74 deg. 8 min. to 84 deg. 58 min. west longtitude and from 19 deg. 50 min. to 23 deg. 9 min. north latitude.

Exclusive of a few adjacent islands, it covers an area of about 45,000 square miles less than the State of New York and its line of coast is over nineteen hundred miles. Its length is about 760 miles and its width is about 90 miles in the widest part. A small part of Cuba is forest land, while large tracts remain unexplored.

The highest mountains of Cuba are the Sierra de Maestra or Cobre mountains, on the southeastern coast, and they extend from Cape de Cruz to Runta de Maysi. They reach a height of 8,000 feet. The Pandee Guajaibou peak is about 2,530. The range of mountains to which this peak belongs lies in the central part of the island. On the southwestern coast there lies a hilly section of country and Pico de Patrerillo peak which is near Trinidad is about 3,000 feet high. The remainder of the island consists mostly of fertile, well-watered plains, some of which are covered with fine forests.

On the southern coast there are some large marshes.

In many localities there are deep harbors along the coast, Havana being the principal one. Aside from these the shores are low, and dangerous reefs lie along the coast. Five islands are situated north of Cuba, Romano, the largest, covering an area of 172 square miles. There are also a few south of Cuba. Isla de Pinos, the largest, has an area of 800 square miles. The rivers are numerous but short. There are about 250. The Cauto, the most important, has a course of about seventy-two miles, sixty miles of which is navigable by large schooners at high tide. This river rises in the Sierra de Cobre mountains and empties into the Buena Esperanza Bay. The Sagua la Grande and the Ay are two other rivers. The first is navigable for about twenty miles and the Ay has a fall of 200 feet. All the rivers flow north or south and the water is remarkable for its purity and freshness.

NATURAL PRODUCTS.

Gold is found in the beds of some of the rivers of the western part of the island. Copper is found in the rocks; in several places silver is found, while on the southwestern coast antimony, quicksilver, red lead, iron ore and excellent coal are found. Sulphur springs are numerous throughout Cuba. The forests abound in hard woods. Mahogany, ebony, rosewood, ironwood and several others suitable for shipbuilding and furniture are found in abundance, while cocoanut palm, orange, wild lime, orchids and beautiful ferns grow luxuriantly.

POPULATION.

In 1894 the population of Cuba was about 1,613,696, threefourths of whom were white people.

The capital, Havana, had a population of 250,000 in 1896, which was an increase of over 50,000 in eight years.

Santiago de Cuba has a population of 71,000, Puerto Principe 46,500, Cienfuegos 27,500, Matanzas 30,000 and Cardenas 24,000.

PEOPLE.

Slavery existed until 1886 when a law was passed abolishing it. The inhabitants consist of creoles, natives and Spaniards. The Spanish inhabitants control most of the trade and government and hate the creoles. Some of the inhabitants were made free before the emancipation and others were liberated slaves.

The educational system was based on that of Spain at first but since it has been changed. There are over 700 public schools and over 537 private schools with an average attendance of over 40,000 children.

Many of the wealthy families have their children educated in the United States.

An effort is being made to introduce some of the method of education of the United States into Cuba, and a number of instructors from the island came to this country and spent some time observing the school system and received instruction at Harvard college for the purpose of bettering the schools of Cuba on their return.

There are two colleges for the clergy-one at Havana, and the other at Santiago de Cuba.

Printing was established in 1724, which helped to develop literature. As a result Cuba has produced several historians, poets, dramatists and essayists.

All the literature productive of the 19th century is full of the love of country and eagerness for its independence. Cuba has produced a few artists and musicians of note. It is said the music of Cuba has a character peculiar to itself, most of it being written in a minor key.

Several newspapers are published in Cuba, but are burdened by restrictions of the government.

The established religion of Cuba is Roman Catholic and the ecclesiastical government is controlled by an archbishop.

CLIMATE.

In the interior of Cuba the mercury sometimes falls to the freezing point, and in the eastern part of the island hailstorms occur between February and July. Water sometimes freezes, but snowstorms are scarcely known to occur. They have a hot and wet season and a cool and dry season.

The average temperature is about 77 degrees and the average

rainfall about forty inches. Terrible thunder storms and hurricanes frequently occur during the summer months, causing great destruction.

Slight earthquakes have been felt in the eastern part of Cuba. The easterly trade wind prevails in the island. This change of climate provides for an animal and vegetable production of abundance and variety.

AGRICULTURE AND COMMERCE.

About ten per cent. of the island is under cultivation. The land is very fertile and well adapted to the raising of extensive crops of maize, cocoa, tobacco, sugar, coffee and cotton, particularly for sugar raising which is the principal product.

The first coffee was raised in 1748, the seed having been brought from San Domingo. There are now many hundred plantations. The tobacco raised in Cuba is of the finest quality and is known all over the world. The mulberry is grown extensively as food for silkworms.

The other principal industries of Cuba are raising cattle, hogs and keeping bees.

The principal exports are tobacco, honey, cigars, molasses and sugar. The principal imports are flour, lard, rice, iron, furniture, coal, machinery, cotton and linen goods, oil, codfish and paper.

Nearly all of the sugar and molasses are exported to the United States. In 1895 832,431 tons of sugar were exported. A great deal of the tobacco and cigars are exported to the United States also. Cuba exports a considerable of its hard wood.

Havana is the principal port and in 1895 it was visited by 1,179 vessels with a tonnage of 1,681,325. Havana is connected by over 1,000 miles of railway with other places.

In 1868 a cable was laid between Cuba and Florida for the first time. Steamers sail between Havana and all the ports of the other West India Islands.

The first steamboat in Cuba was owned by a planter shortly after Fulton made his first trip up the Hudson in this country.

ANIMALS.

The wild beasts are rare. The largest are the deer and wild dogs. The only peculiar animal of an interesting nature is the jutia or tailless rat which is about the size of a muskrat, and resembles a raccoon in its habits. Most of the birds have beautiful plumage and consist of over two hundred varieties.

The turkey-buzzard and vulture are protected by law as they are considered useful as scavengers. The fish abounding in the water in and about Cuba consist of over 600 species.