Whatever the future may have in store for this wonderful and unfortunate Island, the author can truly say that the task allotted him by the President has, so far as Cuba and the Cuban people are concerned, been conscientiously and faithfully performed. The measures inaugurated for the government of the Island, which were based upon the author's reports, have been scrupulously framed in the interest of Cuba and not with a view of benefiting by discrimination the United States. The machinery of the new government has been set running in Cuba, and though some time may elapse before it is working as smoothly as we would wish, it has been inaugurated with the sole desire of doing the best possible by Cuba. Of the rest, the reader must judge for himself. The subject at least is interesting, even though its treatment here may be a little statistical. The account of the visit to General Gomez was deemed sufficiently interesting and important to give it in full, exactly as the report was made through the Honourable Secretary of the Treasury, Lyman J. Gage, to the President. Recognition is due to Mr. W. J. Lampton for his assistance to the writer. R. P. P. 36 EAST SIXTY-FIFTH STREET, NEW YORK. _February 9, 1899._ CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I.--CUBA--POLITICAL AND ECONOMIC 1 II.--CONDITIONS WHICH CONFRONT US 14 III.--POLITICAL FUTURE OF CUBA 32 IV.--THE ENGLISH IN JAMAICA 47 V.--THE AMERICANS IN SANTIAGO 62 VI.--OUTLOOK IN CUBA FOR LABOUR 73 VII.--THE POPULATION OF CUBA 90 VIII.--SANITARY WORK IN CUBA 108 IX.--CITIES AND TOWNS OF CUBA 122 X.--HAVANA 139 XI.--COLONEL WARING'S SANITARY REPORT 154 XII.--MUNICIPAL PROBLEMS IN HAVANA 172 XIII.--BANKS AND CURRENCY 190 XIV.--PAYMENT OF INSURGENT SOLDIERS 204 XV.--THE REVENUE OF CUBA--CUSTOMS TARIFFS 211 XVI.--THE AMENDED TARIFF--OFFICIAL 221 XVII.--THE REVENUE OF CUBA--INTERNAL TAXES 248 XVIII.--HOW THE REVENUE WAS SPENT 256 XIX.--COMMERCE 267 XX.--SUGAR 281 XXI.--TOBACCO 302 XXII.--MINES AND MINING 318 XXIII.--AGRICULTURE AND STOCK 329 XXIV.--TIMBER AND FRUIT 338 XXV.--TRANSPORTATION 351 XXVI.--NAVIGATION 362 XXVII.--EDUCATION AND RELIGION 376 XXVIII.--A MEETING WITH GENERAL GOMEZ 390 XXIX.--CONCLUSION--THE OUTLOOK FOR THE FUTURE 408 [Illustration: _Frontispiece._ ENTRANCE TO HAVANA HARBOUR.] Illustrations PAGE