The History of Cuba, vol. 5Johnson, Willis Fletcher
History
The History of Cuba, vol. 5
Johnson, Willis Fletcher
Cuba -- Economic conditions; Cuba -- History
On the north coast, between the Jatibonico del Norte, which forms the
northwestern boundary, and the Puentes Grandes, forming the
northeastern, we have some ten or a dozen short streams, among the most
important of which are the Rio de los Perros, emptying into the Lagoon
of Turaguanao; the Rio Caonao emptying into the lagoon of Romano; the
Jiguey, cutting through the western extremity of the Sierra de Cubitas
and emptying into the eastern end of the above mentioned lake; the Rio
Maximo, rising on the south side of the chain, sweeping around its
eastern end and emptying into the Bay of Sabinal; and the Saramaguacan,
one of the longest in the province, rising in the mountains of the
Najasa, whence it flows in a northeasterly direction and empties into
the harbor of Nuevitas. Both the Chambas and the Rio Caonao, when not
obstructed by mud bars at their mouths, are navigable for light draft
schooners and sloops, for some twelve or fifteen miles into the
interior.
At no point on the south Coast of Camaguey can be found any harbor
worthy of the name, although at Jucaro, Santa Cruz del Sur and Romero,
considerable timber and sugar are shipped from piers that extend out
into the shallow waters of the Jucaro and Guacanabo gulfs.
The long system of salt water bays or lagoons, beginning at Punta Hicaco
in Matanzas, continues along the entire north coast of Camaguey and
terminates in the beautiful harbor of Nuevitas. The lagoons of Camaguey
are formed by a series of keys or islands, of which Cayo Romano,
seventy-five miles in length, with an average width of ten miles, is the
most important.
Although most of the area of this island is covered with a dense jungle
of low trees, the eastern end rises to quite a high promontory, with
more or less arable land, planted at the present time in henequen, and
yielding a very good revenue to the owner. An unknown number of wild
ponies, variously estimated at from six hundred to two thousand, inhabit
the jungles of Cayo Romano, living largely on the leaves of the forest,
and consequently degenerating in size and form to such an extent that
they have a very little commercial value.
Cayo Coco, really an extension of Romano, reaches out to the westward
some fifteen miles further, while the Island of Guajaba, separated by a
narrow pass with only three feet of water, incloses the beautiful harbor
of Guanaja. Sabinal, some 25 miles in length by ten or twelve in width,
forms the northern shore of the harbor of Nuevitas. On the latter key
there is fairly good grazing ground and much territory that eventually
will probably be planted in henequen, as is the promontory of Nuevitas,
just north of the city of that name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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