| Imports. | Exports. | |
| 1891 | $61,714,395 | $12,224,888 |
| 1892 | 77,931,671 | 17,953,570 |
| 1893 | 78,706,506 | 24,157,698 |
| 1894 | 75,678,261 | 20,125,321 |
| 1895 | 52,871,259 | 12,807,661 |
| 1896 | 40,017,730 | 7,530,880 |
| 1897 | 18,406,815 | 8,259,776 |
The commerce of Spain with Cuba since 1891, the figures up to 1895 being taken from a compilation by the department of agriculture, and those for 1896 from a British foreign office report was:
| Imports from Cuba. | Exports to Cuba. | |
| 1891 | $7,193,173 | $22,168,050 |
| 1892 | 9,570,399 | 28,046,636 |
| 1893 | 5,697,291 | 24,689,373 |
| 1894 | 7,265,120 | 22,592,943 |
| 1895 | 7,176,105 | 26,298,497 |
| 1896 | 4,257,360 | 26,145,800 |
The railways are insufficient and wretchedly managed, while the roads are in a deplorable condition, sometimes, in wet weather, being almost impassible.
In regard to the future commercial prosperity of Cuba, Mr. Hyatt, who until recently was our consul at Santiago, gives the following opinion:
"Railroads and other highways, improved machinery and more modern methods of doing business are among the wants of Cuba; and with the onward march of civilization these will doubtless be hers in the near future. Cuba, like other tropical and semi-tropical countries, is not given to manufacturing; her people would rather sell the products of the soil and mines and buy manufactured goods. The possibilities of the island are great, while the probabilities remain an unsolved problem."
When the tropical position of Cuba is taken into consideration, it may be stated that its climate is generally mild. In fact, we can say that it is one of the best, if not the very best, of the countries lying within the tropics; and, during the dry season, it is unsurpassable anywhere. In this season, the days are delightful, and the nights, with the clear, transparent air, and the sky spangled with myriads of stars (many of which, notably the constellation known as "The Southern Cross," are not visible in more northern countries), are veritable dreams of beauty.
The heat and cold are never extreme, and there is only a slight difference in the temperature all the year round. The warmest month at Havana is July, with an average temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the coldest is January, with an average temperature of 70 degrees.
The rainy season lasts from the first of May till the first of October. The popular impression is that it rains pretty nearly all the time during this season, but this is a mistake. On an average there are not more than ten rainy days a month, and the rain generally comes in the afternoon. The temperature of Havana in the summer is but little higher than that of New Orleans, while its rainfall is infinitely less. Yellow fever exists in the coast cities all the year round, but it rarely makes its appearance in the interior. The western part of the island is as habitable as is Ohio.
It is certain that the effects of the climate upon the Spanish soldiers has been disastrous, but much of the mortality among them have been due not to the climate alone, but to a bad system of hygiene, wretched diet, unsuitable clothing and a criminal disregard on the part of the military authorities of the health of the men under their control.