Travel is convenient and comfortable and the hotels fairly good, especially in the cities.
The following places should be visited:
| Population | |
|---|---|
| Havana | 350,000 |
| Matanzas | 75,000 |
| Cienfuegos | 75,000 |
| Camaqüey | 70,000 |
| Manzanillo. | 56,000 |
| Santiago | 55,000 |
| Pinar del Rio | 53,000 |
| Santa Clara | 48,000 |
| Guantanamo | 45,000 |
| Trinidad | 31,000 |
| Cardenas | 30,000 |
| Guanabacoa | 27,000 |
Cuba may be reached by rail or water routes, it now being possible owing to an ocean ferry via Florida to land in Havana in the sleeper in which one left New York.
There are 22 steamers a week from the leading ports of the United States for Cuba, in addition to others regularly from Europe and Mexico. There are weekly ships from New York, Boston, New Orleans, Mobile and Galveston to Havana. There is also direct daily service between Tampa, Florida and Havana.
XV
SANTO DOMINGO
The Dominican Republic occupies the eastern and larger section of the island known as Santo Domingo or Haiti.
This island was discovered by Columbus on his first voyage December 6, 1492. The peaceable aborigines whom he found on landing were so abused under the Spanish rule, that by the year 1500 fully 90 per cent. had died and the colonists turned to Africa for slaves to work their estates, 4000 being brought here in 1517.
French, Dutch and English buccaneers made this island their rendezvous owing to its favorable location. France recognized them as constituting a state in 1630 and gave them the protection of the home government. In 1697 France secured control over the western half of the island, and in 1795 obtained by treaty the remaining portion.
In 1809 Spain and France were at war, and Spanish rule was again established on the island. The Spanish-speaking section of this territory declared its independence of Spain in 1821 and in 1822 the Haitians acquired control of the entire island, governing it until 1844, when as the result of a rebellion in 1846 Santo Domingo became independent, remaining so until 1861 when again fearing conquest she petitioned Spain to direct her destinies. Following a revolution in 1863, Spanish rule terminated in 1865, the country since being known as the Dominican Republic. Uprisings and revolutions followed each other and foreign debts accumulated to such an extent that European invasion was threatened. In 1907 the United States undertook to administer the affairs of the government through American officials, cancelling each year from the revenues of the country a portion of its foreign debt, using another portion for internal national improvements.