various manufacturing industries for the consumption of
native products will rapidly follow in the steps of good government.
Hence, in the field of manufacturing this island offers excellent
inducements to capital.

SEASONS AND CLIMATE.

Like all tropical countries, Cuba has but two seasons, the wet and the
dry. The former extends from May to October, June, July, and August
being the most rainy months. The dry season lasts from November to May.
This fact must go far toward making the island more and more popular as
a winter health resort. The interior of the island is mountainous, and
always pleasantly cool at night, while on the highlands the heat in the
day is less oppressive than in New York and Pennsylvania during the
hottest summer weather; consequently, when once yellow fever, which now
ravages the coasts of the island on account of its defective sanitation,
is extirpated, as it doubtless will be under the new order of things,
Cuba will become the seat of many winter homes for wealthy residents of
the United States. Even in the summer, the temperature seldom rises
above 90 deg., while the average for the year is 77 deg. At no place,
except in the extreme mountainous altitude, is it ever cold enough for
frost.

[Illustration: A VOLANTE, THE TYPICAL CUBAN CONVEYANCE.]

THE EVACUATION OF HAVANA.

The complete transfer of authority in the island of Cuba from Spain to
the United States took place on Sunday, January 1, 1899. At noon on that
day Captain-General Castellanos and staff met the representatives of the
United States in the hall of his palace, and with due formality and
marked Spanish courtesy, in the name of the King and Queen Regent of
Spain, delivered possession of Cuba to General Wade, head of the
American Evacuation Committee, and he in turn transferred the same to
General Brooke, who had been appointed by President McKinley as Military
Governor of the Division of Cuba. No unpleasant incident marred the
occasion. General Castellanos spoke with evident yet becoming emotion on
so important an occasion. Three Cuban generals were present, who, at
General Castellanos' request, were presented to him, and the Spaniard
said, with marked grace and evident sincerity, "I am sorry, gentlemen,
that we are enemies, being of the same blood;" to which one of the Cuban
patriots courteously responded, with commendable charity, "We fought
only for Cuba, and now that she is free we are no longer enemies."

[Illustr