ath this, often not exceeding 1 or 2 feet, lie the solid
rocks. These foundation rocks are, especially in the northern and more
modern parts of the city toward the coast of the sea and not of the
harbor, Quarternary, and especially Tertiary, formations, so permeable
that liquids emptied into excavations are absorbed and disappear.

In other parts of the city the rocks are not permeable, and pools are
formed. In proportion as the towns of Cuba are old, the streets are
narrow. In Havana this peculiarity is so positive that pedestrians
cannot pass on the sidewalks, nor vehicles on the streets. Less than
one-third of the population live on paved streets, and these are as
well paved and kept as clean, it is believed cleaner, than is usual
in the United States. The remainder live on unpaved streets, which,
for the most part, are very filthy. Many of these, even in old and
densely populated parts of the city, are no better than rough country
roads, full of rocks, crevices, mud holes, and other irregularities,
so that vehicles traverse them with difficulty at all times, and in
the rainy season they are sometimes impassible for two months. Rough,
muddy, or both, these streets serve admirably as permanent receptacles
for much decomposing animal and vegetable matter. Finally, not less,
probably more, than one-half the population of Havana live on streets
which are constantly in an extremely insanitary condition, but these
streets, though so numerous, are not in the beaten track of the
pleasure tourist.

In the old intramural city, in which live about 40,000 people, the
streets vary in width, but generally they are 6.8 meters (about 22
feet) wide, of which the sidewalks occupy about 7.5 feet. In many
streets the sidewalk at each side is not even 18 inches wide. In the
new, extramural town, the streets are generally 10 meters (32.8 feet)
wide, with 3 meters (nearly 10 feet) for the sidewalks, and 7 meters
(23 feet) for the wagonway. There are few sidewalks in any except in
the first four of the nine city districts.

More than two-thirds of the population live in densely inhabited
portions of the city, where the houses are crowded in contact with
each other. The average house lot does not exceed 27 by 112 feet
in size. There are 17,259 houses, of which 15,494 are one-story,
1,552 are two stories, 186 are three stories, and only 27 are four
stories, with none higher. At least 12 in every 13 inhabitants live
in one-story houses; and