itarily, the best
situated district in the city. About two-thirds of the population are
in the district of Matanzas, and the Pueblo Nuevo district has about
double the population of Versalles. Pueblo Nuevo stands on ground
originally a swamp, and is low, flat, and only 3 or 4 feet above the
sea. The Matanzas district has many houses on equally low ground,
on the harbor front, and on the banks of the two rivers which inclose
this district; but from the front and between these rivers the ground
ascends, so that its houses are from 2 to even 100 feet above the sea;
however, the center of population, the public square, is only about
20 feet above sea level. Versalles is on a bluff of the harbor, and
its houses are situated, for the most part, from 15 to 40 feet above
the sea. The district of Matanzas has ill constructed and useless
sewers in only two streets, and no houses connected therewith. So
much of this district and of Versalles as is built on the hill slope
is naturally well drained, but the Pueblo Nuevo district, and those
parts of Matanzas built in immediate proximity to the banks of the
river, are very ill drained.

Since 1872 Matanzas has had an aqueduct from the Bello spring, 7 miles
distant. The supply is alleged to be both abundant and excellent. But
of the 4,710 houses in the city 840 stand on the hills outside
the zone supplied by the waterworks, while of the remaining 3,870
houses within this zone only about 2,000 get their water from the
waterworks company. Hence more than half of the houses of Matanzas
(2,710) do for the most part get their supply in kegs by purchase in
the streets. There are a few public fountains, as also some dangerous
wells. The streets are 30 feet wide, with 24 feet wagon way. Few of
them are paved, some are very poor roads, but, for the most part,
these roads are in good condition. In the Matanzas district some
of the streets are of solid stone, and natural foundation rock of
the place, for the superficial soil is so thin that the foundation
rocks often crop out. Of this very porous rock most of the houses
are built. The houses have wider fronts, larger air spaces in rear,
are not so crowded, and are better ventilated than the houses of
Havana. As is usual in Cuba, the ground floors are generally on a
level with the sidewalk, and some are even below the level of the
streets. A heavy rain floods many of the streets of Matanzas, the
water running back into and beneath the houses. The