lakes there are only a few, and most of these lie in the marsh lands.

The Scientific American says:

"The country may be broadly divided into the region of the plains the
rolling uplands and the forest lands. The lowlands form a practically
continuous belt around the island, and in them are to be found the great
sugar plantations. Above these and on the lower slopes are found the
grazing and farm lands, upon, which, among other things, is raised the
famous Havana tobacco. The remainder of the island, especially the
eastern portion is covered with a dense forest growth."

The vegetation of Cuba is of the most luxuriant and beautiful
description. The forests are full of a large variety of trees, almost
all of them most valuable for mechanical purposes. Some of them are
almost as hard as iron. One of these is called the quiebra hacha (the
axe breaker). There are other woods such as the jucaro, which are
indestructible, even under water. Still others are lignum vitae, ebony,
rosewood, mahogany, cedar, lancewood and many other species. There are
over fifty varieties of palm, and the orange and lemon trees are
indigenous. Although the forests are so dense so to be almost
impenetrable, there are no wild animals in them larger than the wild
dogs, which closely resemble wolves both in appearance and habits.

The fruits are those natural to the tropics, but only oranges,
pineapples and bananas are raised for exportation.

The land is not suited to the cultivation of cereals, and there is no
flour mill on the island. At one time, the coffee plantations were in a
flourishing condition, but the recent outbreak has largely interfered
with this industry.

By far the chief industries in the island are the cultivation of sugar
and tobacco, both of which are famous the world over.

The soil of Cuba is simply a marvel of richness, practically unrivalled
in any other part of the world. Except occasionally in the case of
tobacco, fertilizers are not used. Crops have been grown on the same
ground without an atom of fertilization for over a hundred years. This
superb soil gives the Cuban sugar planter an enormous advantage over his
competitors in other countries. For instance, in Jamaica, one to two
hogsheads of sugar is considered a good yield, but in Cuba, three
hogsheads are the average.

The introduction of modern machinery, which is very expensive, has done
much to drive out the small planters, and the tax imposed by the Spanish