ppears to have
recognized this need, and to have urged the construction of such forts,
especially on the Cabanas hill, but to no avail. Instead, the royal
government proposed the construction of a strong wall around the entire
city, including the water front. It actually ordered that work to be
undertaken, the first step being to destroy a large part of the city,
including the church, to make room for the wall. Against this suicidal
policy Montalvo effectively protested, declaring that if the city were
thus demolished it would never be rebuilt, and also pointing out that
the day of walled cities was past. In the face of his representations
the wall scheme was abandoned; but his wise suggestions of forts
commanding the harbor were not acted upon until years afterward.

It is to be recorded to his credit that Montalvo gave more attention
than his immediate predecessors had done to development of some of the
natural resources of the island. He interested himself in forestry, and
soon had an immense trade in timber and lumber between Cuba and Spain.
The exquisite cabinet work of the Escurial, in Spain, was made of wood
from the forests of Cuba--mahogany, ebony, ironwood, cedar, and what
not. Wood was supplied for other purposes, too, notably for
ship-building. It was at this time that interest arose in the great
island just off the southern coast, which at that time was so richly
clad with pine forests as to receive from Montalvo on that account its
present name of "Isle of Pines." During the administration of Menendez
the whole island was granted to Alfonso de Rojas for a cattle range, a
purpose for which it was admirably adapted, and there are legends to the
effect that the water between the Isle of Pines and Cuba was at times so
shallow as to make it possible to drive herds of cattle across from the
one land to the other. It is to be observed, in passing, that thus early
in history was the Isle of Pines recognized as an integral part of Cuba.

Montalvo also did much to promote agriculture, and the raising of swine.
He endeavored to revive interest in both gold and copper mining, and
seems to have been persuaded that there were enormously rich deposits of
the former metal hidden somewhere on the island, in places known only to
the natives. He strove diligently and persistently to get from the few
surviving Indians information concerning these mines, but in vain. If
the Indians knew, they would not tell; but it seems altog