Personal Narrative Of Travels To The Equinoctial Regions Of America During The Years 1799-1804 - Volume 3 - By Alexander Von Humboldt And Aime Bonpland.
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Commerce Is Extremely
Active Between The Havannah And The Port Of Campeachy; And It
Increases, Notwithstanding The New Order Of Things In Mexico, Because
The Trade, Equally Illicit With A More Distant Coast, That Of Caracas
Or Columbia, Employs But A Small Number Of Vessels.
In such difficult
times the supply of salt meat (tasajo) for the slaves is more easily
obtained from Buenos Ayres and the plains of Merida than from those of
Cumana, Barcelona and Caracas.
The island of Cuba and the archipelago
of the Philippines have for ages derived from New Spain the funds
necessary for their internal administration and for keeping up their
fortifications, arsenals and dockyards. The Havannah was the military
port of the New World; and, till 1808, annually received 1,800,000
piastres from the Mexican treasury. At Madrid it was long the custom
to consider the island of Cuba and the archipelago of the Philippines
as dependencies on Mexico, situated at very unequal distances east and
west of Vera Cruz and Acapulco, but linked to the Mexican metropolis
(then a European colony) by all the ties of commerce, mutual aid and
ancient sympathies. Increased internal wealth has rendered unnecessary
the pecuniary succour formerly furnished to Cuba from the Mexican
treasury. Of all the Spanish possessions that island has been most
prosperous: the port of the Havannah has, since the troubles of St.
Domingo, become one of the most important points of the commercial
world. A fortunate concurrence of political circumstances, joined to
the intelligence and commercial activity of the inhabitants, have
preserved to the Havannah the uninterrupted enjoyment of free
intercourse with foreign nations.
I twice visited this island, residing there on one occasion for three
months, and on the other for six weeks; and I enjoyed the confidence
of persons who, from their abilities and their position, were enabled
to furnish me with the best information. In company with M. Bonpland I
visited only the vicinity of the Havannah, the beautiful valley of
Guines and the coast between Batabano and the port of Trinidad. After
having succinctly described the aspect of this scenery and the
singular modifications of a climate so different from that of the
other islands, I will proceed to examine the general population of the
Island of Cuba; its area calculated from the most accurate sketch of
the coast; the objects of trade and the state of the public revenue.
The aspect of the Havannah, at the entrance of the port, is one of the
gayest and most picturesque on the shore of equinoctial America north
of the equator. This spot is celebrated by travellers of all nations.
It boasts not the luxuriant vegetation that adorns the banks of the
river Guayaquil nor the wild majesty of the rocky coast of Rio de
Janeiro; but the grace which in those climates embellishes the scenes
of cultivated nature is at the Havannah mingled with the majesty of
vegetable forms and the organic vigour that characterizes the torrid
zone. On entering the port of the Havannah you pass between the
fortress of the Morro (Castillo de los Santos Reyes) and the fort of
San Salvador de la Punta:
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