. The Cuba review. 20 THE CUBA REVIEW. Tlie Disappearing River Ariguanabo. Rivers and Caves in Cuba. One peculiarity of the water courses in Cuba is that many streams sink into the earth and follow subterranean passages, never to appear again, or to reappear at some distance and then again perhaps once more to disappear outright. Rocks have been worn into caverns, arches, alcoves and honeycombed forma- tions by the action of water for centuries. The soft limestone beneath the surface of Cuba in many portions of the islands has been hollowed out, tunneled and formed into caves by the tremendous
. The Cuba review. 20 THE CUBA REVIEW. Tlie Disappearing River Ariguanabo. Rivers and Caves in Cuba. One peculiarity of the water courses in Cuba is that many streams sink into the earth and follow subterranean passages, never to appear again, or to reappear at some distance and then again perhaps once more to disappear outright. Rocks have been worn into caverns, arches, alcoves and honeycombed forma- tions by the action of water for centuries. The soft limestone beneath the surface of Cuba in many portions of the islands has been hollowed out, tunneled and formed into caves by the tremendous downpour and wash of tropical rains. The sea has hollowed caves under Moro Castle, in Havana, as well as under the Moro in Santiago harbor. There are also great caverns near Matan- zas and Jaruco, and in the Cubitas hills, in Camaguiey province. This frequency of cav- erns, in which rains accumulate and brooks disappear, sometimes causes great disasters. In most of the mountains of Cuba are ex- tensive caves ; that illustrated on these pages is in t\ie. mountains of Camaguey province. The great Bellamar caves in Matanzas are well known, and annually visited by tourists. They are lighted by electricity and there are stairways and guides for the visitors' com- fort and convenience. At San Diego, sit- uated in the Vuelta Abajo, on the banks of the Caiguanabo River, are the caves known as the Arcos de Caiguanabo. Near San Antonio de los Banos, in Ha- vana province, is the disappearing river, illustrated above. It is the Ariguanabo River, and plunges into the earth never to be seen again. There are extensive subter- ranean streams in all parts of Cuba which do not appear on the surface at all. One of this kind was discovered on the lands of the Stewart sugar plantation in Camaguey province when borings for a well found a large underground river. It may be noted also that some of the keys on the north and south coast have a plentiful supply of fresh water bubbling up in the form of
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