halting-place on the voyages between the two, and the settlement assumed a steadily increasing importance.  A new governor, Gonzales Perez de Angulo, who arrived in 1549, decided to make it his place of residence.  The year 1552 is generally given as the time of the creation of Havana as the capital city.  It was at that time made the residence city of the Governors, by their own choice, but it was not officially established as the capital until 1589.  The fortress erected by order of de Soto proved somewhat ineffective.  In 1554, another French marauder attacked and destroyed the town.  The principal industry of those early days was cattle-raising, a considerable market being developed for export to Mexico, and for the supply of vessels that entered the harbor for food and water.

The continuance of incursions by pirates made necessary some further provision for the defence of the city.  In 1589, La Fuerza was enlarged and strengthened, and the construction of Morro Castle was begun.  To this work was added La Punta, the little fortress on the western shore of the entrance, at the point of the angle now formed by the Prado and the Malecon.  These ancient structures, of practically no value whatever in modern warfare, are now among the most picturesque points of interest in the neighborhood.  Another, in the same class, of which only a little now remains, is of a later time.  This is the old city wall, the construction of which was begun in 1671.  Following the simile of the bull-dog’s head, a tract of land, formerly known as the Arsenal yard, and now the central railway station, lies tucked away immediately under the animal’s jaw.  From there to a point on the north shore, near La Punta, in a slightly curving line, a high wall was erected for the purpose of defence on the western or landward side.  The old city lay entirely in the area defined by this western wall and the shore of the harbor.  At intervals, gates afforded exit to the country beyond, heavy gates that could be closed to exclude any possible attacking party.  The fortifications erected from time to time were supposed to afford a system of effective defence for the city.  They are now little else than picturesque features in the landscape, points of interest for visitors.  Taking the chain in its order, El Morro stands on the point on the eastern side of the entrance to the harbor.  Just beyond it is La Cabana.  About a half a mile to the east of this was the stone fort on the hill of San Diego.  Three miles east of the Morro, on the shore at Cojimar, is a small and somewhat ancient fortification.  This group constituted the defence system on the east.  At the head of the bay, on an elevation a little to the south of the city, stands El Castillo de Atares, begun in 1763, immediately after the capture and occupation of the city by the British.  This is supposed to protect the city on the south, as Castillo del Principe is supposed to defend it on the west.  This stands on a hill on the western outskirts, a