NODA, Tranquilino S. de (no-dah), Cuban author, born in Guanajay in September, 1808; died in Havana in May, 1867. He began his literary career in 1827 by an exhaustive memoir on the cultivation of the coffee-plant, to which a first prize was awarded by the Sociedad econdmica of Havana. In 1831 he passed his examination as land-surveyor, and began to survey the western part of Cuba, drawing maps of several parts of the island. By this time he began also to write papers on the history of Cuba, which were published in "Memorias de la Sociedad EconSmica." In 1838 he wrote "Cartas a Silvia," a collection of interesting papers about the traditions, legends, geography, and natural history of Cuba He made a voyage to Yucatan in 1839, and the results of his investigations in that country were embodied in his "Apuntes sobre Yucatan." He also wrote "Educacion Elemental" (1847), and "Economia Politica aplicada a Cuba" (1859). The government intrusted him with several important commissions relating to the statistics and topography of the island. To his efforts were due the opening of new roads, the establishment of new lines of steamers, and the creation of several scientific and learned societies to develop the agricultural and industrial resources of Cuba. In 1863 he began the publication of an historical novel, "Habaguanex," the last cacique of Havana, which he left incomplete Among his other literary works are "E1 Atlante Cubano," '" Nuevo Arte de Taquigrafia," numerous scientific papers on various subjects, sketches for two dictionaries of African languages, and translations in verse of Voltaire's tragedies "Adelaide Duguesclin" and "Jules Cesar."