The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1825-10-08 00:00:00

DESCRIPTION OP THE HAVANNAII.

Havannah is to be ranked with the principal cities of
our hemisphere, as well on account of its population as
its commerce. The number of whites residing within the
walls of the city is about 44,000, and the suburbs and de-
pendencies of the city contain about 40,000 more. It
stands on a plain, west of one of the most beautiful of
harbours, and its walls, which enclose but a square mile
of ground, are between 20 and 30 feet high. Cannon
are mounted at suitable distances on the walls; and in
case of an attack from the land, there is a wide ditch
without, that can be filled with water from the canal which
supplies the city.
Perhaps the entrance to few ports, if any, in the world,
is more strongly fortified than the port of Ilavannah.
Although there is an admirable bay of deep water within,
its mouth is so narrow that but one ship can enter at a
time. Proceeding into this bay, a ship first passes a lefty
castle, called the Moro, situated at the extreme point cf
land on the left. A light-house rises from a corner of this
fortification. From the Moro, for nearly half a mile up
the harbour, the elevated bank is crowned with im-
mense batteries, denominated the Cabanas, erected, it is
said, at an expense of more than 30,000,000 dollars. On
the opposite aide is another strong fort, called the Punta,
connected with the walls of the city, and within the walls
is a citadel. These most expensive fortifications arose from
a belief, very properly entertained by Spain, that the do-
minion of Cuba was essential to the preservatian of
Mexico, which possesses no good harbour on its eastern
shore.

The city is divided in solid squares, and its streets,
though narrow, are straight, and intersect each other at
right angles. The houses are quadrangular, having a court
in the middle. All the rooms have a direct communication
with each other, and also open into this court. Most of
the houses have two stories; the lower one is commonly
used for a warehouse, shops, &c. The materials for buiid-
lug arc small irregular fragments of stone, which are united
by a strong cement : and the wall is then plastered and
whitewashed. The roofs are tiled.
Most of the inhabitants possess vast wealth, and have
costly habitations. There are, also, rich and spacious mo-
nasteries, convents, and churches. The convents of Sr.
Domingo and St. Francisco were the only institutions of
the kind Which I visited. Each of them occupies an en-
tire square, having an open court in the mithlle, which is
surrounded by piazzas in the first and second stories. The
walls facing the courts are covered with historical paintings,
representing transactions in the lives of their patron onus-
Both the buildings and paintings are now going to decay.
The convent of St. Francisco bad been converted into bar-
racks for soldiers, and had suffered wanton abuse. This
is one of the twelve convents that was suppressed during
the reign of the Constitution.
But the Cathedral interested me more than any other
edifice. It is a massive, gothic structure, and for magni-
tude and taste is incomparably superior to the other places
of worship. Even a Protestant might survey its walls, and
pillars, and even its altar, and find littltto offend. There
is no tinsel, no parade. Every where is simplicity. The
paintings seem to have been placed where they are rather
by the artist than by the divine; and such are the sub-
jects of them, and such their execution, disposition, and
moral effect, that, as they seemed not to be objects of
worship, I should be sorry to have them removed. The
images are few, consisting of crucifixes, which arc sonnet
that they must be near, in order to be seen. The churches
in general, however, abound with images as large as life,
and gaudily deaorated. The Cathedral is the more irate-
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resting, atilt contains the ashes of Columbus, which
brought into Havannah in 1796. They are deposti
the well on the right side of the altar ; and the urn ii
male(' by a marble slab, on which is sculptured on
relief a front view of this memorable man.
Beyond the wall is the Paseo, or Promenade, to
the citisens resort morning and evening for exercise an'
It is a broid avtibue for carriages about a mile in lei
With shaded wake ow rub side, sod was designed
Beautiful place. Ilia it was left unfinished, and
LaUttra fot weal et repaira.—Awierfeau raper.