New-York daily tribune., 1843-04-03
life IN ETba.
Correspondence Of The rfbane.


the magnifcen, scale upen which business IS car
rcd on here, and the advanced state of the Me-
chanic and agricultural Arts. | have delayed
writing for some time. from an impression ct the
great Importance OF tie subject, and my utter
inability to do justice to it. To understand
matters and things US they really are here, it is
necessary TO pass at least six months in attentive
observation and admiration OF the genius OF ts!s
people The town numbers about 5000 inhab'-
tants,-about one-halt whites, and the residue
negroes and Huattoes and is situate on the bor-
der of dry savanna, about four miles wide, which
stretches from the coast to range OF hills, beyond
which arc The cane plantations. There are about
fifteen or twent- owners OF Sugar Estates residing
in the CITY who are rich but how the residue of
the people get their living is more than can
imagine, unless it be by cheating each other in the
re,ai! line Almost every other building is retail
store, where some lessons in keenness might be
Isaraed even b. the shrewdest Of our Yankees.
In litu Of selling by the pound, they have almost
every thing ready GU, or done up in quantities,
which they sell Tor real or medic each and IN
this way get twice es much es they could by any
regular measure or weight. Sugar is bought by
the real and medio's worth, and thus costs ct the
rate of about ten cents per pound whereas II Is
worth BY the box not over 81 cents. Most OF the
people buy every thing in this manner Just enough
at each time for one meals ana after breakfast or
dinner they have not nouthtul ct any tiihg to eat
in the house till the purchase is made tor the next
n,,t st-Ii IN
are bought in about the same manner instead
OF weighing the meat they cut of 50 long strip
for peseta-so long for rea, &c. &c. Sege-
tables are very dear, even in good weather,-sey
about three sweet potatoes for ten ccnts,-and,
when rainy weather comes, there are none IN mar
ket Grass is brought TO market for housekeeping,
in bundles about as large round as a mans arm
cut witk knife, bound up, slung across horse
or mule and brought four or five miles, and then
sold--six bundles at six pence, or about one doi-
lar for large, and fifty cents for small, horse
load. Wood is bundled up and brought on horse
back, in tie same manner. Corn Is picked IN TIE
husk. brought in panniers on horseback, and sold
bv the flaega as it is called, which means here
800 cars, though its true meaning Is 200 POUNDS.
So accustomed have they become to this mode OF
selling Corn, that no price that can be offered Will
induce them to bargain for it by measure, or ever
by weight in grain; and the buyers are about as
for barrel of shclled Corn will scarcely
SELF at all and will not bring more than barrel OF
ears with the husks on Horses are not ted with
Ous here besause, among the other wise dis
covcres of the Spanards, they have found out that
thcy will not eat them they are so sure OF 1t, that
they never try them.-though often as an American
tries the experiment, he fads difficulty IN get
ting rid of his Oats fast enough. Another about
as wise discovery is that neither cattle nor horses
will eat Salt, and that it would be very injurious 10
them if they should eat it, Te!ltheEl that we haze
tried it, and they reply -: 1t may do for your cat
tie. but will not do for ours" 81 u sW not do
here" Among other objections to my giving Salt
TO nv horse, was assured that 1t would learn MIN
10 eat his halter of.
Milk is brought to market also on horseback, II
large jugs.
Charcoal comes to market on grand scale also
When | first saw 1t in little Gags, about ten inches
long, thought it was Indigo, some other choice
article. 1t is put up iatths manner to adapt It's
measurement to the comprehension OF the people,
which does NOT ex,esd eyohd the reals worth and
medo's worth
There is but one man in town who has the pre-
rogativc of shoeing horses, and his advancement
in this art is truly interesting. lie makes his snoe
nearly round of thin piece OF iron, without corhs,
and puts it on with two nails on one side, aad three
on the other, with elevated aud sharpcned heads 10
serve in lieu of corks. The master genius does not
degrade himself by touching the horses foot, bat
has negro hold it up while he petortas the scien'
;ifc operation. After driving the nails, he puts
board enaer the foot, on the ground and then goes
j I'll heat he nail
is a very good business, as the shoe seldom remains
on over fortnight, and would be better if it we're
not for the fact that all sound horses go barefoot
Oxen are yokcd by piece of wood lashcd TO the
horns al each end, aud to the cart hung in the CEN
ire. The carts are made with huge wooden "neels,
generally without tires and the b;dy Is framed INTO
The tongue and axletree; so that when necessary to
unload hogshcad or other heavy article, II has to
be tipped up by unlashins the yoke from the oxen
horns and letting the tongue and yoke swing Up to-
se1her with the body. Some have gone 50 tar IN
the march Of improvement as 10 put tires oi iron
upon the whcc!s-in doing which, great amount
Of mechasical genius is displayed. The iroa Is put
on in pieces abou, two feet long, and fastened with
spikes, with heads protruding above the surface
about an inch thick. the marks Of which are dis
tincllv seen in the tracks along the road.
Ploushs are made so as TO the dirt as much
on one side as on the other-a mere piece OF wood
with point of iros on the end. When an Amer
can plough was first introduced, the Spaniards de-
c!ared that it would not go-it was impossible II
,h.pid. because it turned the dirt all on one side
The scenes which NEE. the eye OF an American
On his arrival here are strikingy novel and amusing
he sees passing along the street long He OF pack
horses loaded with msrchandize, then great num-
Der of asses and mules, some lacking
an eve or an ear and ell extremely lean, oaded eaca
with four grea, bottles of water, each large enough
Cox the animal TO crawl into, and negro or mu-
at,o mounted between them, beating and pound,
;pg with all bis might. Then comes bull. loaded
wits sacks of charcoal, and mounted also by ne,