Ypsilanti sentinel. [volume] (Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co., Mich.) 1843-1900, 1844-01-17
SKETCHES-BY A WANDERER
For the Ypsllanti Sentinel.
HABANO.

HABANo.
HAVANA, the capital of the richest Island on
the American continent, is one of the grandest
and most beautiful cities, as viewed from its
| spacious and noble harbor, in the West In
dies. The passage for ships is extremely
narrow, there being scarcely space for two to
enter abreast. On the left of this narrow pas
sage is a strong fortifcation or castle, called
the Moro, surmounted by light house-the
castle has very commanding appearance.
overlapping the mast heads of the tallest
simpson the same side is a long and very
elevated bridge. crowned with strong battle.
ments, called the Cabanas-the Punta, anoth-
er fortress, is placed upon the right, being on
much lower ground than Ell M orc. After
clearing this narrow strait, you suddenly find
yourself within beautiful bay, capable of an.
choring thousand ships, and com ple:ely pro-.
tected from winds and sea swells. TIE city
being more than mile within the Punta,
presents sp endid Panorama,-high walls,
J bristling with cannon, and covered with SOL
diers, encircle the whole of the old town, and
! the white walled houses, the gray and time
worn monasteres, the apcient looking church.
| es, with their small prison-lke windows and
massive towers, make fine display-add to
this the spacious harbor filled with forests of
masts-white robed ships from almost every
| commercial mart in the world-the Babel.like
confusion of tongues among the mariners who
cover their decks-the shouts of the negroes
on the thronging quay--the frequent dischar.
ges OF cannon and musketry-the incessant
| ringing and Ginning of bells-the thrilling
/ blasts OF bIgles, and melody of sweet music
I from the military bands from the inner garri.
son-and a scene is presented as soul-stirrlng
as can be well imagined. Beyond the city and
at the extreme end of the harbor, is cluster
of white houses, called the Reglas, and beyond
this rises verdant slope, constituting part
of tile amphitheatre of hills which enclose the
harbor and city. But the interior of the city
| is not so handsome as its exterior would indi-
cate. Landing on long quay, crowded with
slaves, intermngled with soldiers, who are
stationed there to guard the goods which are
being unloaded from the vessels, you will with
difficulty force ycVr way through this motley,
voeferatng mass, and attain narrow, dirty
street, leading into the heart of this great me-
| tropolis. The city, like Philadelphia, is laid
out in regul ar squares the streets are mostly
! unpaved, extremely narrow, and cross each
+, other at right angles. The houses are seldom
more than two stories high, of massive archi-
lecture, built of soft stone. having court in
the centre, with pleasant balconies running
round it. In many of the houses, the lower
stories. even among the nobility, are either
occupied for shops or warehouses, or use d to
shelter the uolante, sort of enormous chaise,
in which the Havana beauties roll over their
rough roads. The rooms are ranged around
| the court, opening into the balconies-there
are no glass windows, but horizontal bars of
iron, with curtains on the inside, which are
generally raised in the afternoon and evening,
giving the fronts of the houses very much the
appearance of a prison-but when lighted in
the evening, by giving your eyes somewhat
the narrow fag>stones close to these grated
windows, the gilded furniture, rich tapestry,
chandeliers of beautifully colored glass, the
sylph-like forms and sparkling eyes within,
will give one rather an exalted opinion of the
high state of refinement and taste of the
prisoners.
Many Of the rich planters reside in the city
and live in the most sumptuous style-their
tables gruan beneath the weight of massive |
gold and silver plate, and are covered with
every delicacy OF the old, as well as the new !
woodland when one reflects upon the ims
mense riches of this beautiful Island. this mag.
nifcence will not surprise him. The exports
of sugar alone amount TO $4,000, 000-the
copper mines yield $4,000, 600 more-of cof-
fee there is exported $4,000, OOO--cigars ST.
500, 1000, with fruit and other products, alto
gether amounting to nearly $4,000 .O00.-
Almost every alternate shop seems to be &C.
cupied by a cigar vender, the number used
in the city beng truly asto nishing. Men. wo-
men and children appear to smoke continually,
and have seen lit tie girls, scarcely able to
sgo alone" hid behind CT gar big enough to
,tagger Bowery butcher boy. The princi-
,al manufact urers OF this article are Cabanas,
Silva, Hernandez, Ca stro and Rencareuil, be.
ides hundreds Of others of less note. The