The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1849-06-23
MISCELLANEOUS.
The Island OF Cuba,

4 We copy from the New York Evening Post letter
from the island of Cuba, the initials of which, wv C.
b., indicate that written by the poet editor of that
paper, VIM. Cullen Bryant
Los GUINEs, April is, lsi9
In the long circuit of railway which leads from Havana
Z to Malanzas, saw nothing remarkably different from
what observed my excursion TO San Antonio There
the smooth country, of great apparent fertility
sometimes varied with gentle unduations and sometimes
rising in the distance into hills covered with thckets
We swept by dark green helds. planted with the yuca
Gan esculent of which the bread is made
pale green fields of the brown tracts of pasturage
partly formed of abandoned coffee estates. where the
palms and scattered fruit trees yet standing and
forests of shrubs and winng plants growing for the
4 most part among rocks Some of these rocky tracts
have peculiar appearance They consist of rough pro-
o OF GGak a. hd loot wo IN hesh OF Irregular
dogs teeth Here the trees and creepers find openings
filled with soil, by which they nonrished We pass.
ed three country cemeteries, where that foules
birds the turkey vutue, sitting the white
siuccoed wallis or lowering on his ragged wings IN cir
n cles over them.
In passing over the neigbborhood of the town in which
am now writing, found myself on the black lands of
the island Here the rich dark earth OF the plain lies
bed OF chalk as white as snow, as was apparent where
the earth had been excavaed TO little depth, each
side OF the railway 10 form the causeway which it
Streams OF clear water diverted from river to
even with the surface Of the SOIL which they kept per-
petual freshness AS we approached Matanzas,
more extensive tracts of cane clothing the broad slopes
with their dense blades if the sedge of river
had been transplaned TO the upands
AT length the bay of Matanzas opened before us-a
long tract of water stretching to the northeast, into
which several rivers empty themselves The town lay
at the southwestern extremity, sheltered by hills, where
the San Juan and the Yumu pour themselves into the
BRINE II is small but prosperous town, with consider
able trade was indicated by the vessels at anchor IN
the harbor.
AS passed along the harbor remarked extensive
healthy, looking orchard Of Planalns growing on one Of
nothing but the Jagged teeth OF whitsh rock and the
green swelling stems Of the plantan, from to fifteen
feet in height, and large mans leg, larger The
stalks OF the pantan juicy and herbaceous and OF
yielding texture that with sickle you might entirely
sever the largest OF them at single stroke How such
an array Of succulent plants could find nourshmen
what seemed to the eye little else than barren rock could
not imagine.
The day after arriving at Matanzas we made an excur
sion horseback to the summit of the hill Immediately
overlooking the town called the Cumbre Light hardy
horses OF the country were brought US, with high pom
manner making it difficult to throw the rider from his
negro fitted spur to my right heel and mounting
BY the short sirups, crossed the river Yumur with my
. companions, and began to climb the Cumbre They
boast Matanzas OF the perpetual GOODNESS of tempera
ture enjoyed upon the broad summit of this HILL where
many OF the opulent merchants of the town have their
mitents which infest the town below come, and
where, as one of them told me- you may play at billiards
in August without any incenvenient perspration. =,
From the Cumbre you behold the entire extent of the
harbor. The town lies below you with its thicke OF
masts. and its dusty paseo, where rows of Cuba pine
eye directed to chasm between high rocks where the
river Canimar comes forth through banks of romantic
beauty they described TO and mngles with the
sea. Bat the view to the west much finer there
lay the valley of the Yaur and sight of it is worth
voyage the island In regard to this my expectations
= suffered no disappointment.
Before me lay deep valley surrounded on all sides
by hills and mountains, with the little riveI fumurI
twinng at the bottom Smooth round hillocksrose FROM
the side ext to me- covered with clusters of palms. and
the sleeps Of the southeastern corner OF the valley were
clothed with wood Of intense green, where could
almost the leaves gsten in the sunshine The broad
Il fields below waving with and maize, and cot
ages of the monteros were scattered among them each
with It's tuft of bamboos and its little grove of panains
& LII parts the cliffs almost seemed to mpend the
valley; but to the west, IN a soft golden haze rose
summit behind summit; and over them all, loiles and
most remote, lowered the mountain called the Pan de
! Matan=ds.
We stopped for few moments at a country seat on
the top of the Cumbre, where this beautiful view lay
ever before the eye Rouad it, in garden, cult
attention attracted to little plantation of damask
roses blooming profusely. They sceness the
climate which supplies the orange blossom with intense
odors exhausts The fragrance of the rose AT night fall
the night falls suddenly in this latude) again
! at our hotel.
We passed our Sunday sugar estate at the hospita
fifteen miles from Maiapzas The house stands on an
emnence EMPOWERED in trees, which the hurricanes
have leveed, overlooking broad valley where pa! Inns
scattered in every directon for the estate had
formerly been coffee plantation. In the huge buildings
containing the machinery and other apparatus Tor making
sugar which stood al the foot of the emnence the power
of steam, which had been toilng all the week. was
now at rest As the hour OF sunset approached, a
smoke was seen issuing from It's chimney presently
pus OF yapo issued from the engine, its motion began to
: be heard, and the negroes men and women, were sum
moned to begin the work of the week. Some fed the
fire under the boiler with coal others seen rushing
the mill with their full of the stalks of the
freshly cut, which they took from huge pile the
building; others lighted fires under row OF huge cal.
droDs with the long stalks OF cane from which the juice
had been crushed by the mill Ii was spectacle OF
tivity such as had not seen in Cuba
The sound of the engine heard all night Tor the
work of grinding the begun, proceeds day and
night with exception of Sundays and some other holidays
was early next morning at the mill current OF cane
juice flowing from the mill IN long trunk to vat,
in which it clarified with lime. Ii then made
to pass successfully from caldron to another OBJ
tanned thicker consstenCe by boiling The negroes,
with huge ladies' turning pvos, swept 1t IRON cadron
to caldron, and finally passed il into trunk which con-
veyed shallow tanks in another apartment, where
it cooled into sugar From these another set of work
up low flight OF stairs, and poured it into of hogs
heads pierced with holes at the bottom These placed
large tank into which the moisture dripping from
The hogsheads is collected, and forms molasses
This is the method of making the sugar called musco-
vado. 1t is drained few days. and then the railways
take il to Matanzas Havana We visited afterwards
plantation, in the neighborhood in which the cayed
make the excursion, and took winding road, over
hill and valley, by plantations and forests till stopped
at the gate of extensive pasture ground. An old
negro, whose hut at hand opened il for US, and
bowed low as we passed. A ride of half mile further
brought sight of the fields of the plantation
called Saratoga, belonging TO the house OF Drake Il Co.,
of Havana and epued of the finest of the island
Trees and shrubs there none, but the canes except
where they had been newly cropped for the mill clothed