Southern sentinel. [volume] (Plaquemine, Parish of Iberville [La.]) 1848-1858, 1851-10-11
Letters from Havana,
Fromehe Picayune.

~ ~ ~I'iis - ANA wa - 1Cc1.
La siempre feel Isla de Cuba has returned to
its amiable serenity, and seems as quiet as the
placid ocean,after a gale. Havana is all alive
again, and the honorable merchants pay their
notes OH maturity, which, It's said, they refu-
sed to do while poor old Lopez was about; but
now that he is functus oticio, oh! how the
Don Diegos crow. Through the streets the
ladies rush, in a bigvolante, toWed asternsof a
l%ittlepony, round the corners they whirl, throw
ing the mud on los Yankees, at whom they
cock their eye, while you almost hear them
sigh, "Come again if you wish to die" m
They think because the yallente ejercito ex-
terminated poor old Lopez, and his small squad,
that it is all-tephet; but the fIlibusters are
not all used up; only two days ago two of
them suddenly TRANSFERRED, reappesred, aud are
on hand at the Carcel de Tacon. Their story
is one of severe suffering. There were six of
them together, drifting about the mountains,
living on roots and green corn; suddenly the
Spanish troops came. upon them and two of
their number were instantly killed, one jumped
down u precipice, another rolled down a steep
hill, OF the others no account is given; the
jumper and roller lay perdu until after night
fall and then joined company again. Together
stock of green corn, &c, for sea stores. A
4NAApSs oA - Ai1ibS AISkdifts I'll III 1d4 u uStl-
ing smack, with a small boat moored astern; the
FLIES waited till it twas dark, aud#then swan
off to her with their sea stores dashed on their
backs. The skipper sat on the ~taffraiI, andthe
poor swimmers had to paddle about until he
retired to his bunk; then one of them stole on
board, obtained an oar, and cast of the painter;
for a while they drifted, and then commenced
scu,ling out to sea, far of, SO that the green
mountains of Cuba were blue in. the distance.
How long they We're at sea they dont know,
but with stores all out they drifted about in
wild despair, lis they knew not where to- find
4 vessel.
But at length a Spanish coaster o9erhauled
them, and took them OF board, with the promise
to land them atIIavana, whence they shouId
be sent home by the Spanish Government, as
the amnesty would set them free. With this
tale the Spaniard wormed out ofthem that they
had belonged to the Lopeztonian expedition,
and forthwith put into Mariel, where they were
examined before an official. Here, it is said,
they denied their identity, and the officer threat
ened to shoot them, when one of them, disgust
ed with the perfdy of the Spaniards, no doubt,
told him to "shootand be id"
From Mariel they came by land to Havana,
and yesterday (3Oth ult.) were to be sent to
Spain on board a brig which sailed, having
forty-eight ofthe prisoners OF. board her.
Capt. PLArr, of the Albany, was in port,
and called upon Concha, to intercede for these
men. The letter says:
Capt. PLATT took the GROUND that those
men were captured on the high seas, in a state
of exhaustion, and any confession said to have
been made by them might have been extorted
through fear of instant death; and, the refore,
he assured the Governor that bis Government
would expect that they s~hauldi,avea fair and
impartial trial, and SO on. zs
Gen. Concfa finally became convinced that
ais safest course wouldb be 10 detain them here,
Ind issued an order accordingly. X y
But for the prompt interference of Capt.
Platt, the two wretched captiyes just brought
in, would have been transported, without trial
or hearing, along with the number which sail
ec yesterday for the province of Spain, where
in are situated the quicksilver mines, the work
ing of which breaks the constitution of the
most athletic in a year or two, and c~onsigns
the weaklyto mother earth in less time even.
HAVANA, October I, 1851.
The promise to many of the prisoners that
included in the second lot sent to Snain
to remit to their friends some account of their
has again rendered it necessary for me
to avail myself Of the facilities Of a general cit
,ular.
On the departure of those sent away on the
3th ult. there remained in Hospital twenty-four,
md IN prison ten, waiting ship. These last
removed to the Punfa Castle, where
hey remained until the moment of their en-
'arkation, aud where they were joined by such
their companions as were. subsequently
'rougghtip, and also bythose who were reno
ed coifENiescent from the hospital.
During their stay every attention has been
,aid them by their countrymen, as also by Mr..
the secretary Of the English Consul,
md they were visited by Gov. Letcher twice