The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-03-17


hotels, and was assured by my companion Of
the perfect cleanliness of the place, resolved
TO enlist under him. He took charge of us,
brought us ashore, carried us through the
Aduana, and established us in this large, airy,
quiet room-with a frescoed wainscot tripodal
Florentine washstand and queer little bed,
kind of cot, on which is spread and fastened
down a stout linen cloth, without mattress or
bolster, and with no covering but one light
sheet and thin muslin Counterpart adorned
with pictures of horses, with pillows gayly
fringed in broad lace, and a fanciful mosquito
net-on the Gale de los 06cios within half
minutes walk and no-time's view of the Plaza
de Armas And here have just finished
queer Spanish breakfast of eggs and fried plan
tains. Nothing can be odder than the great
green gallery which runs around the court Of
this second story Below us, on the first floor,
is a large warehouse full of figs and tobacco,
with superannuated bishops volante in the
doorway Every pillar in the gallery is vocal
with canary birds In the red-tiled back court
of the house is negress a native African,
ironing at large table, with cigar in her
mouth The rooms on the. gallery have no
doors only large gauze curtains laziy swinging
in the wind The green blinds; the tiles the
brown stone floors; the serious, dignifed Span
ish faces of the two or three guests lounging in
the huge Anticipated saloon the heavy mahog-
any chairs ranged in two opposing ranks be-
tween the enormous doorway and the equally
enormous window, and decorated each one
with faded coronet in gilt the stuffed trop
ical birds, in cases, on the massively carved
buffet the queer chandelier dangling from the
dark green rafters Of the high pitched ceiling,
combine TO make up scene entirely novel,
and to me exceedingly pleasant. From my
window, which is open to the floor, look up
short vista Of a street, about twenty feet wide,
to the Italian palace of the Governor General,
on the Plaza de Armas light green and white
in color with its sunny garden gay with aloes
in full bloom, and fuchsias, and hundred
tropical blossoms for which know no name
Above them all tower three noble cocoa-nut
palms, whose rich plumes of brownish green
wave gracefully in the light breeze, while their
smooth graysh trunks CLEAN brightly in
sunshine as clear and radiant as that of New
England June day. From shops, open to the
ground like those of Naples, on the opposite
side of the way, sally forth now clean, trig
little Spanard, in white jacket and jaunty
sombrero, now stalwart African, in no jacket
at all, and no hat, his rich brown black skin
swelling with the tension of such muscular
system as would not discredit a lion. Ever and
anon gray donkey, or a punchy black mule,
with stiff erect name and decorated braided
tail comes prancing by, and on his back
Creole boy, with smiling, kindly face, and
great black eyes, and warm, bright complexion,
half-sitting, half-lying. between two huge straw
pannlers full of oranges, or bananas, or pine
apples
Havana is sort of Spanish Italy, dashed
Al
the negroes, many of them magnificent Afri-
cans the finest specimens of the race ever
saw Their ways are infinitely queer For
instance, they use their ears as pockets faute
de pantalon. You see huge tattooed, bronze
Hercules take out a lucifer match from behind
one ear, and a long cigar from the other, Just
as one would take his handkerchief and gloves
from his coat pocket.
February 20-Talking of negroes, | have
just come from Dominica's, noble cafe, cool
kiosk, open in the centre to the airs of heaven
We had beautiful military music on the Plaza
de Armas, under rich, silvery moonlight, hun.
dreds of ladies in mantillas walking about with
Dons in sombreros. Then we went to the cafe
and were refreshed by heavy shower which
came up suddenly, FLASHED down on the marble
floor, cooling all the air for half an hour, and
then passed Off My French roommate came
in for refuge. AS soon as he saw me, he said,
"Ah, bon ami, do you remember our discussion
about the intellect Of the negroes? am al
most disposed to be converted, for | have Just
come from the house of friend who owns a
native African; this fellow, imported grown
man, has taught himself to speak, read and
write Spanish, and to play chess very finely.
have been playing three games with him, and
have been badly beaten"
This was very pleasant, and tried to con-
firm my friend in the turn his mind had taken.
| cbatted some time with beautiful little boy,
about twelve years old, the briskest waiter at
the cafe, an old Spaniardn whose youthful
contempt of the "CirOllasD was very amusing.
This afternoon we walked out to the Paseo,
the Champs Elysee of Havana, where we saw
at least 500 volantes filled with ladies' dressed
as for the opera, driving to and fro in the broad
walks of poplars palms, and cocoa nut trees.
We went to the prison of Lopez, near the sea
wall, and saw the sea foaming in breakers and
pillows, finer than | ever saw before on any
American coast in such calm weather.
On our way, we passed church, out of which
came the absurdest Catholic procession I ever
saw Naples must yield the palm First came
four negroes, playing the violin bass viol, flute,
and fiageolet rolling their eyes and grinning
as if it were a supreme Joke. Then boys and
men carrying candles, and showing everybody
aside Then a hang-dog looking friar in white
with cowl thrown back carelessly swinging a
huge censor, and glancing upwards from side
to side at the balconies full of fair Habaneras
as he lounged along. Then four men carrying
gilded canopy in front of which paraded a
boy in white, and priest in white and gold
bearing the shining Host, and followed by
another priest respendent in gold.laced yell
low robe. Then the army incog.p black,
white and yellow. An omnibus got in their
way. Livid with rage, the censor man, more
incensed than ever J saw monk before, rushed
up swore at the driver, stopped the horses, and
turned out the passengers The driver, good
looking young Spaniard, shrugged his shout
ders, and winked at the spectators. The pas
sengers humbly gave up, except gray-headed
American, In spectacles, who fought the priest
through the window, and was only dislodged
ny the JOINT and furious swearing of the holy
man ana hye or six soldiers who came to his
a'd never saw more disgusting scene or
worse, more hendish face, than that of old
rrankincense" as roguish Creole boy among
the spectators called the enraped priest.
The priests here seem to be rather more than
usually miserable. At the Cathedral this morn.
ing | saw high mass performed by a very sour
vy-looking hierarchy. As for the Cathedral
itself, it looks very ike San Ignazio at Rome,
without the gliding the lapis lazuli and the
marbles large tawdry, Romanesque church
of the 18th century, with succeed pillars,
bright blue organ, lots Of brass ornaments, wax
diylnities artificial flowers and forlorn pictures
saw only one barely decent painting a poor
copy Of Andrea del Sarto's Holy Family at the
Pitt But the fair sunlight playing in upon
the white arches, the cleanliness of the tiled
pavement, and the groups of ladies in graceful
black dresses, with little footpages in blue OF
scarlet liyeries, mngling among the kneeng
crowd of negroes, soldiers and fishermen, made
the scene very striking. The tomb Of Column
bus is there, TOO, q mural monument of white
marble near the high altar in tho corruntad