The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-04-28

IN o~iuerland, where there is room for a char
odne 70 pass through, more appalling TO the
eye and the Imagination. is les, dangerous to
the sober Judgment Of the mind, than those
horrible guliies where to be upset is to be
smothered in mud after all your bones are
broken by the fall. We, however. were not
upset; and after ford:ng the little Rio dc Ia
Coiuma, brook when last crossed IT, now
swollen TO river Of respectable width. though
very shallow, and more annoying by the
weight oil water to our horses than dangerous
70 ourselves, we safely reached the Almacen Of
Coinma. ms name, which sounds we'll enough
deslgnates a town much like some that figure
on our Western maps; to wit, consisting Of
three houses barn and a huge structure at
once warehouse, shop and hotel Such places
are common enough in the States but these
Spanish American establishments have peculiar
features Of their own. Instead of the drearv
counter, with it's rows behind of snister-look
ing decanters and demiiohns we had here a
small booth-like apartment arched over with
painted arch, decorated with the Spanish
colors, and bearing the attractive Inscription,
LAS Delicias de la Columa," the appropriate
ness OF the title being apparent on a glance at
the shelves oil sweetmeats, cigars sardines. cor
dials, and aguardente. The dispenser of these
delights was an olive complexioned boy Of Is.
with pair of laughing black eyes, Ike those
OF Murilo's musical ragamufhus at Dulwich.
Within the spacious warehouse were to be
found all manner of comestibles from Goldfish
to preserved figs. Above, and in the corridors
below, were the rooms of the hotel, occupied at
this season by the families Of the Vegucras in
the neighborhood, who come here for the sea
bathing" that is, for the privilege of spending
couple of hours n day, padding about in
three feet or so of salt water, Within q space of
Is feet by IL, in an enclosure covered with
heavy palm-thatch.
The permanent population consists Of three
men and boy Eve cats, eleven dogs, and
ame-cock-the latter beast during his piping
times of peace" being tied by the leg to chair
in the storehouse. We asked the officer in
command, how many guests were staying with
him. Fifteen romen, - he replied besides some
men and children, perhaps forty in all!p pro-
pose that the next "Woman's Rights Conven-
ton" be held in La Columa, for it is plain,
that the male population, though not numerous
is better prepared for an unconditional surren.
der of the Anticipated privileges of man, than
any other beyond the precincts of California
or Australia. We spent four or five hours at
the Almaeen, waiting for the steamboat, AZ is
usual, during which time the fifteen females, SO
precious in the eyes of their host came out into
their saloon this same saloon serving at the
same time as coach house for dusty volante,
and as priUGte dining. room for family par
w. while its position on one side of the house,
and its mural arrangements--there being no
doors-enablcd the occupants to observe the
arrivals and departures, and to enliven their
retirement with watching the loading of obsti-
nate mules, diversified by On occasional dog
fight. The women were a very yellow, sickly-
looking set of creatures, dressed in very bright
colors Their manners and customs were Pc
culiariy naive and unconstrained | was par
ticulariy attracted by one old lady of sixty,
with face like parchment She wore dress
of scarlet and white muslin, orange-colored
stockings, blue silk shawl, gorgeousy en-
broidered with large dahlias and roses, in green
and yellow silk bunch of artificial flowers
adorned her hair, and huge gold earrings gilt
tered in her ears. Thus, wonderful in her ap-
pearance, she glided gracefully into the store
house, purchased long Jenny Lind" cigar,
asked the favor of light from Montero gentle.
man in striped blue shirt with a sword at his
side, and huge spurs on his stookingless feet and
then returning to the saloon while the soft
hued smoke curled about her head, took up
large broom, and proceeded TO sweep away
from her chair and from under her feet the
remnants of the mornings meal The family
party dined in private at two o'clock. They
kindly invited every one who passed by TO share
their meal with them hut as four mules, one
of whom liked to back vieiously into the saloon,
whenever hia master came near him, were be-
ing loaded in tho storehouse during the repast,
we declined their invitation, hoping to make a
decent meal on board the boat
But the boat came up, and refused to stop for
us till At should return from Colon, Ia village a
couple of miles beyond Columa, which was
sacked three or four years ago by o Company
OF lawyers and farmers of tho country 80 we
were forced to dine at the Almacen in compa
ny with the people Of the house, some laborers
OF the neighborhood the crew of Tighten and
halfdrunken dragoon And must say, Il
the honor of these good souls that their manners
though by no means elegant were vastly bet
ter, more decent unsclfsh, and becoming,
than have ever seen displayed by much bet
ter dressed companies on board of steamboats,
and at railway stations in the United States.
Even the halfdrunken Dragon evinced his
state chiefly in imprecations upon the dogs, and
when they fought shy" Of him, in requesting
Maria sanctissma purissima" 10 interest her.
self for their eternal perdtion This dragoon
was a short rod faced white-haired, jaunty
sort Of fellow, very like an Irishman in features
and expression. Indeed the majority of the
lower classes here look more like true Mile.
slams than like Castilians All ones romantic
expectations of tho naughty sad-eyed Spanish
face are miserably disappointed here. A moro
commonplace set Of physognomics never saw.
Once in while, to be sure, you meet the grave
Hidalgo countenance, or the keen, humorsoma
Asturian face.
! came across Sancho Panza one day. mas
queradng in the white robe of Dominican,
and Lazarille de Tonnes drove me to tho CerrO
in berlina. But the Catalan type is q vul-
gar one generally, vugarly good or bad as the
case may bp; and tho Creole faces are singu-
larly weak or sngularly dsagreeahle. Punohs
Juveniles are not more pitiably udiorous than
the short, thin, salow, little fellows in high
hats, black dresa ooats, and white pantaloons,
who promenade the Plaza or play practical
jokes on each other in the cafes. And but for
the eager, excited negroes and mulattoes, a
Cuban cockpit, where you find the best repre-
sentation of the rustic Creoles, might be beliey-
ed to be in Kerry or Connaught.
On the way up in the boat nothing occurred
worth mentioning, excepting that civil engi.
neer, to whom | was introduced, told me that
he had just been selling a hacienda Of land in
the western department Of the Vuelta Abajo,
which had produced on an average 5000 the
cdbaileria, Of about 80 acres. This was regard.
cd rs very great price, spd the hacienda
comprised some Of the best tobacco lands under
cultivation; one small vega or farm on tho
estate, worked by one man alone without slavos,
having netted 81 900 TO its tenant during the |
last year It is into this part of tho island that
a great tide Of American immigration will |
flow when tho long agony of annexation is over
The tobacco cultivation can be undertaken |
with very small means while the sugar estates
demand great original outlay; and Kentucky |
and Virginia will probably dsgorgc numbers
OF their restless sons upon the Vuelta Abajo
The Ceeoles, who are looking forward now
to the annexation rs to the mllenium, will |