Richmond daily times. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1853, 1853-03-14
THE DAILY"lIMES
HOW THEY LIVE IN HAVANA.

sell IN Hovana, between ten o clock in the morn
ing, and four in the afternoon; and in the sum-
mer it will be well for him to avoid the sun for
about two hours before and after midday. The
heat, though seeming at first not so searching as
that of many July day in the Northern cities of
the mon. has a latent. penetrating power, which
seems to wilt your brain and dry up the mar
row in your bones. But in the autumn, winter.
| and spring, quiet walk may be safely enjoyed
in the shadow of the houses, whose close proxi.
nifty to the street always gives grateful shelter
to some portion of it. save at midday. The Ha-
baneros themselves walk their streets at all times.
But do not imagine that they locomote after the
| fashion of an American in Broadway. A man
| who should walk into Havana as most men do in
New York, would be thought stark mad. The
shopkeepers would actually get up from the box
es and bales upon which they stretch themselves,
waiting for customers, and stare at him in silent
wonder The Spaniards are decidedly not fast
They have proverb which runs in this wise. sci
que Sc apreSufa Sc muere, Ell que no, tan6ien -
The wo hurries dies, and who does not, dies too)
This is their rule of action-or inacton. In this
spirit they live and move, and have their being -
and have their being without moving. As
we leave our hotel for a stroll, we see a score
or so of men, who seem also strolling.-
Not bit of it; they are going to business
There is strapping negress with fruit for sale,
which she carries on board upon her head
She strolls too; her laggard step beating the
| rhythm of her drawing, nasal cry She is hat
less, shoeless, stockingless less everything, but
the one garment, which hangs half off her legs.
Do not pity her on this account. She has all she
feels the need of; more would be sIperfuity.-
She is earning something towards purchasing
lottery ticket which may give her freedom; and
1t is more than likely that at home she has the
means of appearing on saints days in all the
bravery of clouds of cotton lace, glass beads,
pink shoes and a fan. Look at her full round
arms, polished shoulders and dimpled back
Those are not the traits of physical wretched.
ness. See, she stoops to speak to that porter,
who is carrying box upon his head, which seems
as if it would press him into the earth. His on
ly garment is a pair of trowsers, which reach
from the waist to the knee the sweat pours in
streams from off his broad muscular back making
it glisten in the sun like that of Hercules in
bronze. But see his merry grin of recognition
Pass slowly by the pair. and you will see that
their interview is graced by a s'mion of man
ners." He is dignfied and deferential, she plea
sed and gracious. Senor and Senorsta pass free
ly between these poor burden bearers, and the
slave assures the slave that he is her devoted ser
want. They part with compliment, and, as they
cannot bow and curtsey, wave OF the hand,
which most actors might envy for its unaffected
grace: and each tolls on, the happier for the inter-
view.
Yonder comes a body of men of wretched ex-
as they step, the soldiers who lead and follow the
column, tell us that they are galley slaves; men
condemned for civil or political offences to the
preside. They eat just enough to keep them
alive; they sleep upon the stones; they work as
hard as Spaniards can be made to work; he is
happy among them who possesses an old cotton
handkerchief with which he can wind his gives
so that they may not gall him; it makes one heart
sick to look upon them; and yet they have com
fort, yes luxury In one way or another. past
conjecture, they manage to get money eneugh to
buy cigars, and the enjoyment is not denied them.
A Spanard knows no crime so black that it should |
be visited by the deprivation of tobacco. The
convict who is deprived of the ordinary comforts
or even the ne 'ssties of life, may enjoy his CT
gar, if he can bea Or borrow it: if he stole it, the
offence would be regarded as venial. At the
doorways of most of the shops are little sheet
iron boxes filled with lighted Goals, at which the
passers by may light cigars; and on the newell
post of the balustrade of the staircase of every
house stands a small chatting dish for the same
purpose. Fire for his cigar is the only thing for
which Spanard does not think it necessary to
ask and thank with ceremonious courtesy. If he
have permitted his cigar to 90 out, he steps up to
the first man he meets, nobleman or galley slave
as the case may be, and the latter silently hands
his smoking weed-for it is impossible that two
Spaniards should meet and not have one lighted
cigar between them-the light obtained the ligh-
tee returns the cigar to the Lighter in silence. A
short and suddenly checked motion of the hand
as the cigar is extended is the only acknowledge.
ment of the courtesy this is never omitted, how
ever, even when the person obliged has turned
away his head to resume an absorbing converse
ton. Women smoke as we'll as men; but it is
becoming bad ton for the younger ladies Of posi-
ton to use tobacco; and though in a full railroad
car have seen every person, man, woman and
child, including the American conductor, smok-
J.
of the women were of the higher classes To
placard No smoking allowed" and enforce it,
would ruin the road.
During the day. ladies are rarely or never seen
in the streets of Havana; and never walking, un-
less perchance you catch q glimpse of one with
mantla thrown over her head and using her fan
as parasol, while she trips along to have bit
of gossip with her next neighbor. The men are
not noteworthy in appearance, save for their
swarthiness and their slothful movements. The
is striking incongruity in appear
ance between the strange, fantastic, Eastern air
Of the city, and the very proper and Partisan
looking people who inhabt it. The uolantes and
the caleseros alone have an air which would be
out of place IN any other city. The uolante or
quitrim is exactly like large gig, with the body
in front of the huge wheels, and resting upon the
shafts between the wheels and the saddle. 1t is
drawn by one horse, or two, or three, always
harnesSed abreast. 1t is built for two persons;
but it is common to see three fat Spanish women
seated in one, especially round the Grand Plaza,
and upon the Paseo. The calesero mounts pos
tilion wise upon the horse. His dress consists of
q bright cloth or velvet jacket, richly trimmed
with lace, in which the arms of his master are
often worked, laced hat with cockade, and
white linen trousers, over which enormous boot
legs rise almost to his hips. His lace of gold he
wears massive silver spurs of formidable dimen-
sions aud his boot-legs are covered with buckles
and ct ceteras of the same material. He delights
in gaily embroidered cambria handkerchief,
which he is always sure to display to the best sd
vantage from the side pocket of his jacket. But
amid all this magniicence this carrying about of