The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-08-18
FAMILIAR LETTERS FROM CUBA.

]. H. COULTER,
Can State Central Committee.
FAMILIAR LETTERS FROM CUBA.
GUINEs, -.
To the Editor of the National Era:
Guines was once the favorite resort OF all
those unhappy persons whom their physicians
sent abroad to breathe q purer, milder air, and
to die in a foreign land, while the minister's OF
Justice would probably appropriate their goods,
and the ministers of religion deny them Chris
tan burial This was before the railway had
been extended along the coast. Then, every
corridor Of the huge hotels resounded with the
melancholy cough of the consumptive, and the
healthiest man found fatal contagion in the
atmosphere breathed by 80 many doomed and
perishipg creatures Those were the days of
the prosperity of Guines, when its fame went
abroad through every wind-smitten region OF
the North Now, the dreadful glory of the
place has faded, and the worthy lady who
superintends the chief hotel cannot sufficiently
reyile the rabid spectators who have extended
the lines of communication with the seaboard
beyond this ancient hospital city. When
arrived here yesterday, thought | had never
seen 80 drowsy and deserted a town. The lazy
shopmen droned in their dens of stone dog
or two lay half asleep in the desolate plaza
the porter of the hotel was nodding in the cool
shade of the zaguan, or huge archway which
serves in the Cuba houses at once for ooneisr-
gerie and carriage house. In the immense
building found but one guest and half Ito
speak after the manner Of omnibus cards,) q
delicate, frail French lady and her little child.
This poor lady, sent here by her friends " for
the climate had evidently been wasting away
under the depressing influences Of the place.
Utterly alone in strange land, among q
people whose language she could not speak,
forced to buy the thousand namsless attentions
which affection alone can properly bestow up
on the invalid, obliged to think for herself of
all those things which her state requires and
which should come to her, like the loving
thoughts of friends unsought for, prevented by
the customs of the country from taking the
with nothing to enlven the weary days of her
confinement, and continually driven in upon
unfortunate lady had contracted
a melancholy hypochondriasis, against the IA
tai effects of which all the balmy breezes of
the tropics are powerless Her case it seems
20 me, must be the case of hundreds; and am
sure that no more miserable mistake can be
made by the friends of an invalid than to con-
Tenn traveller in search of health to all
,hese terrible conditions of exile which wear
away the strength, even Of strong men who
Danish themselves for the sake of gain. Gil
mate is a mighty agent upon the human sys-
;em, certainly; and | feel myself to be a most
witness to it's efficacy; but there are
other conditions to the we'll being of human
,reature, and above all, of human creature
Frustrated by disease, which it is utter madness
% disregard.
All around Guines is beautiful country,
ull Of objects of interest. Had the poor invalid
If whom | speak been accompanied by some
I'D familiar friend, in whose society she could
lave visited the wonderful caves which reveal
world of strange and striking forms beneath
he hills of this partido, as of 80 many other
ections of Cuba, and the lovely cafetales which
,lothe those hills with the rich magnfcence of
ropical vegetation-some friend with whom
he could ride and walk, and talk of home and
III homes pleasant memories--had she been
h1s accompanied and thus amused, she might
rave more than realized all the fond hopes
With which she sought this genial air. As it
5, che will go back-f, indeed, she ever does
% back-enieebled, dishesrtened, doubly pros
rated in body and mind do honestly beIieye
hat the east winds of New England are less
atal TO the body's health than the east winds
f neglect and solitude; and those persons who
annot come to Cuba with some certainty of
luman sympathy and friendly society, had
letter trust tor their recovery to the climate of
N affectionate home in however bleak land,
han to the climate of the sunniest region un-
Ter Heaven.
The town of San Julian de los Guines, which |
responsible for the foregoing reflections, owes
is celebrity as winter residence for strangers |
chiefly to range of mountains, which 30 en- |
close 1t On the north, that, though distant only
orty-f,ve miles from Havana, it il completely |
protected from the chill and the rains that &C. |
company the wintry northers IL possesses a |
certain Importance, too, as depot for the |
traffic by railway with the city of a consdera-
Bile tract of fertile land. 1t contains popula- |
lion of about 5000 souls and has the reputa-
on OF being thriving place. My own expe-
hence | have recorded above but am we'll
aware that ought to draw no differences there
rom, hostile to the fame of Guines. There are
good many American towns, undoubtedly
prosperous and busy, which seem to the tran
aent traveller absolute Sleepy Hollows. That
me person, at least, in the town of Guines at
ENDS sharply to his business can testify. A
more unmitigated extortioner than the old
French ex dragon who lies in wait for travel.
lers at the station, never met with The pen
OF balzac alone could describe the appearance
OF this mana true type of the most ignoble
character, think, that exists among men-the
sensual, sordid, vulgar Frenchman. Indeed,
he brought to my memory one of Balzacs most
impressive word-paintings, the revoltipgly-
minute description of old Sechard, in the IN.
iusionS Perdueso
10 order to roach seunidero and two or
three estates in the neighborhood, have been
Obliged to submit to the tyranny of this vieur
rnousfaehe and do earnestly warn all future
travellers to this spot to beware of him and his,
tor his horses and volantes are as bad as him.
self. The cave Of which speak is hardly worth
the trouble Of climbing up to it but the views
OF the rich, well.planled country make the ex-
cursion desirable. The estates in the neigh
borhood are also very we'll worth seeing; and
among them is one cafetal 80 richly planted
and 10 tastefully laid out that one might we'll
make the little trip from Havana TO zee it
alone. Guines used to be famous for its gaie-
ties, but they were all over month ago, and
| dare say, differed in nothing from the mser-
able cock-fghtings and interminable contra
dancing have elsewhere seen.
Tomorrow | shall take my departure for
Havana on my way home, whittier | shall turn
my steps as soon as the heat grows intoIerable.
w. H. n.
4 mr.