The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1853-06-09
FAMILIAR LETTERS FROM CUBA.
APRIL 20, 1883.

Tho scenery of the Carolinan seashore is not
ln different from that of the up country,
noi' that of the southern side of Cuba from
.Iat Of the northern. The change from the end
~, levels, the swamps, and sluggish streams
:, charleston district to the highlands, open
e. S,ssts and quick waters of Buncombe, cannot
~ more complete and delightful than the
...O.ition from the rolling savannas, lean
lin. trees and pine-trees, and motionless lagu-
RPas of the Vuelta Abalo, 20 the hill roads, the
u'Iossal trees and vines, and broad sweeping
.o,r Of the northern coast. Between the
,nbIe fort of CsJeaas, where for nearly seven
LAS in length, the oce. forces his strong
ms ms through wild volcanic rocks at this time
inTuriantly lovely with rich tropical yegeta-
ION and the railway station of San Francisco,
ON "On mass through a region, which, if were an
irshman, should say was mpassable-aregion
e biIl and wood where ever and anon you
" Oom n anon the golden cane6elds and curling
SO,oLe of a sugar plantation, lodged, as you
,st think quite beyond the reach of means
IS TRANSFORMATION, but where you are sure to
ga the universal courtesy which smoothes the
.,tb If the traveller in Cuba, and almost CON-
iansatos for the constant annoyance to which
- i subjected by the absurd Government of
.ho ;sland The vale Of Marel alone-over the
,rhoIe Of which YOU command a most extern
a;ro v;aw-tbe vale of Mariel alone, beautiful
9TH the signs of hpman industry and of the
unna;d industry of nature, is worth long ride
ogartbe worst roads of Cuba, which are, in sooth,
the worst in the world In many respects, Cuba
r,sambles bit of the middle ages transplanted
;nto the tropics The armed riders whom you
meet on the roads, ghttering with spur and
sword. the rude oxcarts OF most primeval build
the long files of pack horses and mules-nay,
the very amusements of the small hamlets, the
eock-fights, and the dance in the open air--all
revive in ones memory the pictures of medie-
val life in Southern Europe, which the cum
ming hand of genius impressed there long ago,
Bnt nothing is more medieval in Cuba than
her roads Rudely marked out with limits
which the irrepressble gnsh Of vegetable life
ia continually celebrating worn into deep ruts
by the huge wheels of the heavy carts, often
leading you to the brink of small rivers, and
always guiltless Of even the semblance Of a
bridge sometimes so overlooked that you trem-
bic for the safety of yourself and steed when
approaching the centre where scas the ford, but
where may be now destruction these misera-
BILE highways if so they may be called, are
cIers who tell us that the journey from Berlin
to Client occupied forty-twO days, and an ex-
cuse for the hesitation of old FrOissart in re-
cordng the feat of that young English Lord
who traversed that great distance in fourteen
days that he might join the army of King Ed
ward ILL., Nor are these roads confined to the
remote districts of the island. Excepting in
the immediate vicinity of Havana or Matanzas,
nothing better in the way Of road is to be met
with in one part of Cuba than in another. The
obstacles thus thrown in the way of the pros
perity of the island are immense
A friend of mine imported some machinery
in vessel from Antwerp. It was transferred
to his estate some seventy miles inland, by rail-
way and carts, and the cost of this transporta-
ton exceeded the freight across the Atlantic.
In the Havana, the stranger is struck with the
apparent waste OF power in the manner of
carrying the mGiojd, or green fodder for cattle,
which Is huekstered through the narrow streets
10 great bundles on the backs of mules, after q
picturesque but most antiquated fashion. But
short experience OF the country roads con-
vinces him that the enterprising man, who
should load his re- with maioja, five or six
miles from the ciN, would not reach town I'M
til his good green fodder had been converted
by the sun into very poor hay. So much for
the roads. OF the beauty Of this northern side
hardly dare to speak, lest | run into rhapso-
dies quite meaningless for you, under so differ
ent heaven, and amid scenes of 80 different a
loneliness. The scenery of the southern side
Of the island interested me much its wild half
sterile character as now deem it, had q vague
charm for the Imagination. But the scenery
Of the north is the scenery of the tropics, such
as We picture it to ourselves Here is the do
main of that gorgeous and rich vegetation
which wages such formidable war with the
power of living man, and 20 soon obliterates
the traces of his handiwork when dead-the
vegetation which has hidden the cities of Cen
trail America in green night, and bids de-
nance along the OrnOcO and the Amazon to
the Investigations of the scientific adventurer
The wastes of the north are jungles of closely
twnng plants, gay with the myriad hues OF
strange magnificent flowers, and Overtopped
by gigantic trees, whose trunks are not less
gay with embroideries of lichen and of moss, and
from whose Brarean arms hang countless
wells and tasseis of creeping plants, whose
names cause upon the ear of the nearer the
same indefinite impression Of savage magnii-
ccence, which Is caused by their incomprehensi-
Die ana blended forms upon the eye of the be-
hoider' All things, which to us of the north
are creatures of boxes and bales-creations, we
might perhaps as truly say Of the merchant
and the grOcer-meet you at every turn, grow
ng wild and bold in the woods-the fan-like
cocoa tree, the spreading vanilla, the parasite
Hmarlnd the desolate guava. The cactus no
longer struggles for existence in the feeble sun
SHINE OF a three pair back window, with a
southern exposure; but swollen to the dimen-
SONS OF scrub oak impedes your way with its
dall tedious, prickly leaves, and haunts its great
flowers in your face Behind yonder barracon
Is grove of mingled cocoanuts, bananas, and
oread-irult trees and this little naked Afri-
can will bring you in moment the greenish
9town cup OF tropical sweet waters, or the In
uleesable disagreeable product of natures
uopesl bake-hOuse or q branch, heavy as
himself, OF golden delicious bananas, all eman-
Jia'e1 from the huge purple glare which
oniOuuea their infancy, and ripe to refresh
youf Paiate, now all enorusted with the red ad-
nesi'o aust of the road. Strange and beautiful
- al tins country by day, how far beyond
"ords are its charms by night! The all adorn-
."S moon, which gives expression to the most
Sou'ous landscape, and the most unmeaning
ace, aud converts the delight of gazing upon
oeslty INTO kind of ecstacy-the moon, dur
ug this month, has been in the best humour
VITA mankind-and not the moon only, but
al The stars of heaven.
| think told you how disappointed had
been in my efforts to discover the Southern
Gross The people here all told me it would
DOT be seen till August just as people every
Where tell you that the thing you particularly
wish to enjoy in their country is out of season
When you are there But this did not produce
much effect on my somewhat experienced
mind and continued to haunt the a=oteas of
al the houses where ] happened to be, until q
lew nights ago, when on the asotea Of IS
country house, my patient perseverance was
rewarded The sky was almost cloudless. AL
~ao must IN the md-arch of heaven, Orion appeared
sb;n;u glorious than ever, the stars in his belt
Tho s iafge as planets in our northern sky.
ems t treat Bear, astray in these tropical heav-
No. Aeeps up his spirits wonderfully well, and
the taoI aiOlg majestic and calm, as did Thiodof