New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1854-08-08
sonAL coNnlr.nN II crnA.

Pl4iTs ssurson 4 60. New 4c-l. !. c. De.ay
Each OF these volumes presents a series of graphic
and attractive sketches OF the social features of Cuba
reg rdug the subj ct from point Of view which for
the majority of readers, will possess a mare exciting
interest than any statistical political details The
writers are evidently men OF sterling Intelligence
have derived the materials Of their WORK from per
sOnsl obee rvaton-ther recOllectous tnsed with
the entertainments of 4 tropical climeand their de-
scriptions betray something Of the brightness and
luxuriapcc Of the gay scenes which have left their
rich coloring the fancy.
"Gsn. Eden" or the Garden Of Delight indeed is
written in a tone of deep and grateful enthusiasm,
which can scarcely challenge general sympathy. No
4 other title can express the sum OF delicious memo
res. which the author brought away from his tropical
Paradise His pictures bear the impress Of his own
feelings. He has not attempted TO write history, or
gazetteer Of Cuba, but TO give a faithful record
Of unique experiences in oh erming country. Hence
his book has an air of equal freshness and sincerity
1t is just sufficiently spiced with egOtsm, to give life
and personality to its sketches make us feel that
We are listening to the narrative of genuine lesh
and blood man. and not to the madeup compositions Of
professional traveller.
la the very opening Of the volume he eniists
good will by the natural eloquence with which he de-
scribes the first appearance of Cuba to unsoPhsti-
Gated Northern eyes, Everything is strange and un-
looked for. Nature wears an unaccustOmed aspect.
The many branching, small eaved forests Of the Con.
tinent are replaced by taller more eay, more grace
full tribes Of the vegetable kingdom. The grains and
grasses of our corr fields and ponds shoot up into
fmighty srborescent giants The rich and dainty
flowers " hch were first known the delicate ars-
tocratc bellies of New ngand hot house, here haunt
upon the spectator, ike rude and healthy hoydens
from every hedge and road side. New lights in
iihe armament. The heavens glow with the ma ynif-
-tnce Of strange constitutions The familiar bright
ness of Orion ard the Peiades shows strange By the
most beautiful of all the signs of the sky, the flaming
Southern cross. Even the has changed her bow
tor golden boat in which she floats, Ceopatra-lke,
Through the luxurious purple skies. Nor less peculiar
lin appearance are the waters which she sways. The
ocean rolls around the volcanic aud corane rocks in
u tide even blue than the beautiful waters OF the
blediterranean. The air is full of winged jewels;
tihe groves and cane-feds glance with the prsmatic
Icolors Of broadwinged butterflies by day while IN
6Dg emeralds, whose brllancy gem of the mineral
lword can rival make night glorious with the light of
ither electrical splendor.
| But the glowing charms of Southern nature do not
Idycrt the attention of the writer from the quaint
Icustoms presented by social life in Cuba. Looking
Unto the streets, from the windows of his hotel he
Boon llds food for his descriptive pen. We give one
Ief his miniature sketches:
I From the little shops over the way in whose terraced
boots recognize the Abode of Peace Bagdai, sally
Forth novel figures; sometimes ting little Spanlard IN
hhe jacket and aunty sOmbrCIo, sometimes aalwart
african in l Jacket and hat his rich brown black
swelling with the tension Of such muscular system
II would disorodt a lion. Ever and anon, punchy
Hack mule with stiff erect cosely.shaven mane, and
L. dff fail wit ri
brancine Us in the shafts of gorgeous volante gray
Il, sleulos alone md on his back a Creole boy
with smiling kindly face and great black eyes anu warm
bright CompeXOn half sitting, half lying between two
great panners full Of oranges or zaPotes or pine
apples pantans The whole spirit of the place Is that
o brewster Spanish Italy For the lazzaroni, we have
the negroes many Of them magnificent Africans the
finest specimens of the race over saw Their ways are
Infinitely quea For instance, they use Their ears ior
pockets. You huge tatOoed bronze Hercules take
out lucifer match from behind one ear and long cigar
Rom behind the other, while small silver chaige Sleas III
tfe orifces of both
On high festival day. he first drives out to the Pa
secs the Champs Eysees of Havana. These form the
most charming of prOmenades, stretching for several
niles beyond the walls, bordered with stately build
fgs near the city, and lined throuehou their whole
htent with fine rows of popars and of palms. Here
4 his picture of
THE PAsEos IN THE AFTERNOON.
There Just before SHUTDOWN the iootways are thronged
viii hundreds of young Creole exqusites IN their eternal
Inform of black and white, indicating the universal IN
lncruitjes of fashion by the substitution OF ugly
tsvy beaver hat for the easy and pretty sombcro OF the
toing The eyes OF all those youths are directed wih
apertinacity of mpernence which at lrs awaKens ung
thg sensations in the toe Of northern boot upon the
persons Of the hundreds o. young ladies'
Nho are trotted slowly up and down the carriage roads
81 The wide and open volantes Soon, however tue con-
vciou forces itself upon the stranger that the young
hdes doat upon this imperneuce, and gal be looked al
g. raiyy the exhibition is wonderfully brilliant one
Mr. Angus McKaskll, the Nova Scotia giant and gehu-
ue Polar Walrus, whose seducing hkenesses just now
Nom the useless city walls must surely solicit the PaoHc
rtenon in ain when such pageant as this Is hlghly
oen ia the world The rich sunlight falls upon huiueus
beautiful heads tastoiuly dressed as Tor le opela
a the ballroom and adorned generally with fine natural
awers The features of the Creole ladies' are geheray
sod and the compilations of the younger among then
&ugh perlectly pale, Of that reh paleness tnat sun
buc Of antique marble which distinguished the race Oh
Ispoleon in his youth The elderly ladies', generaly
~ soudwiched between two younger ones, are not
Eco more attractive than Napoleon m his fat ana HaoOy
f. Rarely among the Cuban ladies OF maturer years,
NJ one see those healthy sweet, and venerable races
Ecb 40 off EN- make old lovely in the North lhese
mes and dasels arrayed in the most intense cOio
~ red utramarne blue, gambcGe yellow, co!ors as
s0ower and the jaquey. But these glowing colors
llong naturally enough TO landscape where all Things
eov in the heavens and on the earth Inc line Oh No-
Int,s Is broken at intervals, by some amohonS Don
k,ng his helpless heavily bitted, ongtaed steed INTO
t,nsl csracole or by the close English carriage OF
EiaTcIusve noble or en;erprising hoelkeeper. Grad
uy the carriages roll of the ground Sallow name young
s 90 swinging their through the gates ihe los
&c Son OF the wachmen, walking TWO anu TWO wil
Elted lanterns appears and 10! It Is night Nighl "hc
kls not sweety and slowly down around me wear! "i
in The northern cline, but comes down suddenly anos
E;tb Jerk as if the string of a curtain had broken
The abrupt departure of daylight leads, by an easy