New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1854-08-17
ExAGaERATIoN or SPANISH MANNERs.


our own. Goats are driven about and MIXED in
the same manner.
EXAGGERATION OF SPANISH MANNERS.
The Spaniards receive credit for being a very
hospitable people, and to a certain extent this
is due to them; but the stranger soon learns to
regard the extrayagant manifestations, which
too often characterize their etiquette, as quite
empty and heartless Let q stranger enter the
house Of Cuban for the first time, and the host
or hostess of the mansion says at once, either in
such words or their equivalent, 'sAll that we
have is at your service; take whatyou will and
our right hand with it, Yet no one thinks of
understanding this literally. The family vo-
lante is at your order. or a saddle horse, and in
such small kindnesses they are indeed polite;
but when they beg of you to accept ring, q
book, valuable toy, because you have hap
pened to praise it, you are by no means to do so.
Another trait of character which suggests itself
in this connection, is their universal habit of
profuse compliment. The ladies listen to them,
as matter Of course, from their countrymen,
or from such Frenchmen as have become domes-
ticated in the island; but if an American takes
occasion to compliment them they are at once
delighted, for they believe them to be sincere,
and the matter is secretly treasured to be re-
peated
The Cuban ladies, with true feminine acute
| ness, estimate correctly the high flown compli-
| ments of their countrymen; and the kindred
French, Castilian and Partisan politeness is of
| about equal value, and means the same thing
that is, nothing To strangers it is very
pleasant at first, but the moment it is apparent
| that these profuse protestations of friendship
and offers of services are transparent devices,
| and that if you take them at their word they
are embarrassed, perhaps offended, that you
must be constantly on your guard and be very
careful to consider every fine phrase as q flower
of rhetoric, it becomes positively disagreeable
| Good manners go great way and if a person
does you favor, the pleasure you experience
| is much enhanced by the grace with which tn,
| obligation is conferred but there is vast diff
| ference between true and false politeness. TIL,
former springs only from good and true heart
the latter is especially egotistical. Both th
French and Spanish are extremely gallant Il
women and yet the condition of women in bod
France and Spain is vastly inferior to that o
our fair countrywomen, Notwithstanding tn,
Spanish caballero and the Partisan elegant cal
couch their heartless compliments in terms ou
plain people would vainly attempt to initiate
But what cares woman for fine phrases, if sh
| knows that the respect due to her sex is want
ings The condition of the women of Cuba i
eminently Spanish. and she is here too often til
| slave of passion and the victim of jealousy.
4 NATURAL PRODUCTIONS.
Cuba has been justly styled the garden of th
world, perpetual summer smiling upon it
favored shores, and its natural wealth almos
battling the capacity of estimation. The water
which surround it, as We have already intimated
abound with variety of fishes, whose brigh
colors, erlulating the tints of precious stone
and the prismatic hues of the rainbow, astonisl
the eye of thestranger. Stately trees of variou
species, the most conspicuous being the roya
palm, rear their luxuriant foliage against tn
azure heavens, along the sheltered bays, by tn
way-side, on the swells of the haeiendas, de
lighting the eye Of the traveller, and diversity
ing the ever charming face of the tropical land
scape Through the woods and groves fit
variety Of birds, whose dazzling colors defy til
palette of the artist. Here the loquacious pal
! rot utters his harsh natural note there the re
famingo stands patiently by the shore of th
lagoon, watching in the waters, dyed by th
reflection of his plumage, for his unconsciou
: prey. 1t would require volume to describ
the vegetable, animal and mineral kingdom
: Cuba Among the most familiar birds, an
those the names of which even the casual OF
server is apt to learn, are the Cuba robin, tn
blue bird, the cat bird, the Spanish woodpeckel
the gaudy- plumed parrot, the pedoreva. wit
its red throat and breast and its pea green hea
and body. There is also great variety of vii
pigeons, blue, gray and white; the English lad,
: bird, as it is called, with q blue head an
scarlet breast, and green and white back; IL
: indigo bird, the golden winged woodpecker, IL
$ ibis, the fiamingo, and many smaller specie
like the humming bird. Parrots settle on tt
sour orange trees when the fruit is ripe, an
: fifty may be secured by net at time. TT
Creoles stew and cat them as we do the pigeon