Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1856-07-10
nlisfellaup.
From the Rural Intelligencer.
A Voyage to Cuba.


ing we had an early bath, and took stroll on
foot'-for this is the only part of the day in
which you can walk with comfort, towards
the outskirts of the city, returning along the
harbor in view of shipping, &c.
In our walk we passed number of churches,
their exteriors mostly in very shabby, dillapl
dated condition, but having the venerabeness
of age in their favor their doors were open,
and from within came the solemn peal OF the
organ or the mellow voices Of the choir chant
ing their mathis. We peeped in at the cathe-
dral, and passed q short distance down the
stone paved aisle, amongst the kneeIing devo-
tees. who obstructed the passage way with
their piety, and listened awhile to the mass
which was being celebrated. The interior,
like the exterior. is gloomy, old and dirty, and
you feel glad to esclp, to the pure air and day
Gothic, aud has the appearance of being built
ut separate periods. Two bastions or towers,
of different styles, support on each side the
front wall of the church. which is broken by
semi octagonal projection, the angles of which
are set of by Moorish pilasters, and the sides
perforated by narrow windows. The main
doorway and rosettc window over it occupy the
front face of the projection; and two other
door-wAys with smaller rosette lights, occupy
the rec,ssos ut either side. The towers have
each two stories of bo!fries, in which through
the arched windows, yo., see the rusty old belle
that have swung for nearly three centuries to
call the deyout to theirs prayers, The front is
broken conglomeration of scrolls and cornices,
and is Of y4llowish brown stucco which is
peeled of and stained by tims so that the
whole presents thu uslll rusty and shabby ap-
pearanco which characteriz,s the buildings of
the city Tle stops are Worn by the constant
action of the feet of the Catholic devotees,
who are to be seen, at any hour of the day, 20
ing to and from mass or the confessional No
distinction of rank or caste exists here; and
you see fair signoras, gstening with diamonds
kneeling on the same stone floor with dirty ne
groes Or dirtier creoes, whose rags scarcely COW
er their nakedness. Curiou,ly clad priests, in
dngy gowns and enormous hats, are to b.,
seen in the streets, passing and repassing, and
you almost lmmagine half of the population to
be of the clerical and military professions
The fish market was the next object which
attracted our attention. A long, stone build
ing, on the same street, and near to the Cathc-
dral, occupying a whole block, with one side
open and supported by arches, is the Piscade
ria, or place where " the fnny people of the
deep, of all sizes, tribes and complexion, are
exposed for sale, dripping wet and tapping and
aoundering with life, upon splendid marble
stall, some six feet wide, which runs the whole
length of the building. What strikes you at
once is the beautiful and delicate coloring of
these children of the sea- There is one large
fish, very abundant, of rich pink or rose COL
or all over; another is bright yellow here is
one of pale green and there is q beautiful
blue. All colors and shades of colors are to be
found here in prismatc bliiancy and some
times every tint Of the spectum may be seen
upon single fish. Beautifully variegated,
spotted and stripped are many, while some are
cnriously pied like circus horses.
With what generous luxuriousness doe
the god of day, the bright sun, dispense thu
beauties of his magnifcence with what
princely liberality does he bestow his bountcou
wealth on every hand in this sunny cline! No
content with reproducing all the colors of hi
palate in rich and delicate corollas of the Ac
rof world NOT content with heralding th
dawn of each returning day, by bathing tn
fair face, of nature in flood of roseate hui
more rosy than the roses, carrying his kindle
head to his throne in the zenith, cncirced b
an untarnshed mantle of the intcnsest ce
ulean, and going to his rest each night in rob
of Tyrian dyes, which Tyre himself could ne
cf match in brilliancy NOT content wi
'orning the whole upper world with his 60
gsous livcry,-down, down he dived into tt
farthest depths of that sparkling transpare
water, so populous with multilorm life an
with no stinting hand he lavshcs the gifts
his pencil, till every fish and shcll-fsh, oyste
crab and lobster, and every weed and twig al
sprig of coral is arrayedin tints which RI
Or Titan would have given his right hand
ben's be able to produce. The tiny minnow ii
his silvery scales with scarlet and gold; ii
blue fish re-paints himself by the richest of C
bait; the tiger-fsh bedecks himself in bands
vermillon and orange and the king fish see
out his own royal purple, which only empero
might wear while the red fish, the delphi
the ycllow-man and the founder, are conte
with less royal but not less gaudy attire.
would be useless, however, to attempt to en-
merate or describe them, for their name it "
gion - and the shape are, many of them,
the oldest, while the monstrous sizes of SO,
strike you with astonishment. You are al
surprised, at first, at the amount of life v
witness every fish seems to be alive, and tn
switch and flap their great fins and tails spla.
ing the spray from their wet bodies in yo
face and even hop and dance pirouettes a
polkas on the marble, and keep their sell
busy picking them up and replacing them NJ
the stall. Huge baskets of them fresh Fl
the deep water, where, an hour before, Il
were sporting and feasting, all unconscious
their ignomnious late,-are constantly ar
ing. And the increase Of the accumula
heaps is as constantly carried off by the Gro
of buyers; some carrying only supply
their own tables, while larger purchaser
slowing away qaunties in panniers packed v
CO. for sale thro the city, or for use of
-.