New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-05-12
A JOURNEY IN CUBA.
TpryrDIn AND HAVANA AGAIN.

little river at point two or three miles east nom the
pert Of Cssilds.
,hsy. beach Of sand hes near the estuary, and the
nur waters suggest to every one the idea OF oashing
Ths Is cafe, however, only in the shadows and WITHIN
the nalueaf sheds erected for the purpose, % sharks
are abundant and he who should essay s"ih NJ
deeper water would be m danger >,
The bench ia strewn with small shells in considerable
abundance. bu, larger forms are rare. w those
which are found, the perfect specimens nave III
most always been appropriated a. residences by the
little hermit crab, and the collector will often De
startled to find his treasures crawling out OF the
pocket in which he has placed them.
Going eastward from the nver, We at once come
upon that most interesting object TO the observer oil
nature coral reef. A broad belt Of yellow rock,
worn by the surf into hollows and little ehasms, its
upper surface dissolved away until it stands up IN
thousands of sharp rugged pnnacles, rough as lava,
and sharp enough TO cut any shoe rapidly to pieces
extends for miles along the shore. In it can be seen
in abundance included coras, chiefly Of the henri
,pherica or more solid FORMS often of large size and
as far az could tell identical with the recent species
existing in the sea close by and yet thrown up by
storms II includes also some fossilized shells such
as those of the large conch, remains of crabs and
echini.
On it, side. and in its hollows washed by the slight
vet unceasng swell we found muttudes Of small shells
ike nevi,a, lmpets and chitons adherng tenacously
to the rock seaeggs or echin snugy ensconced in its
cavities actinis or animal flowers" and aplysis.
The shells cast up from the during storms are soon
worn out by the surf ON this ironbound shore, but
few days spent in dredging in few feet or fathoms
water would no doubt be richly rewarded
l.1SA nf1 a1n hta
reef are piled shpoads Of recent cors collected there
by the action of the waves and fifty yards within and
twenty feet above the present sea line, among the
manove bushes which fringe the inner margin of the
bare shore, they lie in great quantities. Field walls
are built of them and in the little port town of Casds
we saw fences made Of coras anyof which would have
been priced as specimens at the North. Nearly all
are ike those in the old reef of the solid and hemis-
phercal FORMS such as the common brainstone coral;
the largest are the size of ones head, and among
basketball picked up on the morning of our visit,
distinguished readily dozen species.
l had often, in geological rambles in the State OF
NewYork found fossil corals in great abundance, and
in the lmestones of the Heidelberg of Lockpot and
Wiliamsville near Buffalo, they preserved almost
in the perfection and abundance of modern coral
reef This visit to tropical shore. where forms are
now living so similar to those which existed In our
part of the world in the old Devonan or Surian ages
seemed like going back to the early periods of our
planet for one could here trace the same processes
which formed many of our rocky strata long before
the territory now known New-Yerk rose above the
waters, and while its hills and valleys were unfo'med
from its one level eIpanse OF sea deposits
On revisiting Havana we went to the shore east OF
the Moro and found there reef almost equally CHAR
acterstic though it's included cOras were less distinct
The recent ones thrown up by the waves, however,
are there very perfect and beautiful, and to con-
siderable extent appeared different from those on the
southern coast. These sea-beaches are lonely spots,
Of III repute as being favorable to the plans of rogues
ard robbers and those who wish to examine them VIII
do well not TO 20 alone, or if so, not defenseless
The cemetery of Trinidad is probably fair speci-
men of those of the island. An area of nearly two
acres in the outskirts of the town, is inclosed by
high wall, through which large iron gate gives ac-
cess TO the buyiDg ground In the center circular
domed, summerhouse like building, we presumed was
used as u chapel though it had resemblance to the
usual form of such edihces.
On one portion Of the ground lay many heavy
marble slabs, covering vaults, and not unrequently
sculptured with the armorial bearings of the families
TO whom they belonged, the inscriptions mostly IN
Spanish but in Latin, the terse vgor of which
contrasted strongly with the polysyabic redundancy
of its modern Offspring. Old Trinidad Is, we saw
no inscriptions of longer standing than about thirty
years. They generally give little information Of the
deceased the usual form simply sgnifyng that this
"s the tomb of A. b. and his family" The only
vault Of which we saw the construction was simple
obong box of brick or stone its lost its interior
half full of weeds and sticks, among which lay bones
belonging to several individuals.
The commoner graves were marked by no head
stones and the sins attempt at decoration visible IN
the inclosure little green shrub planted at the
foot of one of the vaults. The occupied by or
binary graves ia dug over and over constantly
new and unoccuped grave which was open was only
couple of feet deep the cOralrook and in its earsy
wall the whole length of skeleton was visible Dis
jonted bones were lying here and there 10 oil direc
lions, and negro sexton carried on his head box
full Of them and threw them over wall into corner
of the incosure, where accumulated pile OF prob
ably three or four cords Of such sad relics OF mortality
believe no collins are used except to carythe corpse
to the ground In corner Of the cemetery the gar
rents of the deceased persons thrown and CON-
sumed by fire, with the idea Of avoiding contsgion.
The whole place was the most wretched and neg
lected OF its class saw, and certainly disgrace
to any people pretending to civilization. There are
elsewhere in English parishes, occasional In
stances equally dscredable; but no other land does
the condition of the cemeteries generally and
uniformly bad as it is said TO be in Cuba.
The Island is said to be free from venomOus reptes
We snake six feet in length and they are said
to be found twice as long but are harmless. Among
Insects however, there sufficiently forrnids-
be. ] caught wasp not less than two inches in
lsrgth, with bulk of body like large humblebee
and the scorpion is very Ladies al our hotel