New-York daily tribune., 1857-04-15

| .-ohss of Havana, are impressive TO the
.,r,noer. entering a. We did the plain portal in the
| heavy blank wall and standing at once in the halt
aeon interior where hong aisle beneath tall rounded
arches, bordered by shrines, paintings and hgureS
patry on approach, but effective at trst glance
conducts the eye to the choir, where the Host sah
surrounded by bright array Of silver and gut orna
ments emblems and stauettes, glltterng the rays OF
hundred wax lights
Since the authoritative recognition OF the dogna o'
the Immaculate Conception, the Virgin occupies po-
sition Of even greater dignity than boiore IN the-e
churches Her image, standing on the crescent moon'
the serpents head beneath her feet, IL brightly lu
minated on shrines in every church. and recalls 10
mind the lines of Milton, IN his hymn on the NatiVy
Peor and Baalin
Forsske their temples dio
With that thrice battered god q PsIestine,
And mooned Ashtaroth,
Heavens q leen and Mother both,
Now .it. no, sirt with tspers' molly shine
The coincidence is stnking-perhaps accidental; but
perhaps also this representation Of the Virgin may
have been derived at first or second hand like some
other Christian embems and usages, from Pagan On
tiquiy
The streets Of Havana are noisy One would think
that in so hot climate people would be quiet but,
the contrary voices loud and harsh. The street.
cries are wonderfully inhanonous and lamentably
howl of the watchman, making night hideous
under the starry sky of the tropics. This parsonage
e0nipped as q London wachman Of the sixteenth CEN
tnry may have been, with pike and lantern, at the
clock stroke takes up his stand at the corner of the
street collects his breath, and ems first long whistle
and then dismal draw, quite uninelligble, but re-
puted TO refer to the state Of the weather, which being
usually fair or sereno has given to this brood of
nightingales the popular of "serenos' One of
our young Americans so captiyated by this MD
night melody as to attempt and achieve a very sue
cessful imitation of it, for which he appropriately
rewarded with nights lodging in the watchmens
own staon-house.
was tempted to believe that the Cubans had no
music in their souls from another circumstance. |
heard some few attempts at whisting and singing but
all out Of tune and the only correct save heard sung
in the island was at the Hotel Comerco, at Matan
zas where ssme opera artists" were staying
The Fish Market is a standing sight at Havana and
il an interesting and curious one, both to the student
in natural history and the ordinary spectator. Some
of the fish apparently of families related to our perch
or sea bass of colors literally brilliant az those
of tropical birds. Brilliant blue, crimson, green and
gold cover their scaly sides, while some are banded
with two or three nts, others spotted with boodhke
drops Curious ees and cuttlefsh lie on the marble
counter young sharks for sale, and pronounced
every good" pke-like fish, as long and almost a.
small as broomstick, shows most formidable array
of teeth rays and skates lie about in all their fiat de-
formity, and there s one very curious fish known
occasionally believe in our northern waers), shaped
almost like becchnut, with high shoulders, fiat
belly and fiat sides tapering suddenly to tiny tall
which alone is movable, all his body being covered
with polygonn plates Of bone, not unlike the armOr of
the "old fashioned fishes of Miller and Agassiz. No
Holsters are seen here, but large crusacean, much
resembling them except in its having long antenne or
feelers instead of claws.
The Fruit Market is another place to be visited Ii
includes also fowl and fish, Among the former are
plenty of pigeons Of several varieties, woodpeckers
large crow-backbrd-like our large grakle but with
n powerful hooked beak-and herons. Evidently
some of our prcjudces to the varieties OF birds nj
for the table are not entertained here. Among the
fruit saw really good, except the abundant or
angc and the pineapple, not yet fully rlpe Inc mani
NEE apple the custard apple the star apple ana the
saxote seemed pupy, squaShy fruits, and were not
reshed by our northern taste habtuated To the de-
cided favor Of cherries and pums, apples and pears
The banana however though nVt much liked by those
who taste il for the first time soon becomes favorte
with all.
Inc Spanish lloOIS dlt III SI'dl h"ih"ei0' Inv"
usual uniform is suit of blue and white striped linen,
the coat made like sack, and Panama hat with .
little red cockade on it. The planness of this dress
gives them the appearance Of cOnvicts to our eyes, an
impression aided by the closeness with which their
hair cropped. They generally rather smal-sized
men, not of prepossessing features though this is no
more than what should be expected of the scapegraces
and rogue who form the rank and file of every regu-
lar army.
We have not admired the ply siognomy of the Cuban
population. The reader Of Gil Bias who remembers
the French Illustrations, will recall them often to mind
as he meets the low round foreheads sly mouths, and
leerne narrow eyes which meet ones observ alton in
many Younger faces The broad forehead, square
brow firm lips and open eye of the better type of the
AngloSaxon face are not common here, though among
the older men there are countenances of character and
dignity The women are often handsome, but II Is
generally merely plump and youthful beauty, olive
tinted and too often unntelgent; and looks in
vain for that style of face, bright and full of character
sharply moulded yet beautiful i'll It's freshness and ami
nation, which may often be met with in every
Northern village. In spite of their living most indo
lent, indoor life, they generally fat Why seden-
tary habits, which supposed to make our Northern
women pale and thin, should produce contrary e
feet on the Cubans cannot imagine unless it is to be
explained by the open character and ample ventilation
| of their dwellings.
The Carnival was in progress while we were in
| Havana but carried on without spirit. We saw but
| few maskers, and their gayety of the most
forced and laborious description This celebration is
yearly on the decline and must become extinct.
| Every one in Havana must drive on the Paseo and
so did We. II is broad, long street without the
walls straight and smooth, ornamented with statusry
a, hnrdered hv shade-