New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1860-02-29
HAVANA CORRESPONDENCE.
Special to the New Orleans Crescent

tne afternoons anu nights OF the 18TH ZJth ana 2lst
inst. They called it " The Carnival Y and the en-
tire inhabitants, of almost all classes went in for
fun with rush Masks in the houses, masks in the
streets, and masks everywhere. In the populous
streets, towards evenings and through the nights,
gangs Of masks, accompanied by drums and other
noisy instruments, paraded the streets, dancing
and chaunting rude rhymes.
l vow / could not sleep an hour either of the
nights for the noise that was continually kept up
There were masked balls, too, everywhere; even
the italian Opera Company was driven, on the
nights Of the 18th and Goth, from 1edtro Tacon,
which was occupied by masked ball, and forced
to take refuge at the Villa Nueva Theater
was Ounce enough to permit myself to be per
suaded to go to the Ieatro Idcon on one Of the
nights when there was masked ball at that beau
tiful house, and never did pass more uncomforta-
Bile evening. There were no well-dressed chafac-
ters perfectly sustained, and but that had accom-
panied party, some of whom were under my pro-
lection, would have retired within quarter of
an hour. There was nothing but stupid dominos,
and am sorry to add, many Of them. Ladies', too,
/ know, seemed to consider the utterance of rude
sayings as witty. ! know heard words fall from
lips that believe to be those of virtuous ladies
that made my ears tingle and the blood to mount
to my forehead. True, the upper portions of the
faces of these ladies were concealed by slken
mask, and feel confident had they reflected sin.
gle moment they would never have uttered the
words they did.
The party whom ! accompanied, when / spoke
afterwards of the rude sayings had heard, replied,
Z" Oh, it is the Carnival" and no one pauses to
think what they are about to say. The thought
males be strictly virtuous? answer, emphaticay;
yes. as virtuous as any other women on earth
All this is the effect Of ali indulgence in licen
tousness of their language, which, as far as know
is peculiar to it. There are many words in the
Spanish tongue, spelled precisely the same, which
possess two different and widely distinct meanings,
the one chaste and modest, the other impure and
improper ! will not suily your columns, nor offend
ears or eyes polite, by writing any Of the broad
double entendres heard that night; should blush
to do 50. There were hear, for ] did not chance
to them, some parties of masks in the streets,
who were accompanied BY good bands Of music,
some of whom serenaded His Exeellency the Cap
tain General until quite a late hour at night.
AS you will readily imagine, such proceedings
caused many rows and uproars, in which knives
were freely used and several lives thereby sacri-
feed. The :" free niggers,' too, ayaed themselves
Of the occasion to display their brutal natures by
attacking and woundng quiet, harmless citizens, as
they passed along. Spanish acquaintance OF
mine, one Of most peaceable character, passing
Chiarini's Circus on one of the evenings of the
" Carnival was attacked by niger and received
q severe wound in the shoulder. The intention
was, suppose, to assassinate the Spariard with
the object Of robbing him of valuable gold chain
which he unwisely and with some ostentatiori wore
and displayed. However, he escaped with wound
as above stated. hear, too, the roads in the ceun
try are as much infested with highwaymen and
nlurderers as they have been at any time within
the last ten or twelve years. However, we have
hopes that all these evils will very soon be stopped
it being understood new and severe police regula
tions will be issued early next month. The presen
ones, requiring travellers to possess travelling
license, have notrecently been enforced with any
thing like the former strctness hence these evil:
have arisen. 1t may appear singular that a mar
like myself-a republican, though not "Blacl
Republican should advocate the necessity of re
quiring traveller to possess a license to travel
yet, in a country such as Cuba, where there are SC
many professed robbers and assassins hesitate
not to say such course is positively requisite fol
the safety Of the lives of the honest quiet citizens
Captain Absalom, of the Scotch brig Eglantine
in the early part of the present week, having in
dulged rather freely one evening with some friends
was taken on board the vessel commanded by one
Of them and put to bed. This vessel was a much
smaller one than his own, and has flash deck
Capt A. arose in the night, and either walked OF
fell overheard and was drowned His body was
found next day
His Excellency the Captain-General, accompa
MED by the Seguado Cuba, Second in command,
Political Governor of this city, Col. Muaez, Chic
of Police, and a large number of other military
men of rank and several naval officers of distinc
ton, visited the Catrehas fortress recently, to in
spect and test certain bronze riled cannon which
understand were made in Spain under the imme
diate superintendent of His Excellency an6
which were brought to this Island in the same
| Spanish war steamship which conveyed His Excel
| lency to our shores. The cannon, hear, proved
| the advantage of their being ri1ed by CARRYING
shot long distance and hitting target placed ii
| the water for the purpose.
| Certain vacant lands in the Barrio (distric
or ward) of Jesus del Monte, "a suburb of this
| city, and at the Calzada (highway) of Buenos
| Ayres, (another suburb) the property of Sefiore
| Conea, Durege and Suarez of this city, are to b,
surveyed for streets and building lots. Wer,
| moderate sized houses also erected on them, the,
would let readily to good tenants-houses in ant
near this city being exceedingly scarce, and rent
enormously high.
am sorry to report to you that Adelaide Phil
| lips and Gottschak have both been seriously ill
l know not what was their complaint, but trust tt
be able in my Iext letter to report their entire re
coyery. They are two d,iistes of which, as Ameri
can citizens, we have just right to feel proud.
| The I'D inst, the anniversary of the birth of th
Father of our Country, was duly honored in thi
city. The silk flag was displayed from the flag
staff at the United States Consulate, and all til.
American vessels in the harbor were decorated
with their liyeIest colors The bark Lynn attraete
particular attention; she had long pennant fyn,
and an entire suit of signal colors displayed from
her rigging
The United States steamer Mohawk, Capt. Ora
win, arrived in this harbor on the 21st inst, AM
sailed again the following day on cruise-al
4 we'll
I am sorry 10 report thus early cases of yellow
fever in this CITY, but there have been three case
in one house--that of DR.. Tinker, on Havan;
street. The first, Miss Blodgett, of New York
died. the other two, Miss Tinker and seryan
girl from New York, recovered.
In reply to my inquiries this morning, had tn
satisfaction of learning that Adelaide Phillips wa
rattinu bettpr. Goftschakis health fno ar