Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-05-07
LETTER FROM CUBA.
The churches and Fortress of Havana

HOTEL SANTA YsABEL,
La HABANA, March, 1866.


with pink silk and fastened with a bow Of
fashionable dimensions.
Connected with the Jesuit church of
Belen, n of the finest in the city, is a
school for boys, numbering several hun
dred pupils. The chapel and recitation
rooms are large and well furnished, every
style of drawing is taught, and the room
for this class of pupils is the best 1 ever
saw. The key to the museum could not
be found, so we were obliged to content
ourselves with a peep through the glass
doors at the large collection of birds of
gorgeous plumage which filed the cases.
Education has been sadly neglected, but
there are efforts making now in all the
cities to furnish suitable instruction to the
youth of the island.
Furnished with a special permit from
the Captain General for Mr.. - and six
other persons" we visited Cabanas. This
is Il real fortress, very large and very
strong. We ascended a long distance by a
covered way, presented our pass, and a
soldier wss detailed as guide. T%herearefre
walls one within another immensely thick,
with roads between. The fort is three quar-
tiers of a mile long,and communicates by a
subterranean passage with the More. 1t is
said that when told the cost of building it
the King of Spain asked if Cabanas were
made OF silver. From many points within
the fortress we had fine views of the sur
rounding regions. On oneofthe prominent
look-outs is an obelisk Gerected to the
emo of those who fell at Cardenss,
18th May, 1850" bravely fighting for
"Queen and country" The guns are
mostly Biakeleys some cast in liza. Saw
many hundred soldiers engaged in their
various ayocations.- Their life must be
lrightfully monotonous.
In company with a representative of
each of the three countries of 'the United
Kingdom and a Russian, we visited
Atares, a small fort, but the most pictur-
esque of all, built upon a conical hill near
the upper end of the Bahia An intelli-
gent Young officer adid the honors, point
ed out the places where the flibusters were
shot, and showed Us the solitary cannon
with which Lopez and his mad crew ex-
pected to take Cuba.
Not satisfied with what we had seen of
coffee growing, we went to the "red earth
region Of Guanajay about forty miles
south west of Havana. The greater part
of the eastern end of the Island is given
up to the culture of coffee, In the ives
tern part there is but a very limited re-
gion. Our road lay through a pretty
country, with hills here and there, and
magnificent groves Of Mango. This tree
resembles in general appearance the finest
of our hickories. The fruit was still green,
it is considered by many the most delicious
product of the Island. 1t will not bear
transportation.
Reached Gusnajay at nine o'clock,
walked half a mile to the dirtiest inn l
have seen and breakfasted upon eggs,
bread, hard as the Pan of Matanzas, and
claret. Learned toour dismay that every
vehicles Of which the place could
boast was gone to the Baths at San Diego,
so we were compelled to walk to the
nearest %cafetal, a distance of two miles.
1t wss not a prudent thing to do in the
middle ofthe day but, though our clothes
were covered with red dust, and our faces
plentifully rouged with the same, we ex-
perieneed no ill-effects, and consider our
selves proof against cholera and yellow
fever.
We were very cordially welcomed at
"Santa Aua,n the cafetal Of Senior Jose
E. His large housewife wide
piazza-stands at the end of a long av-
enue of palms, and is well filed with
people-white and black. We were Gre
freshed" with beer, naraujada and
o delicious fruit, eaten with a
spoon, and tasting like lemon ice cream.
One member of the family after another
brought me flowers, aud all seemed to
wish 70 make us feel at home. Upon be-
ing told there was Yankee in our party,
Senior E crossed the room ito shake
hands again with him." The token of
sympathy with the extreme North was
gratifying. He, doubtless, reads Gel
Siglo instead Of Ell Diario "of Havana.
We went through the garden, filed with
flowers to the 'driers large pans of
stone, covered with cement, with a space
in th~ecentrs in which the coffee is placed
at night, or in threatening weather, and
covered with a thatch of palm. The har-
vest season of the coffee lasts four months.
In favorable weather the berries dry,
ready for the mill, in twenty days.
II is difficult to conceive anything more
beautiful than a well-kept cafetal. The
shades that the cane cannot bear each
coffee plant needs, and the estates are fill
ed with avenues of the royal and cocoa
nut palm, orange trees, Palma Christi and
towering shrubs.
Through the kindness of the widow of
a former Governor of the jurisdiction q
permit was procured for US to visit the
Template which is opened to the public
memorate the celebration of the first mass
on the island. 1t is very small, fioored
with marble and has no furniture. One
side of the building is filed with a paint
ing representative of the Sacrament of the
Mass. The most prominent figure is that
of Columbus kneeling, one hand resting
the naked shoulder Of a savage besioe
whom is an Indian girl both gazing
ouriously at the spectacle. The back
ground of the pict filed by the
Ceiba tree, still standin, underneath
which is a priest in 'full pontl ~'cals." The
fellow to the Ceiba was cut dow n TO make
room fof this t~asteless structure, a sacri-
fee indeed. The picture at the back ofthe
temple represents the conservation of the
present edifce and is filed with portraits
of the persons who assisted upon that &C.
casion. The left hand wall gives US Co
lumbus resigni9g the insignia of author
ity preparatory to being sent home in
On a pedestal in front Of the
building is a bust of the great Admiral,
and near a monument covered with in
scriptions.
After finishing our survey of the Tenn
plete we took our last drive on the Cerre
and far out into the country, for after
Wednesday evening of Holy Week no
or vehicle can appear within the
walls of Havana till the Host IS raised on
the high altar of the Cathedral at ten
Saturday morning, Hthe Saturday
Of Glory" when the mourning Of Lent is
over without waiting, as with US, for the
of Easter Sunday. h. n. D.
TheACIeveland Leader.
This e~nterprising sheet seems to take
the lead in the advertising line in that city.