Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-03-20
FROM CUBA.
Havana at LRst-The SanfO YsabeI-
Life I'm the Tr0Pies-Seenes on IA
PaseO de TacOn-CUban L~uxurfes-
on a Ladr Corresnonde

HAVANA, CUBA, February 18th, 1866
After a sleepless night rose at four, to
find ourselves upon the point of anchor
ing, for we land in small boats. The sun
was not fairly risen, but we had passed
the MORO and were in the beautiful Bahia
of Havana, with the strange town spread
out before US. There is a line of low hills
a short distance from the shore, the roofs
are covered with thick, semicircular tiles
and the walls are of every conceivable
hue. The harbor is filed with vessels of
all nations, and with innumerable row
boats, half covered with awnings and sport
ing the gayest flags. The health officer
comes on board, makes a brief stay, our
quarantine is over, and inner swarm the
deck, presenting their cards and imploring
US by voice and gesture to descend with
them sat the best hotel in Havana"
Manuel, who took charge of US, speaks
all the modern languages" and under his
plotting, after delays that would be intol-
cradle atthe North, and an amount Of noise
and confusion enough to brighten one, u
trunks were lowered to the boat, and after
a hearty hand-shake with the captain, we
were helped down the shaky ladder and
seated under the awning.
Saw in an Enclosure half a dozen palms,
the first glimpse of tropical vegetation.
Their straight, smooth boles and the UNI
brella-like arms of foliage, brought back
the picture books of childhood. The
creuching camel and the swarthy driver
were lacking, but the trees were true to
-preconceived idea, and with a sigh of sat
isfaction 1 said to myself, Il have seen
them"
Two stout oarsmen pulled US across the
Bahia to the Custom House, where, after
another tiresome delay, an official made
the slightest possible examination of our
opened trunks, marked each with a white
cross, and we were allowed to pass.
In a few minutes we were set dswn at
the broad door of the Santa Ysabel, and
conducted throughthe paved court, up the
broad stone steps, to the marble-fOored
salon. This room opened upon a corridor
that IN around the court at each story
and upon the narrow alley called Habana
street. The furniture is of the simplest
description, all suggestive of GOODNESS, the
one thing needful in this climate. Our
chambers are opposite the salon, open
ing upon the same corridor, paved with
stone, n rug spread before the beds, iron
bedsteads, cane chairs and primitive ar
engagements for the toilette. The outer
wall is frescoed in a rough way, has a
barred window, unglazed. with thick
board shutters and heavy bolts. The side
looking upon the court has Persieanes
the semieircle at the top glazed with all
the colors of the rainbow.
Our dining room is the paved court open
to the sky, but provided with glazed
frames that can be closed at will. In the
centre is a fountain of rock-work with
plants growing here and there upon it
and surmounted by a Mercury, patron of
travellers as well as thieves, VINO holds a
cup from which fall tiny threads of water
into the basin below filled with gold
fish.
Close beside this fountain our little table
was placed. In the middle of it was a
e0n,potiere filed with oranges and ban
anas. With such fruit, good coffee, per-
feet rolls, the lightest of omelettes, excel
lent fish and ripe tomatoes, one would
need be in a very fault-fnding mood to
complain.
at half past five we drove to the Paseo
de Tacon, the Fifth Avenue of Havana.
This street IS very broad, is lined with
trees, the feus reiigiosus which resemble
our cottonwood, and is adorned with foun-
tains and starnary.
The vehicles were in three lines, and so
closely packed we were often obliged to
StoP' F%olantes, with their huge wheels,
long, bent thills. and horse with nAstiuian
at immense distance from the body of the
low-hung vehicle, were in greatest num-
bers. There were also victorias, barouches. |
and a few coupes.
The tops of the vehicles were thrown
back, and within were men, ugly, alas
as they usually are, in black coats and silk
hats, and women so lovely as TO make one
forget the needlessly unpicturesque cos
tunes of the lords of creation. As Hooked
at the magnificent heads of the ladies
flashing past me, l thought of the knob of
velvet, feathers and flowers that had dis
figured US for months, and thanked heaven
that with their sunny skies Cuban women
had been endowed with a perception of
the beautiful and were content to leave
their loveliness "unadornedp with what
call a dress hat. The dresses of the
ladies were of the lightest material. of
%colors, and the great number of
these elegant women with elaborate Golf
fures, powdered hair, bare arms and neeks.
IapVplG lqnna tho ap1an1SI 1-,s.--
liveried servants, maskers of i~neOnceivGble
g~rotesqueness and varietY-for it was the
of the carnival-all under this cloud
sky, with this balmy air, makes a pic
,ure never, never to be forgotten. 1
looked till the eyes ached, then turned
hem to the palms standing in groups or
alone, their beautiful crowns sharply de-
ined against the blue sky, and it seemed
10 me ~enchantment could no more.
The day begins early with US here. At
TX clio a cup of coffee, a slice of bread
md an orange are brought to the bedside.
At 9 breakfast, at I lunch, at 4 dinner. We
have fruit at every meal, and at dinner sll
he vegetables zoe get at midsummer. The
ish is delicious, and even after cooking
las beautiful colOrs. One variety. called !
on the bills, has a white skin piaided I
With bright red.
The day after our arrival visited the :
ruit market. Tasted various kinds. (
earned the names of new ones, selected a /
'asket Of different species, drank ~cocoa-nut .
mix AID entered our ~volantes sucking u
be juice of the sugar-cane green" The .
ine-apples are nicer than we get at home, il
hough still green, the season not begin n
ing till May. They are sweet and juicy n
do not excoriate the lips and tongue I,
t all. Most of the bananas we get are i
nall, have a bright yellow skin and are II
cry nice. The zspote is about the size of Q,
medlar, looks like a frozen-and-thawed :,
pple, is very sweet and to me insipid. n
he Nancy has a thick brown skin, n
is six or eight inches long, four or P
in circumference, has two kernels, n
cry large and resembling in shape and q,
,lor one of our common cowries. The RI
ible part of the fruit is of the color of q IN
lmpkin and as tasteless. The guayaba N
green, pear-shaped, not eaten till con- at
,rted into Jelly or marmalade. The m
are delicious, as unlike the same M
lit at the North as possible. We eat he
EN- three or four times a day and, I fr,
shall never tire OF them.
The milk of the cocoa is drank while
e fruit is green, is limpid, sweet and "
sipid.
l had a little adventure upon starting
. Ny horse had not gone thrice his