The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1870-07-01

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and thence proceed, under his diTec
ton, to meet the bark, which might ar
rive there, or at MatanZas.
At noon was on board, well prOvi
ded with funds, and at o'clock W.
weighed anchor, and rounded Capt
Cod in good shape, just at evening.
We had a pleasant passage, and il
the afternoon of the eleventh day out
took our pilot just outside the harbo
Of Havana, and sailed gallantly pas
Moro Castle, reaching our anchorage
just as the evening gun shut the gate:
of the city upon the outer world.
Twas not permitted to land that eve
inng, but early the next morning went
ashore with the captain, and while he
visited the Custom House, I sought the
Office of Messrs. Hernandez, CarenO
Co., in the Gale del Sud, numero vein,
tecinco.
1 was, necessarily, as correspondent,
familiar with the Spanish language
and had no difficulty in inquiring my
way to the low, dingy offices of the
firm to which I was accredited
presented my credentials to SenoT
nandez, was pOlitel eco ged, af-
ter he had read Mr.. ByIes' letter, / was
informed that the bark AlbatrOss was
| expected to arrive every day, and
/
about eight miles to the eastward OF
Matanzas, for which town I was to
start the same afternoon, with a letter
| for his agent there. I could not help
thinking it rather odd that the bark
| should land her cargo at an Out-Of-the
way bay, instead of proceeding direct
to MatanZaS or Havana, and I was
Still more mystified by Senor Herman
| dez, who, wrinkling up his yellow skin,
and screWing his eye into the Spanish
conception of wink, remarked in an
undertOne, You know, Senior Can
field we have to be very careful in these
cases." I failed to appreciate the ne
cessity for care, but it was no business
of mine; so, dismissing the subject
from my mind, | accepted the SenOr'S
invitation to dine, and stTOlled off to
see something of Havana manners and
customs.
Ipassed the day pleasantly; anus
ing myself watching the negroes, the
vOlantes, trying to catch a glimpse of
the Creole beauties through the lat
ticed windows, and inspecting the mar
ket and quaint old looking Moorish
buildings, that made the city look so
different from anything L had ever
seen before.
At the appointed hour 1 dined with
SenOr Hernandez and his family in
grand style, for he was one of the rich
est merchants in Havana.-His son, a
fine looking young Cuban-the father
was from old Spain-WaS to accompany
me, and in the cool of the afternoon
we started on horseback for MatanZas,
intending to pass the night on a sugar
plantation, about ten miles from HGVa-
ma. Our ride was a most agreeable
one, the young Hernandez amusing
and in n Cr m with his 6naoPiTtinT
of Cuban life, and the time passed so
quickly that [ was not fatigued when
we arrived at our destination, just as
the sudden gloom of the tropical night
fell like a curtain before us, from be-
hind which the moving lights, activity,
and noise of large sugar plantation,
invited me to scene, as novel as it
was interesting. Our reception was
one of true Spanish hospitality, and
after our horses had been taken away
to be cared for, and we had eaten and
drank to the satisfaction of our host,
we were tSszen by him to inspect the
processes of sugar manufacture, to my
great delight and infinite wOnderment.
Finally, retired to my bedroom, with
my brain considerably e%hilerated with
the old rum had dram and the SUI
p cigars I had smoked, and wi
cOGlIsed glamour of brilliantly fias
lights, grim, dark, and naked fl
moving actively about, and ros
flames and streams of molten
knocking my last wakeful mOmeIFcs5
slept at length in peace.
was aroused at daybreak, and after
a hasty breakfast we contiIEed our
journey, arriving at MatanZasi before
the heat of the day had fairly set in.
Here I delivered my letter to the agent,
SenOr Vasquez, and found him making
preparations to go and meet the bark,
which had been signalled, and would
be up that evening.
Two hour served for the necessary
preparations, and we rode out of the
town just at dusk, following road that
led along by the seashore in an eaSterly
direction. Young Hernandez accom-
panied the agent and myself; and we
ambled leisurely along, chatting on va
rious topics, until by-and-by the stars
came out, and the whole beauty of the
Southern constellation lighted us on
our way. To the right of us thick
woods lined the road, while on our
left the sea rolled heavily upon the
beach, or occasionally dashed upon the
rocks that i'll some places walled it in,
with a dull, mOnOtOnOus roar, full of
unfathOmable music, but so mOurnful
Withal, that we soon ceased our cOnver~
sation, and rode on in silence.
After a ride of about eight miles, du
ring which we had not met a human
being, l observed my companion be-
gan to move cautiously, and finally
Hernandez said:
at must have been somewhere
about here that he was to meet you,
was it not ?"
eyes," said Vasquez; but the
hIno1yhood iS 1iEyoIu T1nt tO
go to sleep off the side of the road. No,
by JOve, there's his light ~
And sure enough, l saw little way
ahead of US the faint glimering of a
light, that mckered for a moment, and
then disappeared. My companions
halted, and presently " saw the same
light again, and again it disappeared.
This was repeated for the third time;
and then Vasquez drew from his pOck-
ct dark lantern, and drawing the
slides, its faint rays pierced the gloom
in front. In another moment we heard
a distant shout, which Vasquez an
swered; and then closing his lantern,
we all trOtted brislIiy forward.
I was surprised at all these precau-
tiOns, and asked Hernandez what
they meant. He laughed and said l
would soon know and just then the
light appeared again close before us,
and we were Joined by two men.
"Is she in ?r said Vasquez.
" Yes" was the answer. "She got
i'll just at sundown, and lies at anchor
on the old spot"
I caught a view of the speaker by
the light of his lantern, and was not
specially prepOssessed in his favor. He
was a short, stOut-built man, dressed
in ordinary seamen's clothes, and had
a large, red face, and heavy brown
beard. His speech was cultural and
his Spanish fluent but foreign. judg-
ed him to be Hol1ander, which he
was.
For some time our road had tended