Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-01-27

our own. AS soon rs mass was end
ed, the Presidents band formed in
front of the church, and with the Pa
Dire at their head, marched to the
plaza in front Of the cathedral, play
ing popular melodies. The music
soon attracted a large crowd to the
rlaza. and there ensued, under the
auspices of the priesthood, most
brutal bull fight, such AS we read OF
AS happened in the degenerate days
of Spain. had seen two of these
bloody fights before, but they are
too full of cruelty and danger to be
entertained. During the first of
these fights l witnessed, one Of the
matadores narrowly escaped with
his life The Sunday evening ] refer
to was occupied by the most brilliant
display of fireworks | have ever seen;
some Of the pieces imported from
Europe being grand specimens of
pvrotcchnic success. And thus en-
led the observance (?) Of the SAL
hath in country where religion is
supposed to have such force and SUI
prcmacv as to make the church rich
and tlourishing, while the civil Gov
ernmcnt is entirely bankrupt and
without credit"
'''rhese grand shows and spccta-
cles are of constant occurrancc in
San Domingo, both the civil and
ecclesiastical authorities finding it
necessary to amusc and occupy the
time of the people to prevent their
revolving against the Government ct
President Bacz."
"San Domingo bay, where we are
now living, is about two hundred
miles from Domingo city-almost Il
solitude so far as population is con
cerned, but possessing rare pictur-
esque beauty. One of its drawbacks
is that for six months of the year, Of
which this (Novcmher) is one, it
rains all the time without stop
ping"
''The churches throughout the is
land were opened yesterday in celc-
bration of the close of the hurricane
and earthquake season. which is
supposed to end with the last day
of October. You have doubtless
read in the newspapers of the terri
bic earthquake a d hurricane that
has ravaged this coast and that of
Cuba. We were at sea in all its fu-
ry, and such nj ght of horror
trust never again to witness. Moth
ing saved us but the staunchncss of
our noble old craft and the splendid
state of discipline among our crew.
One fine vessel went down with all
on board, within sight of us, yet we
were totally powcrless to aid or save
her. The town of MatanZas was
completely destroyed by the storm,
two thousand lives being lost, and
even Havana was badly damaged.
"Ilere we have no change in the
temperature all the year round. 1t
is that of perpetual summer. Our
executive officer, who was here last
Christmas day, says the thermomet-
rical mercury did not get below S3
Fahrenheit all day. Think Of be-
ing exhausted by the heat on New
Years day, instead Of making
calls"
And again, December 5. "Since
| last wrote you we have been hob
nobbing'-I am not sure that the
word is to be found in either Web
ster or Worcester, but it's express
ive-at a fearful rate with the ebo-
ny and chocolate head officials of
this dclcctable Dominican Repub-
lie. In the early part of Novembcf
His Excellcncy, President Buena-
venture BaeZ, was informed by one
of his many Generals that the Ia
tian army of invasion had crossed
the boundary between the two coun-
tries, and that bloody battle had
been fought near Il place called AZ
ua. Bucnaventure ut once valiant
ly resolved to visit the field Of gore
in person, and being one of the 'ru-
lcrs of the earth he must of ncces-
sity be escorted by a United States
man-of war. SO our vessel, being
the most imposing Of those on the
station, was detailed for the purpose.
and for some days the portly gem
man ob color,' who in the United
States would be invited into the
kitchen, slept and messed in the
cabin, and we were expected to con
slider it Il big honor too. When he
came on board and left, he was
greeted with all the honors that
General Grant himself could have
had extended to him-a national sa-
lutte was fired, the yards manned,
the marine guard paradcd, the band
playing, the officers drawn up in
line on deck with uncovered heads,
the Dominican flag run up at the
main, and amid all this excitement
the image of God in ebony hoped
over the side rs though he had. been
brought up to this sort of thing from
his cradle. Oh! what grandeur!
owe duly reached Azua, a town
beautifully situated on Ocoa bay.
but found Baez's stories of war all
'moonshinc.' We could see no Hay
tians, 10 battle field, no gore. We
came duly prepared to shell the gun
boat Quaker City, but the only craft
we encountered was 'dug-out' ca
noe, manned by q rcpulsively dirty