The Portland daily press., 1872-02-01

I
mast the youthful looking clergyman. upon
MS knees, his white robes fiosf;no around
him In the gentle breeze on either side of the
snip at short distance the peculiar sbaneJ
wnite houses OF Havana with their green. bIue.
yellow and lilac trimmings, shaded NV oreat
palm trees; while above frowned the batteries
OF Morro Castle; all combined to form pic
ture not readily forgotten. After service bv
invitation of Sir hampton Lorraine, portion
OF the party remained to lunch, after which
boats were taken for the ''Terror," where
cordial reception awaited them at the hands
OF Capt. Weaver and his officers, champagne
and claret-cup passed around and sailing re-
gatta between several crack sai-boats belong
ing to some Havana gentlemen, the Captain
OF Spanish frigate, and the Associated Press
witnessed. Sunday afternoon, you know, is
holiday in this country.
The Monday evening receptions at the Al
my Hotel have become quite the rage, and
very delightful affairs they are too. On last
Monday evening the parlors and corridors
were crowded with guests, quadrille band
OF two harps, two violns, castanets and tam
BOURNE (the castanets and tambourine
played by the same musician) furnishing some
OF the most witching music ever listened to,
and waltz, polka, and Lancers were finally
succeeded by the German, after which the
musicians sang curious Spanish songs, ac-
companying themselves. Among those pres
ent 1 noticed Consul-General Torbert and
wife, Sir hampton Lorraine of the 'sNiobe'
and officers, Commander Hatfield and officers
of the Kansas Chief Engineer Buchler,
DIR. Myers and Ensign Niles Of the "Terror''
and alarge number Of fair Americans from the
other hotels accompanied by their husbands,
fathers and brothers. At the reception
on the Monday previous the evening closed
with the good old fashioned game Of "hunt
the slipper. On last Wednesday night a
GRAND xUac on ri fha nkaJt
which was the event of the winter thus far.
The decks were all enclosed with canvas, as
far forward as the bows, and the ballroom
thus formed was Illuminated by hundreds of
Chinese lanterns whose light was reflected in
every direction from the polished surfaces of
bayonets, gun barrels, and cutlasses arranged
in all manner of peculiar designs. Beautiful
flowers in profusion loaded the air with their
fragrance, their exquisite colors vying with
the beautiful shades that composed the toi-
lettes OF the ladies. Some of the uniforms
were magnificent, especially those of the Span
ish Navy, heavy with gold embroidery and
lace. Only two days before the ball the '1Sa-
ragossa," the crack ship of the Spanish Navy
arrived, and French corvette, so that the
navies Of the United States, England, France,
and Spain were all represented. The supper
was superb, the Spanish Admiral kindly lent
his band for the occasion, to furnish the mu-
sic and not till the sun rose was the affair
concluded.
The other day large party of us went ON
drive to Fort Principe which commands a
superb view of the harbor and Notifications of
the city and thence to the "qtinta" of Mad
anne Herrera. "Quintd' means country-seat
and most charming place this one was. 1t
embraces some hundred acres most attractive
ly laid out in winding walks, fish-ponds filed
with all kinds of rare and curious fish, water
falls, rustic arbors, orange trees in full bear
ing, cocsanut trees with the fruit lying about
on the ground. But what pleases the stran-
ger the most are the aviaEies, great wire
houses some fifty feet long and thirty feet
high, filed with all kinds of queer tropical
birds Of rich plumage; cardinals, Java spar
rows, cockatoos, all kinds of pigeons, ETC.
Then the warrens filled with rabbits, the
cranes perched SO high on their long legs and
looking so knowing, the great cruel looking
bloodhounds used to hunt runaway negroes,
and many other things novel and curious,
maks one desire more time to inspect more
closely. After the "quinta" drive round
the Paseo and dinner at, the "Casino Es-
panoP' closed the days pleasures.
Yesterday was great day for Havana. A
troop-ship got in from Spain with thousand
veterans aboard and as they had been espec-
tally honored by the King having personally
taken leave of them great demonstration
was made by the Volunteers As our win
the military display could be observed to
great advantage. The ship lay in the straam
bedecked with bunting all the streets of the
city were canopied and festooned with flags
and it seemed as If the entire population had
turned out to greet the soldiers. At 2 p. NJ.
the veterans, sun burnt and of true martial
bearing, landing from two large ferry-bcats,
the air being rent with the "uipas'' of the
s'cazadores" and volunteers. The volunteers
formed the escort and numbered altogether
about 1000 men should say, perhaps more,
and represented in detachments the different
regiments stationed here. There fare 1900
volunteers in the city. Tho escort was at
tired in short blouses of different colored
shades of linen drilling belted in at the waist,
light pants fastened at the ankle, half boots
and Panama hats. Their officers rank is des-
ignated by the stripes on the sleeve. Each
battalion was accompanied by band and
some had uiuundieres. After escorting the
veterans to the Capt. Generals palace in the
Plaza, review took place and the show was
over.
There has been great deal of newspaper
talk for over q month past about our critical
relations with Spain and the probability of
war between the two countries. This talk
has apparently received fresh fuel from the
announcement that the United States squad
ron in these waters was to be so largely aug
mented by the addition of several iron-clads
and wooden frigates.
The impression hero, among those best in
formed, is that there win be no war. The
United States will demand an apology from
Spain for the Florida affair, and she viii make
it much against her will. Its all very well to
speak of the weakness of the American Navy,
but there is Just this thing about it. The
Saragossa and the Gerona, two OF the crack,
iron-plated, Spanish men-of-war lying in this
harbor, possess armor of only about five in
ches thickness, which would be no protec-
ton, but rather an injury to them if the Ter
ror should direct her big guns against them.
The Terror alone could clean out the whole
Spanish squadron in the bay in couple of
hours, and bring down the old-fashioned for
tifications of Morro Castle and the Cabanas
as easily as crowd of boys demolish a snow
fort. Spain does not want war any more
than we do, but the Spaniards always like to
talk large, and the faithful volunteers are very
much more impressed by quantity rather than
quality. For that reason the more u. s.
men-ofwar they see in the harbor of Havana
in corresponding proportion will be their re-
spect for that country. Whatever happens,
American rights in Cuba will be well looked
after by our consul Gen. Torbert, who Is
very courteous but determined man with
splendid war record. L. c. w.