The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1873-01-16


stated, have no faith in the power Of the Cubans
to free themselves. What specimens have seen
of them are
WANTING IN THE STAMINA OF THE SPANISH SOLDIER,
and though they may be brave enough they do not
appear to have the backbone of the old Spaniard
The true cause Of the physical degeneration of the
people is to be found in slavery, which, by degrad-
ing labor, made IT distasteful. SO far as ! have
seen, there are no athletic sports patronzed BY
the people, and as result their bodies have lost
the rude strength which only labor or manly exer-
cises can retain among o people. The inhab
tants OF the country have not the robust constitu
tons that we ind among the peasantry Of other
lands, but resemble more the weak and degenerate
Inhabitants Of the towns. The most hardy and
vigorous part OF the population are
THE NEGROES.
who, in spite Of the overwork to which they are
condemned the brutal treatment they receive and
the want of proper nourishment, are physically the
most capable of resisting the action Of the climate
This is especially the case with the free negroes
who both in intelligence and physical strength,
surpass their enslaved brothers. For the most part
these people avoid the labor OF the fields, and are
to be found In the towns engaged In many kinds OF
trade, but principally az cOachmen. positions and
servants. They exhibit the same fondness for
dress and display that they are noted for in the
States, and so far as can judge, seem to be peace
able and orderly members of the community
From the moment we lett B0mba until we
reached Alvarez, a little pueblo the edge Of an
extensive forest, the only incident worthy Of note
was the passage through new town which has
been christened Colon. after the great discoverer
Of America. II is a neat and prosperous looking
place, resembling so strongly an American town
that was at first inclined to think 1t was an Amer
lean colony Most OF the houses are constructed
or wood with verandas in the Amer
lean style, but many OF the buildings
are of stone. Two important structures In course
of erection particularly attracted my attention,
and on inquiry found they were the Governors
house and the barracks. This showed me at once
that it was only American in outward appearance,
for had the spirit Of our republican institutions
penetrated the community they would have built
A scHOoLHOUsE INSTEAD OF BARRACKS.
1t may be as well to remark here that since
have been in Cuba have seen no traces Of any
thing which could claim to be public school, and
the few claimants to the distinction Of being
schools at all that have seen are simply places
where children receive very elementary educa-
ton. Nothing Is more noticeable to an American
than the complete absence Of books in the houses.
1t is only in the very best houses that small
collection OF works can be found, and except in
very rare cases, these collections have not the
slightest pretension to be considered library.
Anxious to get glimpse into the mode Of thought
OF the people, as seen In their songs endeavored
to obtain q small volume Of Cuban melodies, but,
to my surprise, was informed that
NO COLLECTION OF NATIONAL SONGS EXISTED.
There were few published on Sheets but this was
all. Soon after we left the promising town OF Colon
behind the character of the country began to
change. The soil appeared less rich and less care
the horizon and the clustering bohios, with their
groves of banana and patches Of corn, came once
more prominently into view. The country gradu-
ally became more wooded, and at Alvarez found
myself on the edge Of forest, and at the same
moment
WITHIN THE REGION OF HosTILIrfEs.
Up to this point the 0uardid ciun had performed
the duty Of gendarmes and were in all cases
neatly and tidily dressed in their holiday SUITS
They were in all cases armed with the machete, or
sidearm, and hau become used to their visits
that paid no more attention to them. The train
had stopped a few minutes and had satisfied my
self that there was nothing to be seen,
when suddenly my attention was attracted
by the heavy tramplng of one pair of feet
and tremendous changing Of spurs, and
ringing of sabre. My first impression was that the
commentators from the opera had broken loose
and was practising his awful stride in moment of
forgetnlness. AS the noise came closer ventured
to look around and just at my elbow was soldier,
with rife carbine at the support, sabre at his side
and cartouchiere filed with cartridges, booted,
spurred, mustached and, in TACT, looking gener-
ally grim and ferocious. He spoke not word, nor
deigned to notice even with glance the passen-
gers, but arriving at the end OF the and finding
no fit subject for ball practice, turned his heel
and strobe out in the same silent and terrible man.
ner in which he came in. confess l felt relieved
when that appariton OF an old Ironsides was gone,
for he looked like person that would
SHOOT ON THE SLIGHTEST PRovoCATIoN.
It required no ghost to tell me the Specification
OF the sudden change in the equipment and man.
ner Of our soldier visitors. had that sort of
thing before, and was not astonished In the least
when a communicative neighbor informed me,
deprecatingly, that there were dl0upOs pdrttdos
about. On consulting an excellent map Of Cuba,
published in 1869, find that in that year this very
point also marked the limit OF the Cuban insurrec-
ton, and here we are after four years OF war
waged as the Spaniards assure us, with success,
with an insurrection diminished in force, II is true,
but extending over the exact ground that 1t did
four years ago. This was the very information /
proposed to gain in passing through the centre OF
the island The Spanards claim to have reduced
the Cnco Villas to order, and, so far as holding
possession OF the towns, they have done So but to
pretend that anything like the security which we
look for in a civilized country in a state of peace
exists is simply to deceive the world to the real
state OF affairs. The Instruction never obtained
control OF this department. because the nature of
the country is unfavorable to the only mode of war
which they can successfully practise against the
better armed and disciplined troops of Spain. The
bands have, therefore, been exposed to more difi-
culties, and have not been able to assume the pro-
portions reached in the Central Department. but
they are sufficiently numerous to
MAKE TRAVELLING UNSAFE,
and to render it necessary for Spain to garrison
every little point at all exposed to attack. How
ever small the number Of these partisans may be
they render considerable service to the cause OF