, 1874-12-25
Views from an +" Azotea."
Tho T2COn ThcatrC.--Tho Ccrro...
Be1cn---The 2lay-.-NIorr0
Castle.
Tho Old, Old Story: An Episode Of
Love and Death.


Nearly evory evening, whom tho SIN ts low on
tho horizon, I climb two almost perpendicular
etalrcascs, mud find myaolf
ON THE IL AzoTEA,"
or tcrraco-roof Of large. uNuarc, thrcc-storlet
house, situated IN tho douHcnt part Of the
Ever-Fuithful City OF Havana" 1t is pleas
mt spot, md woll repars mo the effort I mike
to reach tt; for OIL It's broud oxpanso cn,,
breathe frcc!y and wo'como tho brecxe thut
comes with tlle nightingale, and which brinsu
such "honlipg on its winga, after tho hot, tropi-
cal working~day. hut especially eutoy from IT'D
wcll-guardcd heights. tho wldo panorama OF
Iaud aud soa TINT oxtonds boncath and around
no. Tho crowded city lies Mt my feet; the chip
laden bay ia sproad out buforo mo; can Natcl,
tho evcr-wnxing. evor-wnning light of tho marin
er's beacon, mud SEQ tho play Of tile While crcsto<l
waves Of tho Atlanelc.-nay, evon tnsto itB ga!t
spray OIL my lips.
Look over tho pArapet OF my azotoa with mo,
Ecntlo readerl AS you look down upon them,
10 not tho strocts Of tho cl0so-built city nppoar
10 you like cuttings lii compact mass Of stonoa
aud lnortar? Not sidewalk can boast OF tho
bhaoo OF d single tree! TAoae oll-timc, nd-
venturous Spaniartls who founded Havana
could spare 10 space Tor ndornmont, or even for
comfort They built tho future metropolis OF
Spanish America III serried ranks Of shic11-wal1cl
houses, md then incloscd it Gil the landslide
with strong, raunarts, ",o keep out t1io English
mud tho Indians" You Gnu still see parts Of tho
wall. and ono or two little psppor-castor-lookiug
towcrs.
Do you remark how low tho houses aro ?-tho
majority Of ono story ouly. md why cannot toll
you, for Uavau1 hus mover been visited by MI
earthquake, and, in thsB terrible climate. the
higher wo can get In tho mir, tho pleasantcr it
is We're it not for tho churches, afl Of them ut
tcr]y devoid of architectural gracs, aud for some
fotp tn1I 0trH ht,i1ft
tho city would present u rather groycling up
pcarauco. 1t ia beyond tho crumbling ramparts
That We muat sock tho best part Of Havana, tho
squares, aud parks. and prcmonades. and tho
Look over thore, full won't! Ihat great build
ing, with tho barn-iio roof. Ia
TIE CELEBRATED TACoN THEATRE;
it's interior is magnificent; it iB worth IT, ocean-
with tue splondidly-attlrcd, gazeIlo-eyea beau-
tics Of Cuba Beyond tho thoatro you can just
catch glimpso Of the superb white-Atono palace
which ouco belonged to the exilod Atdala; it
but il HOW appropriated to tho uao of tho Span
ish Casino, Which holds ita patriotic meetings in
tho gorgeous drawiug-rooms, Formerly tho Bceno
Of tho gayest splondor.
sti]l farther %, you can distinguish the long
aseenaing road that leads to tho nriAtocraic Cur
70, whcro tho olcgaut homes Of tho rich sucur-
planters arc found, adorned with pillurs a1ll
marble portIcos, md onboWorcd in the luxurinnt
YcSQtasltn OF LILO 1foHic3. Ii you
Dr1vE u THE CEHtO
after sunsot, you will SEQ the piazzas filled with
fa,uily-parties, serious antl somewhat n,cl-
aucholy, proud-lookinE pntorfami1ias the
plump, Lively, talkative, hlnd-hearted niatron
tho soi's pa!e, handsome. hasshty III bearing,
but oxquisltely polite i'll mannor; tho daughters
beautiful fascinating nll arc there galherod,
while tho pratticst Of little Children, with Dyes
like stars, play round tho groupa OF clders. A
Boui,d OF mingled song and laughter iilly tho air,
which iA rlI0lh1lt n1Ho with thu bunr 1f fbh
and tho mignouotte. Tho open houses uro ul
brilliantly lighted up and their inanacnse aasl-
lcsH at'd GlasslcHs Windows permit a tull view OF
tho mai bla.payod halls within. Son.e OF tteBo
your clilldlluodl Tho luxury aud beauty, tho
music aud perfume, the Observation-Disclosures
tho tall, ril!ar-l,ko palm-troes, the waving
feathory ba,nboos, form. q tout-enscmblo mover
~ bu forgotten BY The visitor to tls Tropics.
Ihat picturesque cnBtio you sec yondcr, 80
conlmandingly ssuatud on tho hill, IL tho Cas-
tillo dol Prtncipo,-a ptison whoBo nan1o nouo
brings toarB 10 tho oyos Of many II lnothor, nlAny
n widow; aud ncaror, OIL tho left, il tic pretty
suburb OF Jcsus del Nonte, with its whito church
Oh the htoep-
had almost forgotten TO point out to you that
large cdliiee within tho walls, and quito near to
us,-tAat QUO With numerous roofs Of dllloront
heights, an1 church attached 10 it. Ihat il
HELEN,
the famous college and church OF tho Jcsui!s.
Moro llIau 5u0 hoys rccoiyo their education III
tower close 10 it, with The g!uss-loom OH lie
top iA tho observatory. 1t is tho Jesuit Fathers
WHO tako chaigo OF tho Astronomy aud Mcte-
oroogy Of liavana !; it il thoy who give liz waru-
ing OF approaching hurrcaNes, or console III
with the assurance that wo have nothing to four,
although tho Winds IRE tu,rllainca nud tito waves
Of the roaring Atlantic dash u,adly agaiust tho
Moro rock. It il they also who givo us, in
their quiet, woll-ordored church, tho best sacred
music ever heard Oh the islaul, and the most o.
UuueUt aud learned BerMONH.
We cannot SEQ from hero tho pasoo do Tacon.
tho fashionable drive nor tho parlss where tho
Inhabitants OF the great city tako tho littlo OK
erciso that tho climate permits, and whore, OH
stuted evenings. the military bauls perform ta-
vorito airs, whlo plotty girls, their hnir adorned
with tlowerH and ribbouH, promenade slowly
round mud round, listening veIy ofteu to sweotor
sounds than tho music. AIammas aud papass
ARE, Of couruo, there ulao; but the crowd Of I'd
iuiring gallants Is innumcrablo, and not to be
kopt OF.
Take it all in all, this western side Of uavaua
forms a pretty panorama, and the low grcon
hills crowned with paln-trees Which bou1il the
horizon, add soft charm to tho picture.
Now lot III turn to tlia east aud south, whore
lies tic bay, forming I'll elbow. The port Of
Havana cannot, ,bo cumpasod With that Of Now
York; but
1T is yEnY FAIR,
nevertheless, with its little islands, mud its green,
boshy shorca. II is vory quiet ut tllia sunset
hour; buE you should visit it In tho curly MORN;
eou iIAAHlAo EAtolt AAoAo
Eccuo. You would Eco there. auellorod ieets OF
ships OF Ill sizes, frola NIL parta Of tic world,
aud great Un,ted-statos-bu.lt Jerry -boats cross
Ing and reerossillg inoessantly, while hundreds
Of funny little bkils, Of the goudola Bpccicu lit
between tho vessels untl the wllarves. busy con
veyng Hhip-passeugors aud their buggage to aud
fro.
At this hour. the only sign Of life GU tho water
Is th9ss pease-boata taetig al
ttor,-there. on tho Hnndy bcnch Of that long, low
lulst in tho southern bay,-tho 1lshcrmou pro-
pairing their nota for tho hight.
Let III take glance from tho northern side Of
tho azotoa. Behold yonder, at tho entrance of
tue bay,
THE MoIno CASTLE
u,e famed and frowliuE guardian of tho great
siubau cltyi you mst pass close under itH gap
i.'g canon to entor tho port. Bosiuo it, built on
LILO sumo rock. atandH the magnificent light
house, a tirat-class bcncon Oil FreBnels system.
Those long, low, rod-t!lod buildings On tic alid
heights near the Casto, form tho Uabaua,--tAa
uia.nal .pr!bon Which haa Witnessed 80 much
inlsery during these last ycarn. Wore it tho day
kSrnn fit S1,