The New Orleans bulletin. [volume] (New Orleans [La.]) 1874-1876, 1874-10-11
LETTER FROM HAVANA.

HAVANA, Cuba, Sept 90, 1874.
Dear Elitor-Distant about 700 miles from
the city Of New Orleans, and at a close calcu-
| latlon about 100 miles from Key West, Ha-
vana, like many cities more distant in South
ern ATTITUDES, is but little known to the people
OF the Crescent City. Your correspondent,
! therefore, has determined to throw some
| light upon, and give few hints about sub
| ject which should naturally interest your
| readers. Il is rot, hc eeyer, hi: intention to
w.-ate time. paper i.n'i Printers i.lk upo1 the
| close commercial relationship which exists
between this port and tho whole world
| As long as the Island Of Cuba continues to
offer to the trading fleets of nations induce
ments in the shape of superior articles Of
| sugar and tobacco, SO long will it maintain its
| commercial prominence. and Havana, being
, the natural outlet for the products of the
island, will In time rank amongst the irst
| cities on the globe. To the city itself, how
ever, your correspondent will devote more
than a passing glance, and though his expe-
rience can scarcely differ from that of the
majority who have paid it visit. yet that
same experience + now give you and your
| readers
| The approach by sea to the city Of Havana
| is perhaps one of the most beautiful panoram-
| as, which nature and art combined, are capa-
BILE of producing.
! The rays Of the sun AS they play upon the
yariegated .cOlors of the houses, and the
green fields beyond on one side Of the harbor,
and the gray walls Of Moro Castle on the other,
| draw from the eyewitness expressions OF sur
prise and pleasure.
| On entering the harbor. after the usual
! formalities with military, Custom-House and
health officials, one is struck with the formid-
able Notifications which, i'll addition to Moro
Castle, have been thrown up en- the opposite
| side during the past few years. Brlsthng with
| guns the pass, which cannot be more than
| four hundred feet wide, is thus protected in q
way which makes it impossible to an enemy's
| feet.
The harbor, though not large, is we'll pro-
| tected Accommodations for all having bust
ness with this port can be had. At present
! the Spanish war vessels occupy the best berths
| and will, no doubt, continue to do so at their
convenience Much complaint is heard on all
| sides about the health officers.
| At times travellers, and those having i'm
| portant business i'll the city, are obliged to
wait days before they will como abrord, and,
| as for Spanish Custonl-House officials, to all
| they are simply brutes, and lord it with high
hand over foreigners. They seem to make it
! point to throw impediments il the way OF
rapid and easy transit.
F., Having at present q population Of over .OO,-
|
| distance from one another, and it would take
one, if so disposed, good two days to make
! the circuit. One is struck with the mixed
| population of the place. In latter years every
| nation on the face OF the globe has sent rep
resentatiyes to Havana, and now, in stroll
| through the streets, one may meet Spaniards,
Italians, Americans Englishmen, Chinese,
| negroes, Swedes, Malays, etc., all residents of
the place.
Speaking of the Chinee in Havana, they are
| nearly all slaves and are sold into bondage
like tho negro. The houses are nearly all
alike in build Immense doors and windows
on the ground floor, open on the street, while
the floors and yards within are ali paved with
marble. Outside, no thought seems to have
been given to appearance, for the painters
brush has left every color under the sun.
While one house has been painted green its
next door neighbor revels in brilliant red
Everything however, inside is kept in apple
pie order, and one is enticed to enter, for the
houses in this town are decidedly cooling re-
treats.
The streets are nearly all narrow, while the
banquettes are simply apologies for footpaths.
The roads, however, are well paved with
square rock, so that one does not miss pave
nent to walk on. In fact very few people
walk in Havana. Cab hire is very cheap
twenty-five cents United States currency, to
any part of the town, and hundreds of one
horse vehicles like those which New Orleans
boasts, traverse the streets in every direction
and at all hours. In the daytime, when the
sun is ont in all his glory, awnings are thrown
completely across the streets from one house
to another. The advantage Of narrow s reefs,
therefore, is very apparent in q blood-heat
climate like this.
Private vehicles are beautiful and tasty, but
are not much seen in the day time. The 10
,arte has almost gone out of fashion, but occa-
sionally one is reminded that they still exist
The ladies of New Orleans would be charmed
to do their shopping in Havana. Everything
is displayed in the windows to the greatest adj
vantage, and at night the effect of the gas up
on brilliant fabrics from every quarter Of the
globe is truly dazzling
Hotels in Havana are simply frauds One
pays an enormous price, and gets compare
lively nothing. 1t i true that the beds, which
simply consist of one piece of canvas
stretched in the frame, are clean and covered
with sheets we'll aired, and that the rooms are
cool and neat. but when one has to pay SIS in
gold day at Lotel IngLterra," he expects the
food to be of a very superior quality, and the
attendance in sympathy. If visitors desire to
be heeced, let them put up at that noted
hostelrie; but If they desire comfort with,
compar lively speaking, moderate prices and
good eating. 1 would suggest the Hotel Bueno
Vista, which, though situated in a less aristo-
cratic quarter than the first hotel mentioned,
is in every other respect decidedly preferable.
Coffee houses for gentlemen in Havana are
large and commodious. Situated right on the
street they remind the traveller, especially at
night, Of the ice cream saloons of Paris.
Numerous tables are scattered promiscuously
about the room, at which the thirsty is served
No one scarcely stands up to the bar. If you
expect to get decent drink, you will be very
much mistaken. The bar-keepers claim to
know all about brandy smashes, whisky cock
tails, rum juleps, etc. Try them once, and I
think You will feel inclined to import to this
place st. Charles, Crescent or Sazarac.
The principal thoroughfare of Havana is
the "Prado." It is equal in width to Canal
street, and is built on thei same principle.
Having but one street railroad line, which, by
the way, does not traverse this street, the
ne utral ground in the centre is devoted to
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