, 1875-04-04
DaTout Penitents-Aimee and Opera BouHs
Matched Against the Can-Oan.

which made their already delicious climate mora
exhiliraling tnan usual neither Was it tho ami
versa1y OF any fese upon which the Ravsnese dc
light to do honor to some patron saint OF thei
Church or Of their isle. Il is true thh. tho da.
was beautiful ono, the atmosphere havint
the effect to oxhilirato the body ant
transfuso q new element Of lie ant
and vitality through all the poros of thoss who
had just arrived from a colder and se
| verer climate, but these kinds Of days are mol
rarities here. and to this then, tho display Of a
the unusual hustle, excitement, aud melody can.
not be ascribed. The real cause must be looked
for in tho imagination Of ths citizens, who re-
gazded as blessing an act Of the Spanish Gov.
ernment, which deprived them as tho same time
Of their Captain General, Marquis do Concha,
and few millions OF Spanish dol!4rs, which. g
| rumor, and moro tI,an faint one, has it. no car.
ried away with him.
Even as wo entered this harbor (passing to the
left the grim old castle, the Moro, ont OF whose
scomling easement thero shot forth mou,antzrJ
| fash as We steamed BY, and to our right, leaving
the Baltorao de Ia Reina) We wero greeted with
the beating OF drums and othar evidences Of q
bustle and <an excitement quits unusaal.to this
home OF tue Dolce far 'aente. AS NC approached
nearer thu city, and could view from the decks d
| tbs ateaH3r
as it lay stretched ont before us like ! huge pau
! Drama, its appearance. thong not grand or I'M
posing, was, nevertheless picturesque, and, in
many respects illustrative OF cities Of tho Orient,
| with Which it has many points in common. In
medlatelY before me, Is stand on the decks Of
| the steamer looking towards tho south, lies the
main part OF the city, with its variogated groups
OF low, dirt. looking houses, tho walls Of which
| represent all coloIs known to tbs painteru Of
] m s1AY11 timex. occnAfnnnfIP n naIarn with a
handsome garden around it is seen hidden
among these hove1s, and, rs if ashamed Of
ita superiority, ita xalla have been
painted to suit the oolors;, that
| These novels and pa1acea, standing Ride by side,
] are as prominent in the Gales de- Obrapein aud
| on the ORellly as they arc on the San lgnace
and IN tho Mezcedetes, streets which are manly
.pess interests OF the city, while in tae furmer
the retail trade holds sway to greater extent.
At the head OF the 0'Reilly ia Seen the Prado,
which casts in the shade Of its branches tho
Palacio deg Gobqrnador, the 1oU, white residence
of tbs Captain-Geuera. a. we'll as esyeral other
out NOW used "a cafes or hotels OF infeior rank
for, with the exception Of the Ell YaIegrapho,
and Of thu San Carlos, there are
NO GOOD HOTELS
hers. 4 good hotel for Americans would b
acceptable to the many Of our country1uen who
'sThere's millions in it."
Allowing the eye to wander further to the
west and south, tbs panorama changes; the
hoyes disappear, and in their stoad HOUSES OF
some pretensious to architectural beauty, with
carefully kept gardens and expensive Carriage
houaes appear in view. There is also 1ess mo-
notonv in the appearance of the streets, for in
thus portion OF the city they are broad, clean,
and airy wbile in tue part before described the;
are narrow Aud dirty. BIT for +he winds th.t
continually sweep through them, they would bo
very likely to breed some pestilence. Again, in
tho modern part Of the city, or rather separating
the ancient from the modern part
PARKS
not unlike those in Chicago, especially South
Para, but with more shade to them, ere judi
ciously distributed though in q city like this,
climate, where the housos seem to ba al doors,
windows, and varandahs. aud where the roomB Of
hotels havo lees OF privacy than Of adornmens,
parks Seem saperduous.
THE PRoMENApE.
The common peopls. however. mako little use
OF the parls. preferring the prado, or Prom
enade Of Havana. I cannot call to MUD any
similar scene in any other land, where 70 much
gayety, so much incpient immortality. and 50
much beauty and fnyoiisy are gathered in 60
short space OF time. The mind is dazed at ths
sight, and unconscouslY one refers to the al
nanac to determine whether it is carnival time,
Seated On tho promenade, or iounging In iistless
manner along these Paseos, del Prado or del
ASaoel nte TIC pehu H1ooQo OF daVan3, the habit
ues OF the warehouse the bank, and the gam
bling room, the "daneuya" Of Havana, all |
chatting with ono another Or flirting. with the |
senoritxs, who drive in volantes OF Vicsorias |
along tho shady avenues. Occasionally they |
hal. their teams to converse with some caya-
ier, but generally they allow Their eyes
and their fana to a1pross their feelings |
for them. To oyery compliment paii. |
be It from friend Or stranger, they pay dus at
tention, often requitlng in sln1es, many times the
x-n If fha aru Aa1n uT>t
OF Hayanese call wet. Tic da1k-syed beauties ]
hero ara easily satisfied, and when = very CHARM |
ing ono told me- that they expect this sort of |
adu,tation, which compliments their forms mora
than their mlnds had nothing to say ia reply. !
THESE sENoR1TAs or HAVANA
tanning, and it is difficult to find any society moro
plcaaing and fascinating than that OF so1no belle
Of Havana, il she is deelrous Of p;easiog. Apart
from tho grace whsch heoms natural
to her, she is able to illustrate
with her eyes every word ber mouth utters aud
this constant play OF her features, though it NAV
at first appear to tbs stranger to bs rather free,
becomes, after short acquaintance, 20 mich
part Of the conversation that to suddenly stop it
would in effect be the Same as removing tho sun
from beautiful landscape which had gained ito
warmth Of color and OF beauty from it's rays
From the Prado, ascend the hills to tba north
stretched cut before mo
TEK ENVRoNs OF TIE CITY,
There is little attraction here for, With tho ex-
coptiou OF the plantations to BE- seen at = dis
tsrco, the eye encounters the sa,uo OBJ
jects ~seon in all southern climntos-
grover Of "trees heavily-laden with
which, IN this caso is tho oranro
ard tho banana, WITH negroes repos;u1 in tho
ehsdo Of their branches; with here and there
spr1nklng Of tho pa!u or cocoauut tree the frn,t
and branches Of which have become nouzco Of
considerable industry and commerce. on tbla
1siand- But - I again look toward tho CITY
proper one certain white spot in tho centre
sheroot attracts me, and IS tnis vhite object. |
which occrpiee nearly one whole saunfc. tho
ineaste do Taicon occupying only small corror
d It. IS spot OF considerable int1ress both to
tne Cuoan as well as to tho stranger. will IN
form you st once that it is
THE srANIsH CASINO.
Nhere al the misery that II entniled On Cnba Is |
hstched. aud from here it is propacatcd throorh-
out the length and breadth Of the island.
'haA have occasion to speak in detail thereof
3ere1tter.
Ia allowing tho eye to wander to tho
tgat to th:se points Of tho laud wboro
he Bay Of Havana is called the Inlet ,
Il Tauopiedra and that of Atarea, the
evidences Of the growth Of tic city will bo DIS
luctiy before Us. From the Atares Castle,
III f3,n frfa kr4F f1,a+- 40 /