New-York tribune., 1880-02-17
CENTRAL GRANT IN CUBA.
THREE DAYS OF CARNIYAL.

GUEST.
| [FRoM A SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT or THE TRTBUNE.l
| HAVANA. Feb 1I.-Last Saturday the final social
entertainment in honor of General Grant was given
at the Arsenal. 1t was. perhaps the most brilliant
| of the succession of entertainments that have
marked the attentions shown him in Cuba 1t was
the night before the carnival and the costumes Of
the guests were ia consequence unusually gay. The
General himself did not attend, as on that day he
learned of the death of his Old friend, exsecretary
| Borie. The other members of the party pres
| ent. As the time for the departure of their guest
| draws near the newspapers TEEN with expressions
of admiration for General Grant and regrets at his
early departure. One of them, the 1itHmpho, closes
an article with the following paragraph 1--WE
wish to give testimony TO the frank and ioval de-
meanor that characterizes General Grant. whose
serious aspect deceives those who have not enjoyed
his friendship. He shows constantly great curl
osty to be instructed in everything that he sees,
| and his extraordinary memory surprises all VINO
| hear him making comparisons to what he has seen
| in other countries and references to history,
which he knows very well. as also that Of other
countries. We cannot me.o,-' the knowledge OF
this remarkable man. who possesses the modesty OF
| true greatness
The carnival began on Sunday the 8ih and
closed last night Next Sunday the same scenes
will be enacted again. 1t is sad with greater dis
| play and more desperate gaycy. special feature
of the has been the brutal bull-hghtlDg.
Last Saturday the newspapers announced that the
great Mexican matadOr had at last arrived, together
with the lasso-hrowers. etc, and that they would
positively appear IN the arena at tegia, where elght
Havana, and ferry crosses the bay every few min
utes. In order to finish in time for the procession
| the fight began at o'clock. instead of az usual.
Several thousand people attended, and the scenes of
| the previous Sunday were re6nacted, except That
| they were more hideOus in brutali'y, The Mcxi-
! cans very old men for such business. Two of
| them must have been over ifty, yet they were as
| WHY as boys aud very strong, though II ght in
! build Two OF the Mexicans before the fight were
mounted upon tran.d horses, brought with them
| from their own country. Their lariats were caught
around the horn OF their saddles In little cup
board-like affair youth busily cutting tissue
paper into r0settes to trim the darts that are thrust
| into the bulls neck The horsemen were putting
heavy leather Oyerals TO protect their legs from
tho horns OF the bull, and were Tightening The sad
dlrgilths. On the other side of the entrance to the
arena were the bull-oens. where a dozen fat and
sleepy fellows lay chewing their ends.
BRUTAL SCENES AT TUE BULL-FIGHT.
The fight was the same as on all occasions here,
except that there less bungling and more
dextrous stabbing and carving of the victims Most
Of the bulls had sharp horns, and goIed the poor
jaded horses till the arena covered with pools
of blood Only one of tie bulls was killed outright
by the sword Of the matador the rest being stabbed
| repeatedly TIL they quietly laid down from loss of
! blood when a blow at the base of the skull with
dagger killed them instantly. The performances of
these men were greeted continually with such ap
pause as q New-Ysrk audience bestows upon a
favorito prlma donna. The lassoing was scarcely
| less brutal than the rest. rope would be thrown
over the animals horns around his neck, and
another around a foot Then the ropes were given
turn about the horns Of tho saddle, aud the riders
wonld dash at a gall0p M opposite directions. Or
course the bull was thrown, and he usually gave mp
and could scarcely be male to rae. When tortured
and goaded the animal would fight to the last, hut
! when once he felt himself securely roped he lost
heart. Oue or two Of them had 10 be released to
save them from dying AZ from sheer yexation.
! | have bee told by CalItornians that the buffalo
| bull and the grizzly bear had frequently been
lassoed by MeIicans and that they died. the In
dans called II. OF broken heart, in consequence Of
| being thrown and dragged at viii along the ground
| by o couple Of skilful and powerful hOrscmen.
The procession started az tho Punta, opposite
MORO Castle. proceeded along the Prado, IN the
! part of the town. through the Campo Martc, over
the Pasco IacOu TO the Caslle on tho hlIi at the
ont iri of The city. and back again, distance of
SIX mi q. There was no regular formation. Zach
vehicle fell IN where lt happened. he only SEM
banse ol order was that the teams in tandem, with
,. l." ~ There were uboui p 500 vehicles and the
| parade lasted from 4:3O 10 o'clock. The days
rerenones concluded with the bail ~ the Iacon ihe-
/ airr Most of those III the procession were not
masked but simply drove our as on any Otner OCca-
! sion % the best style they could command. The
carriages Of the Captain.General, in which General
Grant and the members of his party role, were eX-
! trrmrIv elegant. While the great majority of the
| carriages were rather shabby. the number of fine
| imported horses surprising. There was nothing
| imposing about the costumes. Groups OF maskers
| rode ~ cxpress-wagnns trimmed for the occasion
! with the spanish flag. favorte device was 10
cover the wagon with dropping palm branches and
| then label II, Moses IN the buirushes." All were
very decOfous and most of the maskcGs sat In their
| places rs still as scaIecrOwS IN COrn-held.
THREE CARNIVAL BALLS.
! The ball at the Iacon was crowded. Few of the
masoucraders attempted anything artistic or SYM
| bohcal There was a dreary tamenoss of pink and
black dd,ninOes, Of men IN cheap female attire, and
| Of questionable women dressed ~ fops The same
great uninteresting parade has been repeated for
three days without variation. except 20 grow smaller
| and moro insipd at each repetition. At the ball
last night there was novel performance
in the dance Kill the Snake" by q so
ciety of young men disguised negroes
and who acted an African heathen cere-
| mony About twenty-five of them marched into
| the ballroom accompanied by band OF wind in
struments an1 rattles. They bore on their shoulders
| n long crooked serpent made OF wool, aud of mon
| ster proportions. After they had marched around
the hall once or twice they formed small circle
| and deposting the snake on the floor
| walked around H. singing n song In mono
| tone tho burden of which was Kill
| tho serpent" Aftor few minutes they fell on
their knees and one OF them went through the pan
tomime of cutting off his head with n sword
| little more drawllng vocalizaton followed. and
| then they shoudered the reptile and departed. The
oolorcd people had ball on the opposite side OF the
| park under the Casino. Their coatumos were much
more fanciful than at the theatre, many OF them
being In the state attire of their barbarc ancestors
| whose traditions they sill cherish above the Gus
toms of the Romsh Church, the forms OF which they
| have simply engrafted upon their own system OF
fetichism. The social club OF the Casino also gave
| a hal masaue last night which was attended by the
wealthy citizens With few exceptions tho costumes
were extremely plain. Such is the carnival about