Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1883-11-14

(Continued.)

| Cuba. The merchant or store-keeper
does not designate his place of business
| by putting his name on a sign over the
door or anywhere on the house; nor does
he show by any word or mark that he
has anything forssale, but it seems he
acts or does business on the principle
that if anybody wants to know where he
resides, or what kind of goods he has to
sell, it is the buyers and not the sellers
business to find out the best way he can,
I when and where such goods are to be
had. The Havana merchant takes it
easy, and the great trouble is, when can
you find him in his place OF business.
Only retailers and other small traders
condescend to show their names in con-
nection with their business. The suburbs
of Havana are really charming, composed
in great part of picturesque country resi-
dences where goLd taste is united to COM
fort and health. A favorite ground for
picnics is "Puentes Grandes;" here is a
fine beach for bathing, and few miles
up the coast are famous fishing grounds.
A few miles to the west is an ancient and
mysterious castle, the dingy architecture
of which reminded me of the feudel ages
and of knight-errants of old. If our
stoppage at Havana had lasted long
enough, I should have visited the city of
Matangas. The scenery there is esteemed
as most remarkable tor its romantic beau
ty. Soon we resumed our journey to
Progresso, Yucatan. The trip across the
gulf was most delightful. The captain
told me he seldom experienced such fair
weather at that time of the year. Pro-
gresso was reached after two days jour
ney. It is the seaport of the city of
Merida, the capital of Yucatan, and is
connected with that place by railroad
AS the steamer remained long enough in
port, of course we concluded to visit the
interior. Merida is quaint and beauti-
full old city of $4,000 inhabitants, and
was reached in about half an hours ride.
The market place, which occupies an
immense square, is surrounded by a high
adobe wall which is plastered on the sides
fronting the streets. Here we spent quite
a pleasant hour looking at the various
strange articles for sale. The streets of
Merida are named from animals and
birds, assthe Indian population is by no
means learned one and as so few of
them know how to read or write, the fig
ures of the animals stand prominently on
street corners to show the inquirIng what
streetsthey may be walking on. In Mer
idan we hired horses and a guide, and
rode out to the famous Aztec ruins at
! Uxmal, distance of about 40 miles.
| The weather was dreadful hot, the Their
mometer registering 1922 in the shade.
The vegetation along our line was luxur-
liant. Now and then we heard the shrek
of parrot or cockatoo and the variety
of songs of the hooking bird. Here and
there large feathery palms shaded our
| pathway. The ruins at Uxmal consist
principally of immense buildings which
must have been used as palaces, temples,
etc., the largest and most beautiful one
being the CASA de las Mon es." After
leaving Progresso, we stopped at the in
termediate points of Campeche and From
terra on our journey to Vera Cruz. Sixty
miles from Vera Cruz at sea, the snow
capped peak of Orizaba appeared before
us. The distance from the coast to ORR
zaba is about 10 miles, so that the peak
is really visible distance of ITO miles,
and probably more on an extraordinary
bright, clear day This majestic appari-
ton seems to form part of the heavens,
It's hoary locks suggest almost an antedi-
luvian origin; as we approached it ap-
peared to rise higher and higher in the
clouds in a truly imperial manner. At
ter steaming along for a few hours, we
| perceived in the distant horizon the first
outlines of the Vera Cruz coast. Soon
port was reached, and to the delight of
nearly all the passengers. Strange and
new scenes invite bright speculations.
Parallel lines of coral reefs extend di-
rectly in front of the city, forming a sort
of breakwater. On our left lies the Is
land of Sacrifice, to which a strange
romance IS connected Every year upon
a certain day, sn Aztec youth was con-
Quoted to this island and became victim
of idolatry and barbarism. On our right
the fort of "San Juan de Ulloa" lifts its
ancient battlements above the reefs. It
| is said that this fort was commenced
about the year 1870 and finished in 1888
by the Spaniards. 1t stands upon the
spot where Ferdinando Cortez FIRST land
ed. Now it is used as a state prison.
The population of the city of Vera Cruz
Che True Cross is about 10000, the
Indian population predominating in num-
bers. Quite number of wealthy Ger
mans live here. After we had gone
through the Internal affairs at the custom
house, we retired to the Hotel Diligencia, |
the best in the city, and prepared for a
stroll about the place. The streets of |
Vera Cruz are very narrow, so that they
are shaded almost during the whole day. |
AS we marched along here and there, |
beautiful, dark-eyed senoritas peeped at |
US through the gaily striped awnings of
their balconies. The ladies indulge in |
cigarettes and do not hide their tastes in |
this respect. Quite number of old |
buildings are to be seen here, the most
prominent one being the Palace, built in |
1880. At the Plaza del Mercado we saw
brilliant assortment of vegetable colors. |
Strange men dressed in slim jackets braid
ed with silver cord, blood-red waist belts
high buff boots and large light-colored |
''sombreros' bound with silver laces and
cord, preambulated the streets.
ITO be Continued.)