Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-04-26
HABAxA. CunA. March Q,

| HABASA, CuBA, March 25.
10 the Editor of the Journal:
Took passage on steamer Hutchinson from
Aey West, and five weeks ago to-day she
cropped anchor in the harbor of Habana.
About two dozen boats covered with canva,
10 protect passengers from the burning rays
OF the sun, looking very much like the eon-
dolas of Venice, surrounded us. and each one
tried hard to secure the most passengers to
take ashore After going through lopg and
tedious ordeal of searching our baggage bv
the custom house officers, We took carriage
for Hotel Telegraph. After breakfast went
for drive about the city, passing through
narrow streets, hardly wide enough for two
carriages to pass. The streets smell badly
and all kind of rubbish is thrown out on the
sidewalks. In the centre of the CITY il large
square, shaded with stately palm trees. in the
centre of which stands large statue of Queen
Elizabeth of Spain, mother of the present
King Alfonso. Every evening, around thi.
park can he seen the greatest variety of yehi-
cles imaginable, from the splendid carriage
drawn by beautiful span of horses down to
donkey rode by a col ored slave. The whole
aspect of the city is very strange. Every
morning droves Of poor, sickly-looking COWS
can be seen standing in front of the principal
hotels in the principal streets, being MIXED
to supply the hotels and private houses. The
ltinerant milkmen announce their arrival by
the ringing of bells. Everything is carried
about the city on pack horses and mules, sell
lers Of wood, coal, fruits and vegetables 90
through the streets in this style. Very little
business is done during the day, but by
night the streets are very animated II is
so hot during the middle of the day that
there is a Spanish proverb which saws,
g In the middle of the day only dogs and for
eigners are to be SEEN" The houses have
iron windows, all open at night, the interior
exposed to the view of all passers. The in
terror yards, surrounded by arches and shad.
ed by cocoa-nut and palm trees, being all
open and lit by night, present a very pleas
ant appearance. The family can be seen all
together, with their friends, speaking, gestic-
ulating, singing, playing the guitar and trying
to keep cool by the perpetual motion of the
rocking chair. All the fashionable and
wealthy people live out in the suburbs. a
place called the Cerro. In passing through
the Cerro, which is short ride from Habana,
we see fine dwellings hidden by the foliage of
well cultivated parks, surrounded BY large
cocoa and palm trees. The favorite amuse-
ment among the Spaniards, next to the bull,
is the cock fight. Every Sunday afternoon,
in hall full of smoke, adorned by different
grades of seats, the fight takes place, the
crowd almost in a delirious state of excite
ment pointing to the wounds the birds have
made upon each other, and at the same time
betting on their favOrite. After the poor
creatures are nearly exhausted, they are sep
arated and brandy blown upon them to give
them strength to renew the cruel fight
Across the bay from Habana the Spaniards
have a bull ring large enough 10 seat twelve
thousand people. In this place, every Sun
day Z. NJ, there is grand . Bull Fight "
entertainment. Last Sunday it was announ-
ced to be under the patronage of the Gov.
ernor-General and lady (?). l never be-
fore thought there so cruel or
so brutal. Four large bulls were to be killed
in the latest g Madrid style" Ten thousand
Spanish men, women, children and priests,
applauded every stab the poor animals re-
ceived. At four o'clock, while the band was
playing, in came on horse back and foot the
men who were to take part in this cruel per-
formauce. attired in gold and silver
lace dressed in all colors, having
III their hands red and yellow flags to
excite the bull. They at once marched be-
fore the Governor General and band
receiving at the same time grand ovation
from the vast crowd. Immediately after a
blast from trumpet, in rushed a bull. i
cannot describe what followed in the next fifty
FIVE minutes-it is too cruel. The men hold
ing the flags shook them a. the animal, who
in return charged them furiously, one man
not being so fleet the rest was caught by
the bull and thrown over him, turning a
summersault before striking the ground. He
was picked up and carried out, not to appear
again during the fight. The leader of the
gang of barbarians who was appointed to do
the killing stood with Spanish flag in one
hand, and a long straight sword in his right.
Whenever the bull came towards him, by
waving the flag little to his left, he diverted
the attention Of the animal, and with the
sword pierced the poor bull between the
shoulders, leaving the sword fully two feet IN
the beast, hick in this state ran about the ring
believing most painfully. The most cruel
part was to see the. fearful charges the
wounded bull made on the poor blinded
hcrses The rider at the same time making
many inaccurate thrusts with spear into the
bulls back. One horse was gored to death,
his entrails being let out another was fear
fully gored about the sides and neck. After
the bull became nearly exhausted with loss
of blood and could with difficulty move about.
men rushed up behind him and cut the cords
of h,s hind legs, thus disabling him from
rushing at them. The butchers then had
easv work, and after many stabs succeeded at
last in killing him amid great cheering OF the
crowd. In box l saw four priests, who
seemed to enjoy this Sunday afternoon enter
tainment AS well as the rest Of their congre-
CATION. There are no Sundays here. The
day is spent in attending bull fights, cock
fights, circus performances, theatres, etc:
No Protestant church-heretics not allowed
to have place of worship among these
liberal and progressive people. f. J.
The Portland Press says that on Monday