Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1885-04-18
PEARL Of The TROPICS.
WHAT ? Correspondent Saw
When II Cuba.
Where No 0himneys Or Bookstores Are,
and People Fear the MoonIight

1nDa, writes an American cores
pondent, Is bigger than Maine 81 viz
ginla-seven hundred and sixty miles
long and quite one hundred broad ii
some places. More than half Of Il Is
barren and not susceptible Of cultiva-
ton. As much desert IS Arizona. but
between the mountains and on the
slopes to the sea lie the valleys. which
have produced more Of value for their
acreage than any soil in the world.
But 80 little Is made Of this richness
that one wonders at the neglect OF the
people There is no plan or design
about anything, and everything il
only half done.
The bay Of Havana IS said BY the
Biographies to be the finest ii the
world. Il is in the shape Of ! mans
hand, the opening into the sea CORES
ponding to the wrist, and the fingers
being represented by bays Or inlets
stretching in al directions. But in
this magnificent haven there is not.
and never has been, pier or quay OF
dock Or any place FOR vessel to land
All the loading or unloading or passen-
gers, freight. or cattle, Is done By
means OF small lighters which are
rowed back and forth between the
vessel and the land.
MORO Castle commands the entrance
Of the harbOr. BY which no vessel Is
allowed to pass without licensed pilot
from the city, and a. All pilots shut
up shop at sunset, no vessel can enter
the harbor after that hour, no matter
what the weather may be outside.
MORO Castle carries one Of the four
lighthouses on = coast more than
eighteen hundred miles long. and sur
rounded by dangerous reefs, and yet
Spain pays s24,00O00O year to main
tain an army in Cuba. This sum is
wrung from the people to pay their
cppressOrs
But everybody enjoys himself in
Havana Laziness IS not only respec-
table, but Is ) matter Of education.
The girls are taught nothing but en-
broidery and graceful repose. The
chief end Of man is to keep cool, and
the first thought OF him who builds q
house Or store, makes 4 suit Of clothes
or . pair Of shoes, cooks meal. rows
boat, drives = wagon. or, IN short.
does anything whatever. Is to keep
out Of the heat. They have every
thing Is their forefathers in the south
Of Spain had It. and have made no
changes For three hundred years.
All their ice is made By Yankees
from Cleveland, Ohio. and it costs
them only two cents y pound. They
adopt it from necessity. but grumble
because it melts so fast. The streets
are 50 narrow that carriages cannot
pass, but have to 90 up one and down
another. The shops and stores are
rooted ID with great sheets Of canvas,
which exclude the breezes while they
shut out the sunshine so that the
streets are like covers, and the
only GOODNESS can be found within the
damp stone walls. The hotels. public
buildings and some Of the private
houses are built around courts in
which the rays 81 tie sun are never
allowed to enter, and the walls and
pavemsnts are Shiny with dampneas
that has oozed out FOR years Al the
carriages are open Victories and 81 tie
boats ii the harbor are rooted over
with hoops reaching from gunwale =
runwale and covered with canvas
There Is not chimney nor cooking
stove in Havana; not carpeted room.
! feather pillow. and very few Of the
windows have glass II them, but are
protected BY iron gfatings and heavy,
solid wooden blinds. The sidewalks
are narrow lodges u stone. upon
which two people cannot 50 abreast or
mass each other. and Is most Of the
burdens are carried upon the backs =
men one constantly finds himself has
49, 49, So. @s,t.ts4i~ 50 4Nh street hw