Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-01-21

laid in tiers bung upward. Three or four men are
required in the nlling and packing process below.
THEY ARE PRACTICALLY NAKED,
and there was never more revolving and loathe-
some den In which human beings are kept at labor
The men OF the fo'castle do this work, and It
rather takes the poetry out Of sailors yarns OF
rare hours In foreign ports TO see them at 1t On
the vessels deck are crew OF coopers, consisting
usually OF a Spaniard, creole and negro. The
coopers trim" or repair the empty hogsheads, as
they are from time to time needed In the hold be-
cabin table; VIII only work from o to s; insist on
i've meals day, and bring with them gallons OF
cheap Catalan wine. OF which they partake spar
tngly every few minutes, rom bottellas. quaint
Spanish vessels having long delicate crystal
SHOUTS, from which, az they are held aloft, the
wine Is sho: into their threats, their lips never
touching the MOBILES, and the entire draught being
taken without the lips once closing. From so TO
100 hogsheads OF molasses Will be thus 'stored"
board these sailing craft smeared and permeated
with the vile and valuable fluid.
HAVANA BAY.
Harbor scenes and sounds by day and night
have In all countries a rare fascination But
doubt II there can be found another harbor like
this where diversity and charm so combine to in
terest and hold From dawn to dark Havana bay
Is alive with movement, sound and color. The
The vi sSa, are are
everywhere. Thousands OF guadaneroS with
hooded boats speed hither and thither with pas
sengers. or dart like birds OF prey upon possible
piunder. Hundreds OF guadanero hawksters ply
from vessel to vessel singing their wares In
RIDICULOUS, almost PATHETIC, way: Scores OF gov
eminent boats are never idle in their piage upon
foreign commerce. Repairs upon vessels, setting
new sails, taking on supplies, receiving and deliv-
erlng lrelghts. painting and EARRING down" decks
are never done.
HARBoR RECEPTIONS.
Then there Is q tremendous amount Of visiting
by officers and crews between ships. The old sea-
dogs OF captains who have never been seen in any,
thing more comedy than oil-clothes and sou'west-
and wrinkly black, order their gigs and "cali" on
this vessel and that, for days together. sOpen
house, Is kept on deck about the cabin, under the
great tarpaulins spread above the spanker- Blooms
for shade by day and protection from dewS at
night. Great NUMBERS OF these harbOr receptions
can be constantly seen. They can be heard, too
for your sea-folk have voices, and know how to
let them out in greeting, laughter and song. Not
the least interesting about these misconceptions
mothers, sisters, cousins, aunts, sweethearts,
from Pembroke, Eastport, Bath, Portland, Gl0u-
eester, Marblehead, New Bedford, and other coast
the great tide OF Cuba's products sets northward,
enjoy their reunions with friends and relatives,
Just as our American farm-folk do their years
visiting" in winter.
EVENING PLEASURES.
At shutdown cannon boom from all the forts and
the men-of-war. Instantly every flag in the har-
Dor is lowered. At O'Clock again the cannon bel
low. Instantly again from hundreds Of vessels
come the changing sound OF "eight bells" With
these mingle the Ginning of bells from an hundred
churches. Far and near sound the notes OF the
trumpeters in the forts upon the mountains Then
for a little It seems as II deep silence came upon
mountain and city and bay; and then-here o
song; there the notes OF guitar; over yonder the
merry click OF the castinet; beyond sailors singing
roysteringly or well; here again an old American
accordion full OF sentiment and sweetness; out
there In some Scotch craft bagppe. softer sound
ing than upon shore; beyond that clump OF YES
sells, the crew OF a German man-of-war singing as
only Germans can sing some soulful bundeSlied;
upon the shore near and far and all about, all man.
IA lrfI fnaa ~ lam hfnro Vdv lTsiyy
hidden and intensified In mystery and sweetness
by distance and night: while from the lOOk-outS
on Moro tower, around to Jesu del Monte, and on
again circling TO the sea, heard, In medieval
days OF old Spa the chanted calls OF challenging
sentinelS, traveStying our later time with Owlike
hoottngs from mOnarchy's mold and gloom.
EDGAR L. WAKENAN.