Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-06-02
THE CARBoNERos.

during the nr8G DAY OF our excursion our
quest was rewarded with nething in the
shape of deep-wood sights or tenantry,
though the very earth seemed filed with
songs and calls of negritos, mayitos, cabre-
ros, zoraies, totises; ehinchinguacos, solviros,
pioreras, savaneros, canaries and moeking-
birds, which frequent the more open districts
and plantation-trees and hedges; but as we
neared the denser forests, along towards
night-fall, we came upon little settlement
| of people well worth going long distance to
know. These were the Cuban carboneros or
charcoal-burners. AS all of the cooking.
and much of the manufacturing requiring
heat. in the Cuban cities are done with char
coal, charcoal burning provides u sort OF a
livelihood for a small and picturesque class,
who fell timber and burn charcoal at will in
the countless island forests. These carbone-
ros comprise some queer people. Most of
them are inoffensive and hospitable, but
many are refugees from the late revolution,
for the Spanish soldiery deem it wise not to
disturb anybody in these almost inaccessible
haunts. So, aside from insurgent refugees,
| in nearly every carbonero's camp will also be
found, if you happen to be in company with
those whose sympathies are with a certain
| flag which waved defiance to the hated Span
| ish red and gold over the blood-swept fields
| of Camaguay, here and there noted bandit
| who could never be taken from among his
swarthy friends. found other than these
of interest. They were gitanos or genuine
| Spanish gipsies, who, forming more than
ehaH of the grimy settlement, lived and
| labored and loved in these matchless forests.
| all unknown as gipsies among their Cuban
brethren. Our party was known and we
| were received with every manifestation OF
| delight. The best cabin was set aside for us;
our horses were tethered and cared for; wa
| ter was brought from cool repressa or
spring for washing in pondering ewers; cheap
| wine, aguiardiente and tobacco in extraordi-
/ ad
| eyed and half naked muchacos and ninas
gathered about us; looked, wondered, and
| with silvery bursts of laughter fed to their
mothers or the forests for recovery; supper
of such proportions, variety and grotesaue-
ness was provided as never before greeted
the eyes of civilized man; and during the
| long evenings these half-wild, happy hearted
men and women-the latter digging out OF
odd corners of shadowy old cabins many a
bauble and bit of fnery for the unusual oer
| casion-danced for us and with as upon the
grimy, smooth-worn ground such hilarious
| zapateos, such outlandish Habaneras and
| such grotesque fandangoes as no fervid pen
| can describe or even lax moralist approve.
It was gypsy scene indeed, lacking only the
hooded tents and the circling, huddled wag-
ons; for here and there the charcoal fires
fared as gypsy camp-fres do; myriads of fire.
| flies wove warp and woof of gold across the
| dark. outline of the jungles; half hundred
swarthy forms whirled in the half-lights and
| shadows; and the glowing stars, pulsing in
| their tropic fires, shene through the weird
| dark plumes of tropic verdure above.
| KILLING ALLIGAToRs.
| The next morning after "coffeen at the car.
| boneres' camp we set out at a very early hour
We had reached the San Juan river, and
| following it's course for a rapid ride for 9
| dozen or more miles came to series of wide
| low bayous or lagoons which set back from
l the river in some places for miles. These
| were filed with all manner of 1uxuriant
| tropic vegetation and reeds similar to those
from which the Guines valley takes its name,
| interspersed at intervals with stretches OF
| wild cane. Here and there great drifts OF
moss chung from limbs of gigantic trees to
| the very surface of the still lagoons. The 81
| lence of the locality was something wonder.
| full. Strange birds with long, gaunt bodies
| and trailing legs circled do1orously above
| Not a ripple broke upon the surface of the
| Shiny bayous. The reeds were straight and
still. The gray moss was motionless in the
shadows. The dogs kept close to our horaes
heels, and when we halted and tied the latter
crouched close and silent beside them. hao
noticed Jose at work upon some old pieces o.
blackened canvas. When we dismounted h'
removed his sombrero and put one of thes'
upon his head, placing others in the waist O
his loose blouse.
"Come,n said DON Manuel, 1--WE will shoy
you how harmless alligators are when 70,
| know them, and what simple thing it is 70
h Hrha fr kill thAvntn