, 1888-04-01
PICTURESQUE SCENES.
Pretty sights In Portions of Cuba I'm
visited by Travellers.

''H ~ 'SNlAes IVY 81
of little importance as we measure things
There is nothing about them in archItec-
ture or human activities to make them
worthy of account. They are seldom
popuIous and are never busy. In them
and between them, enterprise, rivalry, as
piration are unknown. But on this great
cath are not other spots so full of sim
plicity and effortless rest.
Thore are Just enough people in them
to make human presence an agreeable
consciousness. There is never any labor
done in any way that tires, Nobody hur-
ries. There is no f%retting or fuming about
anything. No one is supposed to be in
haste. Nor could any such notion ever
come to surprise and annoy the mind.
Every animate or inanimate object seems
at rest. If You desire to set a Cuban vii
llgc in an uprOar of indignant wonder.
mcnt. you have only to hint of doing, or
of desiring something done quickly. Even
the winds that blow, move in soft and
soothing b~reczes, eloquent of ~listless
dreamfulness. The birds sing in subdued
notes rs if half asleep Universal siesta
rests Upon everything. The very air
wings narcotic. and pulses balm, to the
sense and soul. Despite your wncon
tempt for Cuban hamilton, after q little,
your best efforts are overcome you
yield to the.insensible sirens of scene and
and scent and sound and the enthrall-
ment possesses you wholly.
Not one OF these Cuban villages ever
know an American tourist. In that fact
lies infinite charm; for where that all dis
,nunripv Tp,ltytlttal hoe NOT lnrp nrn Ian1
and people all ones own for enjoyment
and study. | relished this reflection
keenly, as my companion, a kindly old
don, and myself rode slowly from the
winding mountain calzada into this win
some little village of San Francisco de
Paula, romantic in situation and priced
for beautiful women and good bread, both
worth travelling a distance in any country
to enjoy.
The village nestles within a narrow
gorGe-thc main street being formed by
the calzada itself-and then t~ruantly
struggles on either side to a cockpit on
the one height and to a queer old church
on--the other. But down below, along
the street aud about the ways and paths
between the houses, are bowers of roses,
splashing fountains and pretty girls in
Vulnerable. 1t seemed a very hiding
place for these Cuban beauties and as we
turned our ponies over to a stout ncgress
at the resttul inn the landlord, the don
and myself seemed the only male portion
of the population.
The don remarked upon the fact, dryly
indeed, in pleasant prophecy, as our land
lord informed us that baths were in wait
ing. This delicious treat after a hot and
dusty ride upon the calzadu, was taken in
la4hg lnua, .,t .G LII .t.., -, A., 800
cipitous rock behind the inn, and water
from ever living springs splashed and
showercd upon us. The hostelry was a
posada y fonda, n grocery, a confectionery
and a bakery combined; and it is here the
celebrated pan de Paula or Paula bread,
50 noted throughout Cuba is ssmade. A
delightful little breakfast was served.
Among the daintics were ~aiiaco, the ma
tional Cuban dish of meats and vegeta-
bles, which told in the fewest English
words, would be known as Cuban all sorts:
pan de cascade or cascade bread, made Of
the roots Of the yuca grated, formed with
milk into thin paste patucs on paste, and
unhavorcd, dried quickly, though not
baked in ovens, and a Cuban country
cheese, similar to the German schmeer.
kase, or our own cottage cheese, but com
pressed, partially dried, and possessing a
dclica5e flavor. Many Cubans add syrup
TO this cheese as a dressing, spreading the
mixture upon bread in the place Of but
ter.
Sauntering about the lovely place we
climbed the mountain to inspect the old
church, which, in this peculiar atmos
phere, seemed to us from the valley be-
low a tremendous structure looming
against the steel-blue sky, but which on
approaching dwindled to a little old pile
of century-eaten stone, with no windows,
with but one door, and with a chime of
bells no bigger than the bells our Ameri-
can COWS rattle, half muffled in clover, at
the flies in the meadows. But the climb
ing showed us where there were more en-
t]rancing studies than the quaintest of old
churches. Every home in this village
nest was like a bit of old DOric Salem set
in a frame Of honeysuckle, jasmine and
rose; and every pillared pOrtico, wide and
big as the house itself, was a scene for an
artist and student OF simple toll and glow
ing beauty. Here, too, was q delightful
surprise III the pleasing discovery that the
delicate beauty, the Cuban woman, could
do something in the nature of work.
These were the sweetest OF Cubans, and
every one was as lazilY busy as pretty.
And what bright, engaging groupings
they were as we passed, making our ad-
mIration as piaIu in our eyes and lolter-
Jugs as they all showed US in their own
eyes and bushes they were glad that they
pleased.
You must know we were chivairous
cabalieros, the don and myself, aud that
no good women are Indifferent to true in
terest and admiration in any country. So
it was with no rudeness on our part nor
alarm on theirs, that we soon found a
group OF some twenty senoritas and ninas,
presided over by two or three pleasant yet
grave and serious s%enoras, plcturesquely
bestowed upon a great flower e~mbowered
portico, singing dainty snatches OF Span
lsh ballads, bandying back and forth
harmless iests, and full as the vines of
blossoms of the alert aggressions and re-
pulses of budding wo%manhood. San
Francisco de Paula's homes are all dimin-
utive factories Of the cool, light hat
known in our country as the palm leaf, y
the same being Il leading article of export
from Eucatan to the states, though it is
said the Americans are only sent the infe-
rior grades; and here these fair maids in