Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1888-02-25

or lounging DULLES, with monteros and quail
ros, or herders and peasants, form animated
groups mingling in boisterous righteousness
and had settled into SO exhilarating jog that
we had come to the first genuine Cuban vii
lage or pueblo, Luyano, two leagues from the
city, before fairly realized we had left the
beautiful suburbs of Havana behind. But
that effect was due to the delight in riding
Cuban pony. He is the most charming of
riding-horses in the world; and his powers OF
endurance are simply astounding. He will
make from seventy to ninety miles day in
continuous jog or half-rack, go easy to the
rider that glass of water could be carried
in the hand all that distance and not a drop
spilled. For rest he never halts to walk.
He simply changes from his swift gait into
what is here called Marcia, which is much
more rapid than the walk of the fastest
American horse. Like old Tatine's Greek
coursers, he is absolutely "proof to fatigue,
of diet spare and slight" and he is the true
est. most patient little animal in the whele
world, whether,A is owner is a man or brute.
THE VALLEY OF THE GIPsIKs
But little distance beyond Luyano our
animals showed signs of increasing interest
and speed, when of sudden without gui-
dance they abruptly turned into a narrow
path leading to the half mountains whose
summit forms the picturesque eastern hori-
zon. About mile from the calzada this
pdLu, bcAEC01y HOT6 Guau u W6llHD6dU0n i,
wound down and around the base of crag-
gy hill, towards which another PERCEPTIONS
crag gradually rose. Between these shadowy
sides there was barely room for our passage
in single file and the tumbling and splashing
of q diminutive stream. Pat We soon
emerged from this darkened passage and
were ct once in the presence of as sunny and
beautiful scene as / ever beheld. There
lay little mountain-sheltered valley of per-
haps eighty rods in length and half that
width; the little stream circling around its
edge on the northern side; the crests of the
protecting hills here and there sentineled by
the cocoa tree and palm. A few rude site
ros' cabins standing here and there alongside
the stream; and all about, in the most pics
turesque spots Imaginable, q score of tents,
the homes OF Ignacio's people, the true gita-
nos, or gipsies of Spain.
Near-us was grove of tamarinds, and be-
yond were palm and Towering locusts. The
level bed of the canon was divided into little
patches of tillable ground by hedges of the
Spanish baYonet. Men, women and children
were lolling about as gipsies always seem to
do, playing at dominoes or idly tlnkerine
upon pots and kettles, gathered from the
pessantry, upon FORCES OF their own con-
struction. Untethered ponies and donkeys
browsed about at will. The women, among
whom were a few girls of the matches
beauty Of the pure Spanish gypsy, were here
onO lACL0 PAdiI1HS SOAAS10AOS 11Ou LILO JtOl-
| japa grass, weaving grasses into dainty ropes
| or stirring the juicy mondongo in the pots
| above the fires; while happy, half-naked
olive-skinned children rolled about with the
| dogs and goats at play, or splashed and
waded in the waters of the little stream. 4
score of irregularly- disposed tents covered
| with brown wooden stuff, kept in place by
| skewer-ike hedge-thorns, and many futter
| ing garments in which red and yellow pre-
| dominated, completed what there was to b.
| seen at first glance of the picturesque gita
nos camp. But the canon was odoroul
with flowers; it was melodious with tn
songs of birds, the sounds of falling wa
tiers, the laughter of children, and thos
peculiar, quickly rising and falling, bu
ever pleasing tones of the Spanish gips.
| women's voices. The whole place was
satchet of sweets of odor such as Araby'
wales never surpassed and above all shon
a sky as pure and clear as can ever dom
a heaven.