, 1888-01-22
CUBAN SIGHTS AND SCENES.
Fascinating Pictures of Life and Nam
ners About Havana.


HAVANA, Cuba, Jan. &c, 1SSS.-Few
have occasion or opportunity to get close
to the picturesque and practical part of
these harbor scenes in domestic or foreign
ports. An entertaining book could be
made on what any such scene tells or sug-
gests; and the merest chance put me in
the way Of beginning Cuban experiences
and prosecuting studies and observations
in this sunny cline at this particular
side of life. l truly believe an infinitely
larger and better insight into things was
resultant.
Here are hundreds of vessels of all de-
scriptions from all parts Of the globe, all
Of them in their far coming and far
going, to be thought like a strong and
cleaning thread of circumstance woven
into the wool of the worlds mutual re-
lations. With military precision these
different craft are anchored upon the
waters of the bay. Innumerable flags
flags of ownership, flags of courtesy, flags
which convey the etiquette of sea and
port, flags of all nations-give a wonder
full life and movement and color to the
masts and rigging. Over there near
Moro and La Punta are anchored a half
dozen men of war. Beyond Santa Gaia
lima, over In the eastern arm OF the bay,
are the great English, French and Span
ish steamers. Along the vast warehouses
Of Regia are innumerable %iauntily built,
white painted Spanish coasters that know
tho coves and inlets of the island as well
as did the old buccaneers, and bring
hither from the coastwise villages and
estacions or depots the products and
flavor of interior island life. And what
queer crews they have thought A dozen
men and boys and dogs seem to live
happily and well on each coaster. They
brawl and quarrel and laugh and eat and
sleep anywhere, at all times, smoking
and eating and drinking when not sleep
ing, but ever a ragged, PICTURESQUE, lazy,
Jolly lot among whom a true artist could
achieve fame.
Around behind Catalina are hundreds
of lanches or lighters. with their clumsy
single masts, square built hulls and belly
ing sides, their fantastic groups of lanch-
eros or lightermen. their bits of ribbon
and tinsel fluttering in the breeze, their
dogs and cats andl picaninnies-all form
ing a gypsy like and almost oriental mosaic
of light and lcolor. Your lanchero is a
character. He is the one semblance of a
ma VIM Gdu hCNGl Dt IluIIlCu. liz Is
quiet and pleasant, and will not be led
into anxiety by any hustling sea captain.
He believes in not earning too much, but
in earning regularly. There is no sum-
mer nor winter for him, nor any other
change. He regards the progress of the
worlds commerce as dependent on him;
and SO it is here. He will labor but a few
hours each day, as much time being
passed in the dreamful siesta flat upon his
belly, in or out Of the sun, in his boats
bottom, as in labor, and his nights are
devoted to the lively cockfight and the
cXuberant tandango. He needs but one
thickness of linen between his skin and
the sun by day and the stars by night;
and a good many scOrn even that propri-
ETY.. He is a thoroughly happy man, and
while certain good people would look on
his kind and insist that the salvation OF
his soul would require instantly changed
conditions, it is a question whether so
completely a contentGd spirit would thrive
under missionary devices.
The sailing craft from American and
Canadian ports, comprising a greater
number of vessels than all other craft
combined, are grouped in the center of
the bay, anchored so that wide paths are
left between lines of vessels for movement
Of the energetic ferries, which ply between
Havana proper and the opposite shore by
day and night. Along the low, crowded
quaint wharves on the Havana side, by
the Catalina warehouses, skirting the
Regla docks and s~torehouses, or served at
various points in the bay by these pictur-
esquc lighters, and their noisy lancheros,
are banks and ~barkentines, brigs and brig
a%ntines, two, three and four masted
schooners, and full rugged ships, discharg-
ing and receiving cargOes, Here are
Dutch barks and brigs discharglng coal
from Cardiff. They will receive sugar or
molasses for Philadelphia or New York,
and there load with general cargoes for
briggs and brigantines have brought coal
from the Baltic and tiles from France and
Spain. French brigs and banks are dis
charging cargoes of tiles from Marseillcs.
Here are Spanish vessels with linen and
wines from Barcelona. All name of
queer Portuguese craft are here with
onions and garlic and flour. From Hall
fax have come vessels with genera. car
goes of onions, cabbage, potatoes, apples
and salt fish. From South America have
come brigs and ~brigantines, with the gem
eral air and build of Spanish craft, and
these have brought wheat, fruit and tas-
sajo or iorked beef, olives, sweet oil. bacon,
butter, lard, figs and brandy. From Vera
Cruz and Mexico have come what our
American sea folk are pleased to term
tramp steamers, with hundreds of bulls
for the bull fights and for meat; and
American and Canadian vessels bring
hither three-fourths of the entire food
staples consumed by the people of Cuba.
1t can be readily imagined hat all this
har Dor life activity is remarkable, repre-
s%enting as it does all the most marked and
peculiar in national life II nearly every
civilized country on the globe, concen-
tered into this little bright and cleaning
space behind two ugly Spanish forts.
But few vessels are permitted land these
are Spanish alone) to unload or receive
cargoes at docks and wharves. Indeed the
general idea prevails among Spanish
people that modern methods of saving
labor rob the poor of s~ustentation, and
therefore hundreds upon hundreds of the
launches of lighters are always in use con-
veying, in driblets, and with the least
possible ease and dispatch, cargoes to and
from all vessels in port. Each lighter is
e ~