Morning journal and courier., 1888-01-21
IN OTHER LANDS.
Cuba-In Havana Harb0r-Some Hap. py Men-The ShfPs-COmfort In Reg. la-The Trade in Sugar and MOIasses

| To the Edltor or the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
 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 suggests; and | the merest chance put me ill the way of be- ginning Cuban experience and prosecuting 1 studies and observations in this sunny cline 1 at this particular side of life. I truly be- | lieve infinitely larger and better insight into things was resultant.
 IN HAVANA HARBoR.
 Here are hundreds of vessels of all de- ! scriptions from all parts of the globe, all of 1 them in their far-coming and far-going, to the thought like strong and gleaming thread of circumstance woven into the hoof of the worlds mutual relations. With mili- | tary precision these different craft are ana chored upon the waters of the bay. Innu- merable fags-fags of ownership, flags of l courtesy, flags which convey the etiquette of sea and port, flags of all nations-give a wonderful life and movement and color to
 the masts and rigging. Over there near Moro
 and La Punta are anchored half-dozen men, of-war Beyond Santa Catalina, over in the eastern arm of the bay, are the great Eng fish, French and Spanish steamers. Along the vast warehouses of Regla are innumera-
 ble jauntily-built, white-painted Spanish l coasters that know the coves and inlets of the l island as we'll as did the old buccaneers, and
 bring hither from the coastwise villages and
 estaclons or depots the products and flavor of interior island life. And what queer ! H.
 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 sleeping, but ever ragged, pic- turesque, lazy, jolly lot, among whom a true artist could achieve fame.
 | Around behind Catalina are hundreds of
 launches or lighters, with their clumsy single
 inasts, square built hulls and bellying sides, their fantastic groups of lacheros or lighter l men, their bits of ribbon and tinsel hutter- l ing in the breeze, their dogs and cats and l picaninnies-all forming a gipsy-like and
 almost Oriental mosaic of light and color. l Your lanchero is character. He is the one semblanee of man who can never be hurried. He 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 summer nor winter for him, nor any | other change. He regards the progress of | the worlds commerce as dependent on him, l and so t is here. He will labor but few | hours each day, as much time being passed
 in the dreamful siesta fiat upon His belly, | in or out of the sun, in his boats bottom,
 as in labor, and his nights are devoted to the lively cock-fght and the exuberant fan dango. He needs but one thickness of linen between his skin and the sun by day and the l stars by night; and good many scorn even that propriety. He is 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 question whether so com pletely contented spirit would thrive under 1 missionary devices.
 THE SHIPPING. ! The sailing craft from American and Ca I nadian ports, comprising 8 greater number | of vessels than all other craft combined, are ! grouped in the center of the bay, anchored I so that wide paths are left between lines Of vessels for movement of the energetic fer ! ries, which ply between Havana proper and | the opposite shore by day and night. Along | the low, crowded, quaint whsrves on the Ha- ' vana side, by the Catalina warehouses, skirt ing the Regla docks and storehouses, or served at various points in the bay by these picturesque lighters and their noisy lanche- ros are parks and barkentines, brigs and brigantines, two, three and four-masted schooners and full-rigged ships discharging and receiving cargoes. Here are Dutch barks and brigs discharging coal from Cardiff. They will receive sugar or molasses for Phil adelphia or New York, and there load with f4r EF1-1 Nare Norwegian barks, brigs and brigantines have brought coal from the Baltic and tiles from France and Spain. French brigs and barks are discharging cargoes of tiles from Mar seilles. Here are Spanish vessels with linen and wines from Barcelona. All manner of queer Portuguese craft are here with onions and garlic and flour. From Halifax have come vessels with general cargoes of onions, cabbage, potatoes, apples and salt fish. From South America have come brigs and brigantines with the general air and build of Spanish craft, and these have brought wheat, fruit and tassajo or jerked 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-6ghts and for meat; and Ameri- can and Canadian vessels bring hither three fourths of the entire food staples consumed by the people of Cuba.
 It can be readily imagined that all this harbor-life activity is remarkable, represent ing as it does all the most marked and pecu~ liar in national life in nearly every civilized country on the globe, concentrated into this little bright and gleaming space behind two ugly Spanish torts. But few vessels are per- ! mitted (and these are Spanish alone) to un- load or receive cargoes at docks and wharves. Indeed the general idea prevails among Span ish people that modern methods of saving ' labor rob the poor of sustsntation, and therefore hundreds upon hundreds of the I launches or lighters are always in use con veying, in driblets and with the least possi- ble ease and dispatch, cargoes to and from all vessels in port. Each lighter is manned | by a crew of three persons-seemingly one to boss, one to give opportunity for boss, and third to furnish the others company.
 l COMFORT
 In Havana bay there are certainly one ! thousand lighters constantly in use, so that three thousand men are thus employed and at least fifteen thousand souls thus comforts ply sustained. Host of these folk live over at Regla just back of the Santa Catalina wharves, or the still quainter Calle Baluarte quarter, and in the narrow streets and l through and about their queer old abodes some of the strRngest sights you ever wit messed will be seen. Children of all colors and caste and ages disport naked among l hairless dogs, aggressive goats, demure don-
  l innocence, content and good nature. Little l is needed to sustain life, hence happy-heart- l edness among them is universal. Night or day, for nearly all the year, the only real ef- fort made is to get outside of clothing; and last Sunday morning when was wandering about in the vicinity of the little old Regla market actually stepped over fourteen ma ked sleeping women and children, lying in all sorts of pastures on landings, along gall l leries and at the doors of little alcobas. Some of them opened their handsome eyes @ bit, but none moved or seemed in the least disconcerted by the intrusion.
 UNLOADING VESSELS.
 The Havana consignees of cargoes provide vessels with these lanches and their lanchero ! crews, and ship captains must perforce be suited with such service. The sscharter par- 1 ty" or contract given each vessels captain by l the oonsignor provides for only limited Clay days'' in port. If this consignee shall not have taken the cargo from the vessel within l kI,a ka1 of kho ;O