, 1888-05-20
THEIR HOME LIFE.


VALE E AGUAcATE, Cuba, May 10,
lSSS.-There is nothing in the western
hemisphere accessible to an American
traveller more truly interesting than the
surroundings OF, and daily life in, one of
these quaint old Cuban plantation homes.
This is particularly true if it be deep in
the interior and far remote from
even remote Cuban cities. For in
stance, this very estate to which don Man
uel brought me in the heart Of the Cuban
office lands, has been entailed from father
to son for nearly a quarter thousand
years. The charm of age rests upon it.
Framed in an ever new setting of ravish-
ing tropic yerdure, it is like coming upon
some rare old canvas of the masters glori-
fed by contrast of modern environment.
The great laurels above this noble old casa
de vivienda, the %coco-trees piercing the
blue Cuban sky with their sword. like, pin
nate leaves, the royal palms, an hundred
feet to their plumy branches, were all old
when Columbus wrote of this island in his
journal, at excels all other countries, as
far as the day surpasses the night in
brightness and splendor."
Away out there along the old road is a
wall of stone and cement eight feet high,
with a peaked top. For a mile in front
of the ~estancia or farm this gray, bastion-
AIDED guardian winds to the right and left
Ike a Chinese wall, from a massive en-
trance called Ia t%aranquera. This is the
queerest sort of n structure. Huge sup.
porting pillars are ~surmounted by a cano-
pied roof some twenty feet from the
ground, and reaching fully half way to
this are two immense doors or gates of
the indestructIble guabrahaca wood; filed
with huge brass headed cross bolts. These
swing on stapled hinges as thick as ones
arm. A tremendous paddock fastens the
taranquera, and were you a stranger de-
sirous of entering the grounds, such wish
could be only made known by tolling a
c injury old bell hung high above. As
the entire plantation is surrounded by an
impenetrable hedge of Spanish bayonet.
the latter with the road wall and the in
surmountable t%aranquera, render the in
dweller comparatively safe from annoy
ance in truublous times. Differing only
in degree OF expenditure of money and
toll upon them, the larger plantations of
hl lAllS WASH hllu luAuIldlI TtBlOU are Slm-
ilarly defended.
For an eighth of a mile from the road
entrance an avenue nearly an hundred
feet wide, bordered by great hedges of
parnarosas, leads straight towards the old
plantation home. Then, the point OF the
angles marked by gigantic palms, the
avenue spreads fan like to the right and
left-a common arrangement in this re-
gion-and the entire open space beyond,
defined by long reaches OF the gorgeous
grandillas or passion flowers, is simply an
understandable collection of tropic flowers
and shrubs, far surprising anything pos
sible to conceive from conservatory dis
PLAYS in our wi northern cline. At
either side OF this, are what are regarded
here as small fields of orange trees,
with from 1000 to 5000 trees in each
field. Beyond, is the Cuban country
home low and large and old, with scores
OF outbuildlngs at convenient distances,
with little plazas of packed clay ground
between, the whole set beneath the ample
and endless shade of huge %laurels, cocos
and palms.
B~ewildcring as may be the magni6cence
of flowers around these Cuban plantation
grounds, the variety and singing of birds
are positively ravishing. 1t has been
written that what tropical birds gain in
brilliancy of plumage they lose in variety
aud quality of song. That is not true Of
Cuba. The birds seem numberless. their
voices and singing are startlingly beyond
anything possible for one to come upon at
any one time in the states. Riding from
Trinidad tod on Mauuers home the other
day, / saw eighteen distinct species of
birds-the crow, the parrot, the indigo
bird, the paroquet, the lapwig, the oriole,