Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-05-19

IN THE HEART OF The COFFEE LASDs-A CUBAN
HoHEsrEAD-ABUNDANcEk AND VARIETY OF BIRDS
AND FLOwKRs-MPESETKABLs PLANTATIONS WALLS
The DAILY RoUTIsE-LAcK OF TOLL
Special Correspondence of TEE EVENING STAR.
rCopyrIghted 1sss.l
VALE DEL AGUaCATE, CUBA, May H. 1883.
There is nothing In the western hemisphere ac-
cessib!e 10 an American traveller more truly inter-
esting than the surroundings Of and daily life in,
one OF these quaint Old cuban plantation homes.
This Is particularly true II 10 be deep In the In
terror and far remote from even remote Cuban
cities For instance this very estate to which don
Manuel brought me In the heart OF Cuban coffee
lands has been enta:led from father to son for
nearly a quarter thousand years. The charm OF
age rests upon 10. Framed In an ever-new setting
Of ravshing trOpic yerdure. IL is like coming upon
some rare old canvas Of the masters glorited by
contrast OF modern environment The great
Iaurels above this noble old casa de vivienda, the
coco-trees piercing the blue cuban sky with their
swOui-like, pinnate leaves, the royal palms, an
hundred feet 10 their pumy branches, were all old
when Columbus wrote OF this island in his journal,
1T excels all other countries, as far as the day
surpaSses the night IA briy htness and splendOr."
THE BAsrIoSADsD GUARDIAN.
Away out there along the old road Is wall OF
stone and cement feet high, with q peaked top.
For a mile IN front OF the estancia or farm, this
gray, bastiOnaded guardian winds TO the right and
left like a chinese wall, from massive entrance
called la taranquera. This Il the queereSt sort OF
structure Huge supporting pillars are sur
surmOunted by a CanOpied roof some twenty feet
from the ground; and, reaching fully half way to
this are two immense doors or gates of the indie
Siructible guabrahaca wood Illed with huge brass
headed cross-bolts. These swing on staped hinges
IS thick ones arm \ tremendous paddock
fastens the taranqueTa; and were you stranger
deSirOus OF entering the grounds, such wish could
only be made known by tolling a century old bell
hung high above. As the entire plantation is sur
rounded by an inpenetrable hedge Of spanish bay
Onet, the latter with the road wall and the insur-
inOuntable taranquera, render the indwellers CON-
paratlyely safe from annoyance In troublous times
Differing only in degree Of expenditure or money
and toll upon them. the larger plantations Of all
this vast and luxurianL region are similarly de-
Tended
APPROACH TO A PLANTATION HOME.
For an eighth OF mile from the road entrance
an avenue nearly an hundred feet wide, Dordered
by great hedges OF parnarosas, leads straight to-
ward the Old plantation home. Then, the point Of
The angles marked by gigantic palms, the avenue
spreads fan-like 10 the right and left-a common
arrangement In this regiOn-and the entire open
space beyond, defined by long reaches OF the gOr-
geOus granadillas or passion flowers Is simply an
Undesirable collection OF trOpic flowers and
shrubs, far SURPRISING anything possible to con-
ceive from conservatory displaysin our own north
eTn cline AT either side OF this what
garded here as small fields OF orange trees with
from 1000 20 1000 trees In each neld- Beyond Is
the cuban country home. low ana large and old,
with scores OF Outbuildings at convenient dis
tances, with little piazas OF packed clay ground
between. the whole set beneath the ample and
endless shade OF huge laurels cocos, and palms.
BIRDS OF SONG.
Bewildering may be the magnlficence OF
flowers around these cuban plantation grounds,
the variety and singing OF birds are positively
ravishing. IL has been written that what trop-
Ical birds gain IN brllancy OF plumage they loose
In variety and quality OF song. That Is not true OF
CUBA The birds seem numberless; their voices
and singing are startlngly beyond anything pos
sible for one 10 come upon at any one time In the
states. Riding from trinidad to Don Manuers
home the other day saw eighteen distinct species
OF birds-the crow, the parrot the indgO-blrd, the
parOquet, the lapwing, the oriole. the namingO,
the robin. the brown pelican, the pigeon, the
woodps;ker, the English bird, the blue-bird,
the ibis. the cat-brd, and the humming- bird, OF
which there said TO be sixty varieties In cuba.
All OF these birds were To be seen or heard here
about; and besides, passed many a charming
hour In the acquaintance OF as many more all Of
which regarded the plantation trees, shrubs and
hedges theirs as surely as their human owners
THE VARIETIES
Among these were the following: The solytros
which live by sucking honey from the flowers
They have brilliant green jackets with yellow
vests. As large as our robin, they live In gourd-
shaped, dOuble-windowed nests attached TO the
under side OF large trOpic leaves. The male is
ruminative; but its mate Is full OF Joyous song
The mayitOs are as large as our southern hooking
bird. and in form and acJion resemble them
Their backs are blue-black; and they have gorgeous
wing. Their songs are precisely like those OF the
canary, but holder and stronger. The negritOs
are here called the black canary birds Their
wings have a few dainty white feathers
and their singing Is marvellous. The sayaperos
are delightful inhabitants Of the shorter
thrush, with dark puce-brown feathers
deiicately notified, clinging close TO the frame;
anu their CHEEKY chatter Is endless. Other fire.
quenters OF the ground and grasses about planta-
ton houses are the tOtiSes and the chlnchinguscos
They are alike black and In their Resemblance no
the American blackbird in form and movement
Both are meodiOus but noisy. They flock In great
numbers and cry -kl-ee-ing !-kl-ee-ulg.-k
tag." with the rythmic mOdulatiOns OF silver bells
First, the tOtiSes sound their triple notes with rs
Ing scale, as questioning. Then from hundreds
scale, by the ehinchinguacos. The notes are ai
most identical; simply reversed. A singular fact
Is that when the former sing their tails spread lat
erAlly, anu the latter, perpendlculaIly.
THOUSANDS AT ONE TINE
Will mock about these home spots, ringing these
birdyoice chimes until the din Is often startling
The cabreros are between the mocking bird and
canary In size, and are very beautiful They are a
notified black, yellow, and red in color one OF
their Interesting characteristics Is TO eat so freely
as To barely enable them 10 remain upon branch
or shrub and then twitter and sing with wondrous
and plaintive sweetness. Two dainty species are
the JOmegrines del pinar and the piOreras Both
are much smaller than the smallest canary, and
but tribe larger than the humming- bird. For
Its size the former l. the most striking plumage OF
all cuban birds With a Robin Hood Jacket OF
brightest green, its breast is set with
plune-lke comb surnOunts It's tiny head It's
notes are similar 10 those OF the American
robin, but with more OF the piccolo In them
than the 1ute. The piorera Is smaller with a
blacS-and-white back, white breast and a red
A'Ch- me- ID an llCtcStuJ singer, With pretty
variety OF TITLED notes. But the zoraleS are the
bunOOIis OF these plantation chOristers. They are
the size OF our wrens OF ash color, notified with
1.dck and yellow, with yellow bills and feet.
Their 1mpish activity Is astounding Differing
from the crow, magpie and mocking- bird they
possess many OF the qualities OF each; though
their sibes, tauntS and teasingS seem directed
against other birds rather than humans Their
Initiative pOw erS are marvellous. They win mock
the notes OF all song birds nicely OF tone and
incubation, and their range OF mimicry reaches TO
Ialr limitation or the whinneyfng OF horse: while
their saucy pranks are supported by more than
brayado, for while each Is confirmed barratOr In
bird strife the raseals are without exception un-
daQnted fighters
THE OLD HOMESTEAD OF MT HOST
was OF the average pattern OF hundreds OF others
In tAis portion OF Cuba So far as one could see
the structure itself, and daily life within and
around IL, could not have been more disturbed by
the uprisangs and revolutions which have so long
rent the unfortunate island, than by the present
state OF seige which the tyrant, Marin recently
declared upon four OF the most important Cuban
provinces one fancies IT could have been seen
can bring IL no change This one and all others OF
pretension hereaOOut built OF the porous Cuban
stone, which hardens from exposure. They are
inInenSely large IN ground area and but one lofty
story IN height: though under the center OF the
IOoi there Is guardlla or garnet which the great
New England "hipped, roof cannot anywhere
equal set up q Few feet from the ground on
large square stone pillars, permitting free passage
OF the air underneath, as with many olden South
ern plantation houses, huge beams OF guabrahaca
WON rest upon these, and upon this foundation