News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1888-07-12
|QUAINT SIGHTS IN CUBA,
PECULIAR ROADS AND CURIOUS
CUSTOMS ON THE ISLANDS.
Hospitality of the People-Polite-
ness. Good Feeling and Religion
Coffee, Cigars and Kind Wishes.

Hospitality of the People-Polite
ness. Good Feeling and Religion
Coffee, Cigars and Kind Wishes
Describing some of the quaint sights
witnessed on trip through Cuba, a
| correspondent of the Worcester Spl
| journey, the Sio del Gaaratre, where two
massive unfinished arches told of the
| splendid Improvements underway a quar-
ter of century ago, and the Rio Cana,
whose margins for leagues bristle with
wild cane, from which whistles, baskets
| and bird cages are made for the Havana
markets, when we left the lower shore
side region for the upland district. For
the whole distance Il cry hand were
flowers and luxUf@~I - e1r1ure, broken
only by the cleared grounds about lowly
and once noble haciendas and the
reaches of cultivated fields of the estan-
cias, or plantations devoted to general
farming. One could see from the road
side alone anones, mamoncillos, man
goes, guanabanas, nisperos, cultivated
and wild oranges, tamarinds, ba-
nanas, carmitos, mammees. zapota and
pineappes, while the stately star of
Bethlehem, the mignonette, the vinca
the golden jasmine, the hibiscus,
the galen de noche, the flaming
fiamboyant, the star cactus, the Carolina
tree, the campanile, the Cherokee, Mare
chal Neil and cape rose the jacqueminot
jonquil and lilies of the valley, the wild
pea, honeysucklc and heliotrope, and
myriads more of the almost unnameable
flora of Cuba, da2zled the eye with color
and filed the air with matchless frag-
rance. But true to the bitter contrasts
everywhere noticeable in the island, the
road itself was exc ;rable beyond descrip-
ton.
They are all alike. Though usually
inclosed, as are the American country
roads, they are utterly impossible for
any manner of vehicles. Indeed, no
vehicles are used in Cuba, save in the
large cities. In this region, agricultur-
ally the richest portion of the island, the
needs between hundreds upon hundreds
of great plantations and Trinidad have
been met by ''packings'' on the backs of
ponies and mules for over 200 years.
and during one-fourth of the time the
road are altogether impossible. Every
sack of coffee, every pound of food. e. cry
"packed" back and forth in this shift
less manner.
The roads crook and turn to avoid
obstacles just as the Cuban will do six
days labor to avoid one. "Beware the
pantanos!' was the warning from every
tongue throughout the day These
''pantanos" a:e SINKS in the clay soil
where one animal will plunge from per-
fectly solid footing fairly out of sight.
We rescued five animals so mi1ed with
their muddy panniers and packs, for
dolor09us and grateful pilgrims during
enough, but the desechos QiteraIly, re-
fusals; avoidanccs) are worse. These
are always cut around impossible places
involving careful riding through bogs
and juugles, and not infrcquent goings
astray in the dense forests.
The fences Of these. remarkable
'TCiaA'H ere 0urioU Affairs. Frequently
they are ot -nE spanish bayonct and the
Lemegu "A bread leaf and barhed
point six Inoncs long, strong enough to
impaIe hor5c. Again, strips of stone
pima dc ration or bastard pine apple tree.
But the larger number are of phones
botiia Green limbs are cut from this,
and when thrust in the ground grow in
and luxuriously. Between the
branches the vejuco de augarllla,
hardy vine, is planted. This weaves it
self through and through the hedge in
all manner of fantastic and tightening
freaks; and as it bears a lovely purple
blossom, this fence is always strikingly
beautiful to the eye.
The overfowing hospitality of all
nJo Nf Io1 1DIo
tration upon our journey along the road,
singly or in persistent groups, the oc-
cupants begged us to enter and tarry
with them. If it were but for moment,
for greeting, good. If for little chat
ter and coffee" better If it could have
been for a week or month, best. And
this was the never ending form of greet
ing and invitation from the head of the
house as he awaited US upon the high
way:
"Buenos dias, camara.' ("Good day,
'Buenos dias, amigo" (''Geod day,
my friend.")
'"Hasta donde, bueno2" ('How far,
good sirs?O
"Boy, al Aguacate." C'To the Aqua
cate district.")
"Venga a tomar cafe. listed va muy
lejos" ("You go too far! Remain with
me for coffee and rest.")
Again, being out of matches and de-
string light for our cigars, drawing up
before a casa da vivienda, Don Manuel
would shout:
"La paz de Dios sea en- esta casa"
(''The peace of God upon your houser)
"Y venga con vozm ("Come you
with that blessing!' is answered back.
''Hagame ell favor de darme Candida"
(tFavor me with light.')
"Desmontesen y tomen cafe Y fuego."
Dismount and receive both coffee and
ire "
And there is no escape. Coffee as
well as a light must be taken, else the
guest is committing grave offense. Then
as you depart, and there is no exception
to this, you are followed back to the
road with blessings innumerable by the
whole family, and eager muchachos run
after us to show the safer way.