The record-union., 1894-06-16
THE CASKET OF MANACA ISNAGA.

copyright, 1894, by Edgar L. Wakeman. All
rights reserved.
The ancient glories of the city of Trim
idad, on the southeastern coast of Cuba,
seem beyond belief. But the magniti-
cence of her almost deserted structures
of to-day attest their former splendor
and reality. Many are palaces beside
which the storied edifices of the Riviera
are plain and commonplace.
Rising gradually from its enchanted
shores the city spreads downward like a
cleaning satin fan from the apex of a
picturesque hight. is one vast and brill
liant garden, broken only by splendid
edifce, dreamful plaza and quaint old
fountains.
To the east sweeps the broad Bay OF
Masio. To the south stretches the dream
ful sea, from which languorous breezes
endlessly come. Behind, as if in terrac
on terrace, are forests and wales OF inde-
scribable luXuriance, and, a score OF
miles away, the famous Vale del Aqua
cate, where lie the olden coffee lands of
Cuba, thousands of feet above the sea.
The valleys grand upland sweep reaches
to picturesque foothills, and beyond are
the grim mountains, the Andes of Cuba.
like walls of purple bronze in the won
drous tropic air.
Only a quarter of century ago the
fabulous riches still derived from the
coffee lands of the glorious region gave
the brilliant city the title of Paris Chi
quito, the Little Paris" Its formerly
princely masters, its surroundings still
eloquent with unequaled natural beauty, /,
its old slave times, when every city man
sion was filed with scores of bondsnen
and bondswomen and every plantation
and even raspanero boasted an army of
half-naked African serls, have left the
locality rife with weird legends and fear
ful tales, SURPRISING in horrible memo
ries even that pandemonium OF awful
imagery depicted throughout the pages
of the little known bug JargaP OF
Victor Hugo.
Half way between Trinidad and the
Vale del Aguacate rises the mighty forti-
fled tower OF Manaca Isnaga. With our
host the venerable Don Miguel, we had
come thus far from the white city
by the sea on our way TO his plantation
home. Our montero and VanquerO COM
panions taking charge of our horses, we
assembled the lofty structure and came
at last to its colounaded and battle
mented top, four hundred feet from its
base.
We were travellers in ali civilized lands.
but mad never previously Deheld so huge
and lofty pile of modern lnasonary. 1t
was built upon the summit OF d rocky
eminence several hundred feet in hight,
and in its massive crowning apex one
stood fully a thousand feet above the sur
rounding terraced valleys, more than
twice that altitude above the sea, which
lay like misty mass OF emerald hall
score of miles below, while the eye,
sweeping across the magnificent vale OF
laurels, palms and flowers, dotted with
the red roofs of great plantation homes,
seemed from the very hight, TO draw the
northern mountain bases almost to- Ma
naca lSnagaS side.
With glass every object to the east
and west OF Trinidad along the Caribbean
shore, every mountain ana valley stream,
every lonely old Cuba road, every mon
tero's hut, every planters village of
home and outbuildings, every waving
field of coffee or cane, every group OF
laurelS or palms, every struggling hedge
of the fierce Spanish bayonet, and every
herd of cattle, half buried in the luXu-
riant grasses of the lanos, could be dis
cerned with startling clearness in the
brilliant Cuban air.
As we assembled, the don had remained
silent, but as we passed we had noticed
that the entrance could be closed and
guarded against all assault. At intervals
were tiny windows, splayed outwardly,
with recesses behind them for rihemen.
We had also seen water gushing from
fountain within the structure, and many
curious compartments which had evil
IDENTIFY been provided for stores in time
of siege.
All these things were subjects for Won
dering comment in connection with the
stupendous character of the cloud reach
ing pile, but after we had feasted upon
the magnificent scene, spread from
mountains to sea beneath US, two objects
in the open dome where we stood en-
gagged our attention with far deeper in
lerest.
One was the most gigantic bell ever
cast for any portion of the Western
World. The tallest of our party could
have stood upright within il. 1t was
hung up there above our heads upon
huge beams of guabrahaca. a Cuban
wood, marvellous as il may seem, of
greatersstrength than iron of the same di-
nle2sions. This bell Of Manaca Isnaga
has not been tolled for upwards of half q
century; but its brazen voice can be
heard for distance of five leagues-by
sailors coasting along the Caribbean and
far from beyond the Aguacate Valley,
almost TO the base of the mighty noun
AaAAS Stdh1ll1S SSutluSl III luS uOIlHs
Immediately beneath this monstrous
bell stood block of white marble, over
which laid a faded black velvet pail. At
gesture from Don Miguel this was with
drawn by the guarda de puerta or care
taker of the tower. Flashing upon our
astonished sight was sealed burial
casket of FURNISHED silver, upon which
was inscribed the legend:
MALIBRAN.
RerolucioR deL Quenado.
1899