The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1896-02-23
Interesting Personal tbHnaioaS q 4
Richmondtf Who Visited lie Island.
INDEPENDENCE WILL not BETTER THEN
II They Were Free From the spanish Yoke
. Republican Form of Government
Could not he Pcrpctaated- Hass-
mas Beautifui Harbor Pull OF
Yellow Fever Germs.

during tho two visits l made 10 tho ISL
and. Then ! suppose YOU know all about
II, and tho ways OF It's people. as a tort,
night Is sufficient time for the general
traveller TO learn thoroughly the habits
Of people, and the customs OF country.
No. do NOT know all about the island or
its people, and Its peoples ways ana
what 1 write VIII only be The tale OF
traveller. and tho impressions and ooin-
ions here given are only such as were
formed during my first. and conNiine9
on my later visit 10 this island, which
Is now so much in the public eye, ana
about which a large proportion OF our
people have n very vague IDEA.
was glad TO get TO Cuba, and glad 10
get away. Glad TO get there, as IL was
my last stop before reaching home al'er
an absence OF eleven months Giad 70
get away because 1 10 not ilke sldniSh
or Spanish-Amcrican customs ana ne.
How ! got 10 Cuba viii always be inter
esting 10 me- | had been around SCUM
America, and 10 most OF the west lnuia
Islands. and found myself az Jaii"iya'
and from Jamaica went 10 tGUa- "a
maica as everybody knows, belongs 10
Great Britain, and, Ike all the posses,
eions OF that wonderful empire. Is wen
kept and well governed. AZ hInsssoI,,
the chief city of Jamaica, there were
three of us travellers who wanted 10 70
TO Cuba. but there was no way OF ooihS
20, far as We coud learn, LOT ,ne
British royal mail steamers, salhhs pc
tween Jamaica and Cuba, had been taken
of because of Troublesome customs eN-
actions at Cuban ports. our only chdilCe
then was tramp steamer ana .. sne odiho
TO hand I'm the Tomas Brooks, mlEh-
" % ship, of 2lS tons burden Tying the
Spanish flag. and owned in cuba. for
four and half days, we sailed ana SUI
fered. and we three wanderers, an EIs-
lshman and two Americans, VINO We're
only acquaintancos when our voyage be-
gun. were friends for life when we reaSn-
ca Santiago de Cuba. what a HilseIaple
VOYAGE IL wasi We were the only Eng
lish-spcaking, and the only white passen-
gers on the fratt craft, ana thc ~hO.e
way over. we were rolled from sue "
side by the very heavy swell OF tne sea
Half sea-sck we were continually re-
galed by the odor OF garlic from the
cooks galley, the Spanish lndlNlouai pe
ing very fond OF this vegetable in all ms
dishes When we took passage by this
ship. the agent in Jamaica told US me
meals would probably be only inoiueFent'
and we found II so. our nrst 3reahlasSst'
at about IL o'clock the morning We s5n-
cd began with soup, strong In us Quor
and taste OF garlic; then q grand hsh-9
red snapper-spoiled by peing utes5eg
with garlic and sweet OF then Dv anT
chicken and rice. dressed as was the hsl;
we did not enjoy the breakfast, anu
the meal was made chiefly on cola brSau
and claret. After IL was over We na1 q
council OF war. and decided 10 demand
change II dinner was similar in naNor
10 breakfast. We found II so, ana ap-
preached the captain, VINO, aiter nluon
persuasion gave MS permission 10 inter
view the cook with whom we MADE ar
rangements for a baked chicken for
breakfast and dinner, and. with that anu
some stores Of ported meat cfdckeEs;; ,' anu
such like, we had laid in before salilhs'
we mace out, but did not fare sumptu-
onsly At the close OF the thlrd Gay our,
we reached Porte-au-P Prince the eapitt
and chief city Of Haiti, but. as IL Was
after six O'Clock, we had TO lay IN lhe
harbor all night The odor was awful
and | imagined the barber OF IOrte-au,
Prince has never been cleaned or ureuEeu
hi. tho Standards first SetiltQ
on its shores to this day. The chanse OF
government. from Spanish TO frenSh' anu
French to the present negro repuDncs mas
made no change in the cleanliness OF 'ne
harbor or the city. Por-e-au- rrlnce ~
a most forlorn place. ana us streets are
the worst / have ever seen. lhey ar
even worse kept than the streets OF our
own fair city. When We went ashore,
one Fnglishman called oil brother Eng
lishman. TO whom he had a letter OF IN
PRODUCTION, and when ne learned oN
what conveyance we had reached thele,
he at once exclaimed, Then you would
all like bath before breakfast. es,
we did want it, for there was no pain
arrangement on the Ionas bloohSS,
and our only way TO get morning anu
ton was to have one OF the ships crew
draw up few buckets or sea water, anu
throw IL over us In the early morning.
when we were having this done, theie
was great amusement on the part OF the
Spanish and half-breed contingent, ana
j imagine. great contempt, Tor you must
know that the nations who DO not rear
cold weather are not held In very heh
esteem by the nations that seldom wash.
How we did enjoy our cold plunge In the
home of this English resident at Porte-au-
Prince. Then he took us 10 the only res
taurant in town, and we had a good
breakfast. cooked by a frenchmdn, ana,
after breakfast, We met the late fIed'
Douglas who was then the representa-
tive Of our Government 10 the Black Ike
public and he did not appear TO be IN
love with the conditions existing IN TINS
government of and by the people OF his
race one thing more about ms plactA
and then go on 10 Cuba In the public
square Of the town there ~ tail ana
large flag-pOle, with ladders up ellhcr
side. AZ on a ship-mast. ana way up near
the crOss-trees. standing on the ladder,
WAS a negro man. barcheaded ana bare
footed. and as the Thermometer was ~
degrees or more in the shade, asked
why he was there, and learned II was the
method used for punishment of petty
criminals. | have often wondered II the
poor fellow lived through the day When
We sailed a little while after midday, he
was siill there. HIS suffering must nave
been intense.
ARMY OF CUSTOMS OFFICERS.
The next afternoon. we were at the en-
trance 10 the harbor OF Santiago de Gu
ba. and II was a lovely sight, as we sail-
ed up this beautiful bay. 1t is one of the
show harbOrs of the world. with narrow
entrance having promontory on either
side, the one TO The east being crowded
by "A very picturesque oh0tifNt anu USE
less old Spanish fort. A. we pass this,
and lust inside the entrance. on the west
side. Is an interesting looking fishing VII
fage whose houses. like those IN all Gu
han towns or cities. are painted drab,
white. pink, and blue. This variety of
color In the houses OF a town produces
picturesque though peculiar effect, and
makes them look as spotted as Il DOM
MICA chicken.
But about landing In Santiago. Appar-
entity all the city was out to see us come
An and when We were alongside the Dock
we were boardede by many officers Of the
law whose uniforms were deliberately
trimmed with gold lace and the brass
buttons on each coat were great In num-
her. on they came, looking like the
stan OF some grand general in chief on
dress parade, with sword ana pistol by
their side. IL was very imposing, and one
could not help wondering II some one OF
the passengers. who had laughed or
sneered at US on the Tomas Brooks"
when a sailor was pouring buckets of
salt water over US FOR our morning bath.
ANaS not commander In chief. or gov
ernor- general IN disguise. ana these, the
officers who were TO be under his author
ity. mad come TO DO him hOS1agc. But
this was not so. They were merely GUS
IONS officers In holiday attire who had
come down To enter. and TO pass the pa
pers Of little SteamcrI that was not
much larger than "a goOdtszed tug boat
ana that had no cargo. ana very few
passengers. There was no revolution
then In cuba. but. as eternal vigilance
d ne. ~ lHYrlN