The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-27

their mastsr. He even tried tho lash supon
i inS% chem sS ar AND I patalp 70 a tSsm under M M" sho charge
OF n contra-mayoral, like the other slaves.
BIZ ,hsy had I'd, one style Iou, Of protest avs SsSinst
got together. sat down on the ground in a
ttrS1s i to w StISI' Ar &fteTwSrd shss we're set 10
work all together under one of their own num-
Der chosen by themselves, who had some
kno wledgo of English, and the mayoral. was
not allowed to have any control over them;
OF the sugar house into. their hands.
They soon cut OF their piGtails and dressed
like the other hands. as 70 had no other clothes
we could furnish. l have yet one of their
wido-brimmed hats. q pigtail lengthened out
j bought. from them. They stuck to their
method OF carrying burdens, on a bamboo nolo
over their shoulder While the neSr ;Tss0 always HSIy
men came tn Cuba to stay. as now tobacco
making. cooking; washing, and most Of the
rhe creole whites whom | met were a most
uninteresting set Of men. They were mostly
engineers. shopsoepers. and peddiers. They
were without ed %lcation. few except clerks or
engineers knowing how to read or write. Those
that. were on the plantation with mo we're fair
specimens of tho lot, with nothing to talk
about but the business and scandal OF the
place; with no one to associate with except
the negroes, as the owner or administrator
would have nothing to do with them except
plantation for any purpose, there being. even
no churches to attend. no politics to talk, no
papers to read. Few had travelled IL hun;
vegetated the whole of their lives, and they
wore the most foul-mouthed men 1 ever met.
One thing the creole white was interested
the breeding and the management 81 the birds
which he usually had around his house; each
SHss E'' all pS oy ses e tSE 1S e the s'S @iSx sna and GI'P inii.
Every Sunday morning, and during the whole
Of Holy Week, the cars we're crowded with
M pnnfd mar ~ tyhnQn nnlu lar npnn
each man. Each bird was clothed in q full
were visible. There was a loop to the dress
by which the BIRDS were hung on tho ceiling
OF tho car to hooks provided for the purpose. [
never saw a cock fight. and they say Iankets
seldom care to see n second one. The lights
were held in C9rdena= lust after morning mas,
day.. To hear the owners of the fowls brag
Of the merits o: their particular breeds OF
birds was something TO be remembered.
Another thing the creoles could do was TO
ride on horseback. being almost brought up IN
the saddle. They were perfectly fearless. and
f the idea sss OF N being saf 'H shrow ai' 3 never &h suggested Stssy la y.
self to them. Their usual speed on horse
back was about five miles an hour. but If it
OF u horse. They rode with long stirrups. but
depended little upon them. throwing out their
Eency. They were as brutal to their horses
as they were to everything, else. l have seen
\ horseman ride at full speed up to q small tree
and circle around it with his hand unon the
bark without checking tho speed OF the horse.
This was one Of the feats OF the bull drivers
ment OF the horse prevented them from being
wound up in tho rope If the animal turned
quickly.
I went to an American circus in Banaguisis
and soon found out that I was the only person
present who understood English except the
mombers OF tn" company. who knew, no span.
ish. i alone could understand those heavy old
jokes which have been laughed at from gem
GRAFTON to generation the same that our ances-
fI-. n mi ~ XHet brow IA ~ FIa,. $500 tl,a
mountains north of Iindostan. in prehistoric
LINES, AS n precious relic of their foretathers.
There was quite an audience for II place in
which there were not n dozen houses in sight.
and though the Jokes Of the clown were not
understood. they were much pleased at tie
large horscs and the women riders. But one
thing fell fiat. This was tho trick mules, for
the volunteer riders. beth men and boys. stuck
70 the muies'backs and could not be thrown OF.
II o mule lay on its back. the rider sat on its
belly. so this performance. which is so interest
Ing to a Northern audience, was a total fail
ure there.
The creole horsemen always rode well armed.
but l never heard OF an instance of the sword
being needed as a weapon of defence, but it
was of great use, for another purpose. The
oadways IL the fiat country east OF Havala
are b~order-d by hedges OF various pricklv
plants. such as the pineaprle. %prirkly, pear. or
which the long leaves o; tho aloe are armed are
leather Of a boot and wound tho foot inside.
Many horses have q habit OF siding up to these
hedges. making it. dangerous for the.rider's
legs II he rides In a saddle unprotected by
II leather footzuard. So here comes in n Csc
Tor the sword, which is TO cut on tho spiked
a sword drawn for any other purpose.
doubt II being loaded down with weapons
s1o6s the soG creole so a br S,,s man. ! Vas Vas riding
and travelling quite fast. for | never liked the
slow gait OF. the usual country rider. | rode
Oh an English saddle without holsters, and
not even a revolver with me-. About half a
mile in front OF me l saw a W addressed Span
weapons hung to him. He turned his head To
zee Who was riding 20 fast behind him, and l
, saw him try his sword to see if II was loose in
the cover OF his, holster. Then he backed his
horse into the brush and stopped. with. one
rods up in front, OF him. gave the usual salu-
.tatlon., and asked him tn do ms a favor to give
lie handed teY4 me- his is cigar rnr"i and 1 'i lighted
mine. and commanding HIM to the Creator in
the most polite Spanish 1 knew, started along. |
Is the worst insult thar can be offered TO a
for fire is never refused, even If asked
for.by a slave. Capt. Annot,:o OF African sla-
very fame, was rem onbtrated with for shooting
q man down in cold blood, and his defence
was II asked the negro TO bring mo fire, and
he refused and his excuse for murder was
considered perfectly valid.
AS / was in Cuba before the emancipation
the slaves. | saw many sights That l willing
~ would forget. 1t is hard to write OF what |
of the slave population of Cuba. as their
were so gross and the cruel,ies In
exact account of what was going on about mo
would shock the reader. All we see In books
on tho subject is distorted for decency's sake.
and what IS true of the abuses is smooihed
over and always underdrawn.
j. According To law, all slaves had to be ba ,
TIED into, the Catholic Church, had to receive
religious Instructions from time to time. might
not. be worked on Sunday. and must be mar
ried and buried by the priest. As far as |
could see, religious instruction was given 10
no one, white or black, outside OF the cities.
On the iterradura and Tenala, two very old
but on no other estate that ] was
'n, there were small rooms fitted up with an
altar where priests might sAy mass. but /
.ould not learn how often they were used. ON
christmas, on these two estates the slaves
all day. l never saw or heard ot tho
OF a slave by u priest. BaptisIns
md burials were always attended to.
Don Juan said the priest or his representative
ilways came to his place once in two years and
and counted the new CT ildren. For
zach one the Master had to pay 81. Burials
,ost $lo;each. As for sunday work. there were
no sundays In the cane grinding season. Tho
only outward show of religion the negroes
moved was tho custom OF children's kneeling
n blessing: Enrique, the engineer, seemed
% be high priest on ore plantation. He was
of tho Lord or AIumbo Jumbo. | am I'M