The times., 1898-07-10
SANTIAGO DE CUBA.
The Old Tcsvn In the Early Years
of the Century

An old book. which has taken on a
new interest in the last six months is
Tom Cringle's Log" by Michael Scott.
sea story, which was among the favor
ite books of our grandfa hers. 1t is
rarely seen now, though there is talk OF
getting out a new edition: but if one is
fortunate enough to have access 10 a
well-furnished library of the olden
time. this quaint old novel. with the bri-
ny favor, is almost sure 10 be tucked
away on some top shelf The hero is a
sailor in the English navy. who enters
upon his nautical career at the early age
of thirteen, with a,souIa as he says. "daz-
zled by the glories of Trafalgar" In the
course of his travels he cruises around
the shores of the West India Islands. Wis
iting Jamaica, several of the smaller ISL
ands and Cuba. The description of the
h2rbor OF Santiago de Cuba, given in this
old book, was considered by Tennyson
one of the finest pieces of descriptive
writing In the language Modern read
ers may not agree with Tennyson on
this point, but the passage Is certainly
interesting, in view of recent operations
in the harbor The book also abounds
in adventurous, comical and pathetic in
cidents of travel, and the pictures of
life in Jamaica and Cuba in the early
years of the century are singularly vivid
and captivating. There is no plot to the
book; it is merely a story of adventure.
The hero is a simple-hearted plucky.
venturesome young Englishman, of a
nd b.1l hnx
a yarn. In quoting the description of
Santiago some humorous and tragic hap
penings attendant upon the ships en-
trance into the harbor are necessarily
omitted.
During the night we stood off and on
under easy sail, and next morning. when
the day broke, under strong breeze and
a fresh shower, we were about two miles
off the MORO Castle and at the en-
trance of Santiago de Cuba.
| went aloft to look round me. The
sea breeze blew strong, until it reach
ed within half a mile of the shore, where
it stopped short, shooting in cats paws
occasionally into the smooth belt of
water beyond, where the long unbroken
swell rolled like molten silver in the
rising sun, without a ripple on it's sur
face, until it dashed its gigantic undula-
tions against the face of the precipitous
Cli4lS Ol the dUu new uD III SHlOkt.
The entrance to the harbor is very mar
row and looked from my perch like a zig
gag chasm in the rock, inlaid at the bot
tom with polished blue steel; sd clear and
calm and Dellucid was the still water,
wherein the frowning rocks, and magnif-
icent trees on the banks and the frown-
ing white MORO rising with its grinning
tiers of cannon, battery above battery,
were reflected veluti in speculum, as if
it had been a mirror
We stood in; the scene becoming more
and more magnificent as we reached the
land
The fresh green shores of this glorious
island lay before us, fringed with white
surf. as the everlasting ocean in it's ap-
proach to it gradually changed its dark
blue color, as the water shoaled, into a
bright joyous green under the blazing
sun. as If in sympathy with the genius
of the fair land, before it tumbled at its
feet its gently swelling pillows, in shak-
ing thunders on the reefs and rocky face
of the coast, against which they were
driven up in the clouds, the incense of
their sacrifice. The undulating hills in
the vicinity were ALL either cleared, and
covered with the greenest verdure that