The Holly chieftain., 1898-07-22
LIFE 1N A CUBAN VILLAGE.
The People of All Glasses Are Exceed.
ingIy Light-Heaited and F'>ad
of AmusS Sment.

4 long line of onsstoried houses of
white stone, fiat roSfed and white
washed, met and crosted by small sr and
less regular lines of tie same, the whole
set in a green ring of tobacco and
sugar cane, and smiled upon during
eight months of the ykar by the bright
est and bluest of skiss-such is an or
dinary village in the Hand to which the
eyes of the world have been recently
turned, the island of Cuba. Fire and
sword have devastated too many of such
fair scenes in recent years, but the life
in them in times OF peace is quiet and
simple enough. 1t is that life which the
present article will end deayor to describe.
Most of the inhabitapts are employed
in the plantations which encircle the
village, for the climate is tropical and
brooks no delay in the mornings. Like
all villagers, however. especially those
who dwell in tropical countries, the
Cuban Is naturally an early riser; by
five. or even four O'Clock in the morn
ing he is afoot and enjoying the morn
ing bath. which is one of the indispens-
able portions of his toilet. Bathi.g is
'SAs PiAt1Attb IA NaDhs
men bathe three and four and the wom-
en- five and sometimes six times in the
course of day. His abiutions over. the
Cuban partakes Of q cup of cocoa with
(if there happens to be baker in the
yillage) sweetcake; if not, one or two
plantains. This meal is called the dis
anueno. and when it is over the viii
lager girds on his machete Ia species
of cutlass which serves him both for a
weapon and q tool, and which he ear
ries as habitually as an Englishman
carries his walking stick, and sets off
for his work on the sugar or tobacco
plantation. There are good many
peasant proprietors on the island, but
their holdings are as a rule very small.
Work proceeds busily upon the planta-
tions until about II o'clock, when, the
sun being now unbearably hot and
bright, there is general cessation for
almuerzo and siesta. The Cuban has
only two meals day and the almuerzo
is the first of them. In character it is
equivalent to our dinner. Soup is
served first of ALL and thereafter comes
peculiarly national dish known as
putchero. Putchero is conglomera-
ton of meat or fish, plantains or yams
and beans, rice or garbanzos, kind of
large pea, all boiled together in one
large pot, and forms the piece de re-
sistance of the average Cuban menu.
Fruit being plentiful everywhere there
is always an easily obtainable dessert,
which may take the form of plantains
boiled or fried, guavas, oranges or some
other sweet fruit.
With the exception of the very poor
est classes, porters, etc, for whom un-
remitting toll is necessity, everybody
now indulges in a siesta until the heat
of the day be quite overpast. Some
times the siesta lasts couple of hours,
sometimes longer. When he rises from
it the Cuban has another bath and a
draught of cocoa or chocolate and then
he goes to the fields again. There he
tolls until the sun falls and then his
working day is over. When he reaches
home his second meal is awaiting him.
This is called the cena, or supper, and
does not call for detailed description
here, being very much on the lines of
almuerzo. A third bath is INDUCED in
at the close of this meal, clothes are
once more changed, probably for the
third time in the day, and the villagers
settle down to spend the evening.
As rule they spend it merrily.
Guitars are got out and song and dance
engaged in. Family dances are got up
among the Cubans on almost any pre-
teXt-births, baptisms, marriages, con-
firmations are all celebrated in this
fashion. The people are exceedingly
light-hearted and fond of amusements,
the negroes especially. In the towns
bands play twice a week, on Thursdays
and Sundays. Sunday is very little OBJ
served in Cuba. Most of the shops are
open, the cafes do thriving trade, and
there is no difficulty whatever in get
ting liquor of any kind. No public
houses, so-called, are to be found on the
island, but in one corner of every alma
cen or store there is bar where beer.
cognac, wine, aqua ardentia, ETC., are
equipped on the American store prin-
ciple, and anything is obtainable in
them from needle TO sheet anchor.
The dress of the people of Cuba is
that of most other tropical countries.
No hats or bonnets are worn by the
women; they have instead mantillas or
shawls of fine lace, generally black.
The well-to-do classes are able to afford
boots and shoes imported from Amer
lea, but the poorer people have to be
content with sandals and great many
go barefoot. Clothes, as already men
toned, have to be changed several times
a day, owing to the heat.
There are two seasons, rainy season
and a dry one. The rainy season ex-
tends, as rule, from May TO September.
and the dry season during the remain
ing months of the year. In the rainy
season the island roads become yery
bad and exceedingly difficult of passage
by the clumsy bullock wains which are
used for the purpose of transporting
goods from one part of the island to an
other. 1t is no uncommon sight, in
deed, to see bullock cart. the wheels
of which stand three feet high, or even
more, stuck fast in the mire. In the
more mountainous parts the bullock is
supplanted by the surer footed ass.
All the plowing in the island is done by
bullocks.-Pall Mall Gazette.
Africa's Ancient Sea.
Recent studies of the animal life of