The Republican journal., 1899-02-16

Havana--the prospect undergoes consider
able change. Decent houses, with tiled
roofs and tinted walls, are more frequent
roads that look tolerably good wind off
among plantations, and the palmbark huts
Of paiasanoes the helpless country
people whom Weyler concentrated al
most to their extncton-again show signs
{ occupation. Some of the farmers are
scratching up the earth with rude plows
made of the crooked branches of trees pre-
cisely like the implements that have been
used in Egypt since Moses day. Indeed,
the whole landscape reminds one of Syria
and the Nile region, the dust being that of
Egyptian resorts and the thermometer
lowering in the neighborhood of ninety de-
grees all the mid winter day. Occasional
groups of splendid palms are seen, tossing
their green plumes against cloudless
sky The song of the thrush and the
ton eguina is in the air; and here and
garden making But the valley of Matan-
zas-the Incompatible YumHri, vale of
of Paradise, ''of the aborigines-is no long
er the beauty spot of the world. Todayit
is more like a grave yard, Of wrecked
fortunes and ruined homes. Each melan-
choy mound which marks what was once
a habitation or sugar mill, is thickly over
grown with blossoming creepers-so
quickly does mother nature hide her
wounds in these regions of eternal sum-
mer. You are struck by the slckly, under
sized, half-starved appearance of the cat
tie, like the lean kline of Pharaoh S
dream, though verdure of certain kinds
is so rank and beautiful for no rich green
sward grows in the tropics, and hay is
never made.
Approaching Matanzas city-hot, hun
cry, weary and SO be powdered with ''the
sacred dust of martyr solr' that your
dearest friend would hardly recognize
yon-a sudden Whit of cool air, blown
straight from the Mexican Gulf, reviveS
you like a draught of wine; and presently
you see the broad, blue harbor of
Matanzas glistening like polished mirror
under the afternoon sun. Around the
commodious railway station you find
cabs, hacks and volantes galore, Jehus
who have lately picked up enough English
to assail your ears with cries of Here d
Dro, 1.-THE Golden Stage). Cas- la Monore!
Hotel Endsor! Ell Lion de Espana! and all
the rest of them.
Whatever the old city of Matanzas de
San Severino may lack, it is certainly not
hotels, 50 far as the number of them is
concerned. The quality is quite diff
ferent matter 1t really makes little diff
ference which one you choose. You may
as we'll shut your eyes and go blindly
with the first cab man; for in any case
you will be sure to wish you had tried an
other On this third visit to Matanzas |
am so fortunate as to be domiciled in
portunity for scraping acquaintance with
Cuban family life. The main features
are the same from Mexico to the tip of the
southern continent; but there are varia-
lions in the matter of food. As in all
parts of Spanish America, desayno, (of
bread. with coffee and chocolate) is
brought to your bedside early in the
morning. Breakfast proper, served in
ceremonious courses between the hours of
eleven and two, is the prominent meal of
the day. In Cuba it invariably begins
with eggs, in one form or another; either
Huevos, Pasadas, Por Aqua Caliente, (lit-
orally eggs passed through hot water), or
huevas fritrs, Cried eggs or en- tortil-
la, an omelet. Even French cooks are
outdone by the Cnbans in multitudinous
varieties of omelets. They are COM
pounded with chopped ham, kidneys, or
meat of any kind; with tomatoes, rice,