The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1899-04-03
SINGULAR COSAS De CUBA
A Visit to Her Shrine i'm the Outskirts of
observation-disclosures and Incidents of n
Cuban Celebrations

Cuban Celebration.
Especial Correspondence Of the Journa
and Courier)
Matanzas, March 14.-Early yesterda.
morning we came over from Havana-t
four hours run by the Central railway
to witness the annual fiesta of LA Vir.
gin negra,' the negro virgin, which is
celebrated with greater eclat in Matan
zas than anywhere else on the island
Nobody seems able to account for a col
ored Mother of Christ except the dusky
race on earth, who contend that theirs
is the complexion natural to man and
the lighter shades but miserable adul-
terations. l have seen several represent
tatlons of her in the churches of Mexico,
Peru and Brazil, and doubtless they ex-
ISL III other Spanish Catholic countries.
one is prepared for sadde-hued Saint
Augustine's, as that worthy was M or
but the raison d etre of a Black Virgin
remains mystery She does not APP
pear in the Cuban capital, where living
negroes abound, but in Matanzas, where
the sons and daughters of Ham are
comparatively few, there Is church in
her honor. 1t stands just beyond the
outskirts of the city, on top of the ridge
that divides the valley. 1T was built
nearly two centuries ago, by a Catalan
grandee, to commemorate some impor-
tant happening in the history of his
family. Only twice year are services
held in the old sanctuary-on March
18th and September 23d; but it's doors
are always open and true believers
mostly of the colored race-come daily
to invoke the Virgins blessing and leave
before her shrine their votive offerings
Of shells, first fruits, turtle doves and
fragrant flowers.
At Matanzas station we selected the
least rickety volante in sight and drove
out quickly to take look at the ia
nous Virgin in advance of the crowd
Rafting along the narrow city streets,
across the stone bridge of San Juan,
through the aristocratic suburb of Bel
lamar and the squalid purieus beyond,
we found the heat of early spring in
tense, like that of midsummer in Con-
necticut. But higher up on the hill
slopes a breeze blew fresh and cool from
over the Caribbean sea, and we Won
dered anew why the good people of Ma
tanzas did not erect their homes above
the sitting port.
The church of La Virgin Negra is a
quaint structure Of time m allowed stone,
surmounted by a gilt cross and sur
rounded by high walls of masonry. Be-
cause of its position commanding
wide view of city, harbor and adjacent
country, the Spanish soldiers made it a
redoubt at the now historic time when
Blanco's mule met its death from
American guns. Among other vandal
acts they cut down many of the gnarled
oaks that once shaded the enclosure
brought when baby trees from the Bal
carlo Islands-and knocked out embra-
sures in the walls To-day the interior
is bare and cheerless beyond compare.
We found the altar heaped with sea
shells and the shrine decorated to rep
resent a submarine grotto, significant of
some incident in the history of the Vir-
gin. who is believed to be particularly
of sea-faring people. The sa-
square, with face and hands of inky
bIackness and the homogeneous features
If blue eyes and blond wig. 1t was
dressed in purple satin en-
oroidered with gold a jeweled tiara
above the yellow curls and great many
'ings upon the wooden fingers and
strung on q chain around the neck-the
gifts of faithful followers.
We climbed the totteling stairs to the
)elfry, and We're repaid for our toll by
he glorious view unfolded. Sitting
lmong the rusty bells, the largest of
which was cast in Barcelona two hum
of tiny chameleons darling
bout the hot walls and regarding us
With bright, inquisitive eyes, we looked
yer two lovely valleys and a broad eX-
,anse of shining water. Below lay the
habby old town, asleep in the sun
hine, its forty-eight thousand inhabi-
ants apparently all dead or gone off on
holiday; the tranquil bay in front, and
Instant mountains yelled in mist, re-
binding one of the Berkshire hills or the
'lueridge of Virginia. On the left of
he ridge lay the far-famed vale of Yu-
luri, dotted with palms, carpeted with
ichest vegetation and adorned with
treams like silvery ribbons; on the
light MatanZas valley stretching west
ard till merged in the tropical jungle
10 forests are left in this part of Cuba
he mountains-so-c called, though none
them are more than three thousand
aet highv-are covered with prickly
happarel so thick that it can be pene-
'ated only by use of the machete IT
as a perfect summer day, except that
ne missed the songs Of birds No
neerful note of robin, whippoorwill or
hoebe made the air melodious- not
ven the shrill scream of the paroquet
: the gentle voice of the chlppy was to
9 heard. Cuba used to have birds ga
orioles tomoguines, {
lail, jlover and countless other kinds. {
That has become of them all? Alas. I
he horde of starving reconcentrados {
i'd almost equally hungry patriots of !
9TH armies trapped and ate them
ear ago. The Spanish soldiers, being Y
better position for gastronomic {
loice, used to stew the tiny bodies in t
ease and garlic; the rest were glad s
Tough to get them sofa. Occasionally i
lazy buzzard foated overhead with an J.
re single to carron; but even that is /
NV becoming scarce in the island, T
anlSe to American cleanliness. and the +
lltures begin to grow thin. A railway f
ain steaming out of Matanzas for c