The sun., 1899-06-13
HAThNA,s GRIM FORTS.
The Cabanas and the MORO and Their Re-
minders of Spanish Rule.

morrow" said my friend. the Professor. one
| sunny afternoon.
IAN right" I replied. I'm your man."
And to Moro we went.
Armed with passes from headquarters. early
on the following morning we presented
ourselves at tho boat landing. near the foot
OF O'Reilly street. and embark ed In one Of those
| tidy little buo-painted yawls which almost
monopolize the profitable passenger traffic OF
| Havana harbor. 10 utter defiance OF modern
transportation methods and the solitary steam
ferry to Regla across the bay. A Spanish revi-
val OF Coleridges Ancient Mariner set the scrap
| OF dirty canvas which did duty for sail, and a
| brisk breeze carried us swiftly to the foot OF
| the incline. which zgzags its way UP the ste, p
and rocky hillside to the rambling fortress OF
| Cabahas. In something less than half hour
| the Professor. an experienced traveller who
| resented imposition. had settled with the
boatman, and we had started up the ascent
| Arrived at the top. we halted a 1T oment until
! our papers were examined and pronounced q.
| X. by perspiring sentry wearing a sleeveless
| blue shirt wide open at the throat, whose ar
| dent patriotism was rapidly melting away in
| the intense heat Thon we turned 70 the
right down cool passage between high ma
sonry walls for about twenty yards turned
| again and walked long half circle to the left.
and emerged into n cobble paved and wonder
| fully irregular inclosure. with poStern gate
! at one end. where the fierce light and heat re-
| flocted from the walls and pavements almost
| blinded us. According to report this was for
merly the execution ground of the castle. At
| one end Is n wide marking on the walls at
| about tho height OF a mans breast from tho
ground. and extending lateray for fifty feet
| or more. 1t Is said to have been caused by the
| volleys OF bullets fired at condemned prisoners
| in the all too common executions OF pre- Amer
| lean days
Leaving this spot. we passed through the
gateway into long and gloomy archway from
| which we came into an open. paved space.
| Then, descending a steep flight Of stone stops.
| we turned to the right down another covered
| passageway. climbed some steps, turned to the
| left and went straight forward then turned to
| the right twice and came back again. assembled
| more steps. and then went down an incline to
| the right and along another covered way went
to the right, to the left. to the right again.
| climbed more steps. and finally found ourselves
gazing over the walls Of the battlements on the
harbor side, surveying tho sa-dotted water
below and the yellow city beyond. Then my
| companion wiped his heated brow and haz-
arded the opinion that Cabanas had been mod
eed. and badly modelled at that on the plan
OF the Maze at Hampton Court in which, fol-
| lowing the example OF Jerome X. Jerome. he
| had once lost himself.
Placed at random along this wall and point
ing in all directions were n number Of old
bronze cannon They were roughly carved
with the royal arms OF Spain and a
| legend ending with Ferdinand VI" These
innocuous old barkers frowned upon the city
even as they did in days two centuries ago but
the significance OF their frowning had forever
departed in the light Of modern science. and
their obsoleteness was complete. Ammunition
for this old-time ordnance was lying about In
| huge. and rusty piles. over which gray
borers were, cleaning out a system Of huge
these formerly served as reservoirs IN which
TO store the rain water that. falling on
The one cheerful spot we saw in the whole fort
was snoH-white cottage. evidently the ON
Dor and ssrroundsd Ty GsTdo1S, whose "' bril-
liant flower plots were hotdercd by rows
@ ruH TEne 9HIs pass a9 %h h s nJ
Next we started to find our way to white road
which ran in plain sight from under the walls
ter half an hour OF wandering over sun bak ed
roofs and through damp passages and cchoing
wtlderness inhabited bya com pany, OF infantry
Half Hal tho men mel, we're asleen IN their quarters
ponter shop. were making curios for tho great
American public; stoopppg, occasionally to al
them for photographs, intended for the
same open open handed market: Being ashamed
TO tOD1ohS our lilhUlIlry 10 thread the
out grouping at the desire Of the Lieutenant
ana hSn rsspmeu 9Ir I sHarSh An hour atSr
hopelessly lost our scrhples and our way and
Eatheticaiy solicited TIE 7l; assistance OF a guide
maahoS afhHSs and tG
us safely forth halfway on the road to MORO
| He had but Just left us when We came to whore
right the other down and to the eft,
since reading 4 Gentleman Of France"
Ireplicd. have always on such occasions as
sG W NJ dc MarsaC %G RS mstake @ ehs he
would undoubtcdly have sprung across the dry
and clinGtng 10 the chains OF the drawbridge.
which was sccurely drawn up on the further
the solid rock with his trusty sword. But We
lacked both sword and inclination; so we
emily to The castle seaward side Where Ss we We're
wetl repaid for our mishar, Here the moet
on 'ky Td e Sna ths
blue waters pI0shinG and murmurng far be-;
low in deep po,sann sandy 200 pools IRd oLor Jagged
erected earthwork to tho right Of, the moat
were two monster krnnp guns. and in the dis
ting the toreshore each with its group OF mag
aZines. barracks. &c.
lower road. and at tho main entrance to. the
SSqiste Ga iowPd SSnty aseen FL in the ShH1e Of
disturbing his slumhers. held that we should
LET well enough alone and 60 9ur way. but my
| | TlENl- -UllEufu companion SellItu tnt matter
by gently shaking the man into wakeiulness
| For reward. the soldier had no sooner opene ed
his eyes than he demanded our rasses. and
then:
" Yc2ll have ter 60 back" said The, Ito Caba-
mas an have these things countersigned by an
| officer
+ felt bitterly disappointed and thought
sNdly Of our lost opportunity. The professor
wasnngry.
What 7" he demanded Must we 90 back
over that road to beg Of some incompetent the
Performance Of his duty"
That mint the worst Of it, replied the
sentry, " ie2'll have to wait an hour or 80 to
do that. because the officers are all at dinner"
Before he had time TO reply tn" measured
step OF the RELIEF was heard approaching. and
in II few moments it came into sight around
bend in tho road. A most welcome commits
stoned officer marched by the side Of the party
and presently the prospective incompetent"
had most ohllgingly signed the papers and we
were allowed to enter tho castle
Nothing could possibly be more dismal and
uniutcrcst ing than It's interior. 1t was solitary
save for the presence OF II few weather ohserv-
ers who lined up for n snapshot by the urO-
| i"ssOr. and it, drtcnS1S were represented by a
harmless lot ot stuhhy smoothbores We yis-
i'ed the tiny chapel, bare now OF ornament and
covered with dust and dirt in n vault whose