, 1899-02-18
THE PEACOCKS OF SANTIAGO.
They Are Birds of Portentous Powers
in That Part of Cuba.

! .lNN nv " "a WV
in That Part of Cuba.
In Santiago de Cuba the pride and
alteration of alcalde, lieutenant, cap
tain and captain general are the strut
ting peacocks behind the garden lat
tees of white. The peacock of Santi-
ago, a bird by no meas as brilliant as
those of Java of the Ceylon country,
is an object Of almost popular idolatry.
His shrill cry is a warning of evil;
the spreading of his tail to the sweet
sun light of the southern coast an
omen of good fortune. Perhaps it is
not a faulty index to Spanish charac-
ter that the peacock should be a con-
slant object of wonderment and wor-
ship not only to the grizZled veterans
of Santiago but to the conscripts and
the latest importations from Madrid.
Little in the literature of Cuba is found
explanatory to the presence of the
birds in Santiago, of why they should
be invested with almost a celestial
character. The explanation must be
found in the native Spanish love for
glit.ering colors, the she'll of beauty
rather than the substance.
If history is to be believed, the 10
of Christopher Columbus brought the
first peacock to Santiago early in the
sixteenth century. Presumably the
bird came as an offering to some ma
tive chief who might be persuaded
through its beauty and desire of pos
session to give up of land and gold all
that was asked. Fatfathers of the church
attempted to revive she custom of hav-
delicacy, just as the Greeks once did.
But the flesh, though white, was tough
and sinewy. Even when stewed in
wine it did not become tender, and the
epicures sighed. Santiago grew. From
a fishing port and a harbor shelter for
storm-tossed ships it developed into
a naval station for SPAN, a retreat for
crown officials ANXIOUS TO be cut of
sight of the government, for a time at
least; a resort for soft voiced women
of Spain following the fortunes of SOL
dier-husbands or the court of a cap
tain general. This population at
tempted an Oriental way of living in
Santiago. Houses in that mild eli
mate were mere shells, but they held
all the material comforts that wealth
could purchase.
The peacocks ceased to be objects of
the chase. They were captured and
brought to the gardens. where the rose
and the dewbell were more beautiful
owe them. Little silver bells hat
tinkled with every step were bound
about their feet, golden chains laid
about their necks. Gay ribbons were
often intertwined with their feathers
to %heighten, if possible, the effect of
natural hues. The garden confines
were marked with lattices painted
white. Behind these the birds strut
ted, the male displaying all his gor-
of color to his humble mate.
In less than twenty-five years from the
there was not a wild peacock ear
Santiago. But the gardens were filled
with them and at the lattices the cring-
ing poor or the idle soldier might
stand and watch their unfolded beauty.
Naturally it followed that in a land
native birds are few and not
If brilliant color the popular mind cen
itself in bird life on the confined
,eacocks. Then, too, there was some
hing in the gorgeousness of that bird
hat spoke of the Spain that a Span
ard always dreams of, writes of, but
lever creates. Simple folk began to
cav tales among themselves about
he bird. In time they considered it
S they would al oracle.
Should a simple fisherman be SO 9
ortunate in passing a %gardenway Of q
ardee as to catch a glimpse Of a pied u