Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-02-16

them he drove in such Cuhans as he found
that from age or some other cause were
not able to so to war and also the wives
and children of all that were in the war,
and these were called rcConcrntrados.
Some families were drove a distance Of
sixteen miles, as was the case of the fam
iIy where We stopped, and when doing 80
the Spaniards stole from these Cubans
what hogs and cattle they had.
NATURES LANISHNESS.
The Cuban race can thank "Cuclc Sam
for stepping i'm and putting an end to that
mode OF determination. Such CuhanS as
We're not killed or starved to death were
slowly creeping back to their homes PEN
rness and without tools and only SUCH
clothing as they have on their backs, as
the Spaniards burnt their houses, stole
their tools, cattle, hogs, etc. But during
all this time nature was doing it's work,
potatoes, beans, yamS, coffee, cane, hanan-
as. cocoanuts, pincapplcs and oranges
kept growing but in Il wild state. The
grass and brush had nearly choked out
the vegetables. Where we We're they had
not done any planting since their return.
but they took us out into their little field
and with their hands dug out nice sweet
potatoes as you ever saw. one they dug
would weigh at least three pounds. and
one yam they dug out of the ground was
vans III place of bread. They picked some
beans and tomatoes and of these vegeta-
bles she made the stew. For sweetenlng
she used honey. This article is one of the
chief industries of Cuba.
The honey is made by wild bees. and the
bees, don't have to lay in their suppl y
for winter and can work every DAY
throughout the year. This honey is found
in hollow trees, under the roots of large
trees, and in caves. 1t is not an unusual
thing to find swarms that give them 80 10
2o pounds. They have a way OF straning
this honey, and when strained it is ready
for the market. 1t sells in Santiago for /.
cents per gallon, but when shipped to New
York it is shipped in pipes of 60 gallons
each and brings but 10 cents per gallon
| saw a captain, who was also captain or
a steamship before the war, and he told me
1t was not an unsual thing to take into
New York a cargo of 1900 pipes Of honey
from Cuba--sedom less than 800 pipes
The war stopped shipments but he say:
shipments will commence again this sea
son.
They use the beeSWaX in its crude stat,
for candles. our room was lighted witl
three of these candles. They are abou
half an inch in diameter and inches lOns
using the fiber from the bark of tree
for wcks. Beeswax for the market mus
be bleached and it then brings ~ cent!
per pound.
Not ten rods from the house where W.
stopped We're oranges, lemons natura
fruit. We gathered about half a bushel
In front of the house was "a large ma
hogany tree. | will bring with me a chill
cut from this tree with machete.
| have tried to describe "A Cuban's typi
cal home. very primitive, simple and plain
and what they did for us was a feeble re
presentation of Cuban hospitality. But onl.
Of he. In 1nf
them with that we are deprived Of 20
once | was placed where every prospcc
pleasos and only man is vile"
AMONG THE INSURGENTS.
Our second day out we passed an insur
gents tannery, and about two miles from
the tannery an insurgents hospital TIL
tannery was near the river Canto, the larg
est river on the island and alligators wer
very plenty. For tan watts they use
troughs made of large trees. Fac
trough would hold about ten barrels am
the liquid for taking off hair and tannin
hides was made from the bark of a ire
found near the tannery. This is the on
way the insurgent soldiers had OF gettin
leather for their shoes.
We had dinner that day with the famil
that occupied the hospital. The bill O
fare was the same as before, excepting W
had coffee. The lady went a short dis
ldltt from inc mouse ana cut three can
stalks. These she brought in and with
spring pole and boy squeezed the juice GU
of the cane, boiled the juice and soon ha
Il syrup, and with this we sWeetcncd GU
coffee. Near this house was n mahogan
that would saw of inch lumber 1900 to ON
} feet. From this tree one of the Cuban
cut off with his machete an Orchid and
have 1t with me. We saw trees that woul
: measure feet in diameter. We also sa'
/; nocks of parrots. At the house where W
.ast stopped they had recently killed an
} eaten one and | picked up some of III
feathers
At one house where we stopped the We
. men were making sicvcs and the men rop
There is grass that grows in the wood
, and with this they make sleeves, and III
t palm furnishes a fiber from which the
: make rope. | bought one of the sieve
and piece of the rope What the Magu
is to the Mexican the Royal Palm is to III
= Cuhan-it provides many necessities. TT
' leaves, or branches cover all the
t building, the bark the sides of building
5 the pith they use for pickles, and the lib,
t between bark and pith for rope. and Gao
e palm furnishes a large quantity of nu
1 about the size of walnut and their hog
d, live on these. They grow just below II
: blow the branches close to the trunk
palm, seldom less than 60 feet fro
[ ground, and from that to so feet. The
: were but few acres in forest we pass'
a through where there was not one-ha
y dozen of these Royal Palms, some 100 fo
n tall,
y When I say the forest we travel,
through was an unbroken forest Z
l miles long and on an average GO mill
y wide you can realize | saw but n vel
@ small part of it, There is not railro;
$ through it nor what We would call
e wagon road. We would occasional