The Appeal. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. ;) 1889-19??, 1899-04-29
THINK OF GOING TO CUBA?


them better than the king, because fire.
que1itly even the trail is lost, and it is
necessary to go by Typographical instinct.
A Cuban guide is as tnfallible as a hunt
ing hound when he himself guide tho
stranger, but when he attempts to tell
the directions which must be followed and
| indicate the landmarks he is at fault
! For those who are not going on pro-
| specting journeys into the country, the
| Volante is the most comfortable means of
| travel, though it is quite expensive The
volantes are not seen in Havana now nor
in any Of the larger towns. 1t WAS ex-
pected that the incoming OF the tourists
would bring them back on the streets.
but this has not yet happened Never
theless, there are many hidden away in
] family stables, and usually one con be
! had for a journey. When Gen. Fitzhugh
Lee visited the Providencia sugar planta-
1 ton near Guines a few weeks ago he
/ had his first drive in volante. This one
was in use in Havana when the Infanta
4 Eulalia visited the city, and she was
drawn about in it: Gen Lee found the
Volante so enjoyable that he insisted on
being driven in it over. the hills and
/ through the valleys. ~
/ The volante is the Cuban national
| vehicle. It is one of the few things that
are or We're genuinely characteristic of
1 the country. The Cubans themselves fire.
quently call it the quitrin The only diff
the quitrin has top which can be low
cred, while the cover of the volante is
lmmovable. The volante is two-wheeled
vehicle, and the wheels are very large,
almost as high as those used for the OK
| carts. The carriage proper is slung low
down from the axle by leather straps.
The shafts are fifteen feet in length.
Formerly the weight rested almost entirely
| on the shafts. In the later makes it was
snnted more to the axle, The horse in
hoff &c 1o1
| morse is harnessed to the carriage with
| traces. Often a third horse is used and
is harnessed with traces in the same
| manner. The height of the wheels and
the distance from the ground prevent the
| danger of turning over. 1t is surprising
to see the ease with which sharp corners
are turned steep hills climbed and rug
| sed descents made. All the while the
occupants of the vehicle are comfortable.
Some compare it to travelling in a ham
mock. A New England visitor who has
| made several trips in the volantes saws
! they are first cousin to the one horse shavs
of his grandfather's time They have also
been compared to the calashes or caleches
which the French in Quebec have pre-
served This comparison is probably
made because the caleche and the vo-
ante are so different except that each
/ has two wheels. l...t..
The Cubans and the Spanish residents
who talk of, the old times mourn the de-
cadence of the quitrins and volantes
they say these were indigenous car
riages, constructed before the age Of
railroads and holding their own long after
the railways came. Twenty-Five or thirty
years ago victOrias and cabs and coaches
OF various kinds began to supplant til IN
in the cities. Nevertheless it will proba-
bly, be a long time before they disappear
from the country entirely, because it will
1-1be along time until Cuba Is traYersed in
Il all parts bV on
back there is other ife;4 rs Of Ill q !.
in the interior of the island. On all the
sugar plantations toe are volantes
slowed away somewhere, and every,
Cuban family which has country home
possesses one. Some of them are very
aged vehicles, yet they do not wear out
as the one horse shay is said to have
done. The position is usually sedate
colored man who has all the pride of a
family coachman. He sits his mount with
grace and g. seriousness that evoke adj
mirat1on. To the ordinary ridor the short
trot at which the horses drawing a vo-
ante move would be excessively uncorn-
PORTABLE. 1t is not so to the Cuban pos,i-
uon: AS ne joys along he seems a part
Of the lead horse. Sometimes in the hot
sun ne goes to sleep. He is rarely the
victim OF an accident. 1t may be that
the enterprising American who is looking
TOT the chance to make money in Cuba
VIII corner the volantes with a view to
tne tourist travel of the next few years.
But he will hardly be able to- corner the
Positions They are family coachnen
and they do not take kindly to innova-
lions.
In the parts of the island where there
are caizadas or macadamized highways,
travel by means of the carriages is pre-
1eraDie to the railroads. 1t gives a much
better idea of the landscape and enables
one to see the country to, ADVANTAGE.
Some OF the vehicles are rickety and
asthmatic and the horses are suryivals of
the Recommendation. Yet it is better to
a 1ake them and thus enjoy the journey.
me Cuban cabmen, whether in town.
city or country, are members of the uni
Versal union of highway robbers. In
other respects they are obliging and good
fellows, but they will overcharge. No one
should hire one of their vehicles without
setting the price in advance In doing
headed
A peasant day can be passed by TAX
ing the morning train from Havana to
Guanajay and then driving back in the
afternoon part Of the way to the city
centens. That is little more than $40
IN gold After half an hours so,,ab-
ping he will come down to S. The
knowing traveller will stipulate that the
" shall be paid in silver. Negotiations
! Will end abruptly. After a time the cab
driver will return and reproachfullv ac.
eept the terms. He will go to the stable
| 10 change horses. The visitor will wait
1or him. Other vehicles will be passed
before him in review. Finally he will he
come impatient and ask what has ham
pened. He will be told that an accident
nae peralien the horses. Then other
drivers Will offer their services, first for
$lV gold, then 80 gold and finally the same
amount In silver. When the disgust of
the visitors has reached its height the
Cnlnanan who keeps the inn will come
out, ecold the robbers for their rapacity
and tell the stranger to offer any one OF
tnem - Is the regular charge The tariff.
however, was not established until two
Americans had INDICATED their in
dependence and that of their co,,ntrynnen
Ihis was months ago. Wearied with bag
gllng with the hackmen who had begun
at $15 and In the course of an hour had
only gotten down to $40 these two y;si
Tors calmly announced that they would
walk 1t was only a mattsy. of fifteen or
twenty miles anyhow, andNshey thought
It would do them good. II Is was ex
planned to the rapacious h>3.kman in
blunt Castilian and the visitors started
on their walk. The league OF cab drive1s
ana the major part of the population
$1,000 open-eyed and open-mouthed. "Mire!
see, the Americans will walk was the
cry. They were hardly beyond the VIZ
iaee when they were overtaken by the
Dest OF the rickety vehicles 1t had been
sent after them by agreement among the
other hackmen. It would take them for
gold. MOI" Eight dollars silver"
NO., seven dollars silver Eyes" So
tne Americans rode and by that ride fix-
60 the tar!n rate for the drive from
Guanajay to Marianao. None OF their
counlryn1en need fear to insist on pay
ing ~. for the tradition is now strongly
Appno0 b