Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1900-02-08

iron barred without and barricaded
within, for the population (of which
our shipmate Antonio was a striking
specimenD consists of about thirty
thousand olive-skinned Spaniards and
double that number of slaves and frea
mulattoes. all loose, reckless, fiery and
apt to use their knives on trivial oc-
casions.
There was not ship lying there
for England. or any other craft by
which Weston could have sent me
home. A Spanish steam packet was
on the eve of departing for Cadiz. but
being wearied by the monotony OF my
long voyage, | was scarcely in mood
for the sea again, and wished to spend
q little more time ON shore instead OF
leaving with her.
However / wrote to my family by
the Spanish mail. acquainting them OF
my safety, with the strange incident
which had SO suddenly torn me from
them. and adding that would return
by the first ship bound for any part OF
England; IL possible, with the Eu-
genie, which would probably be
freighted for London.
After the packet sailed with my let
ter in her 'capacious bags, | expert
enced an emotion of greater happiness
and contentment than had ever done
since leaving home, for the sorrow
which l knew all there must have suf-
fered, and would be suffering,
hung heavily on m. Aeart.
AS we were returning to the brig.
which had now been warped alongside
the mole. when passing through the
street which contains the great hospi-
tai, we heard the sound of trumpets,
and saw the glittering of lances with
long streamers above the heads of a
dense crowd of people of all shades OF
color-black yellow and brown-and
we had to doff our hats with due re-
spect as they passed, for In the midst,
surrounded by staff of officers, epau
letted and aiguletted. their breasts
sparkling with medals and crosses, and
each of them riding with cooked hat
under his left arm, came the present
Captain General Of Cuba, marshal OF
the Spanish army. Don Francisco Ser
rano de Dominguez. attended by an
escort of mulatto lancers, all mounted
on Spanish horses.
He was a fne-looking man, and al
though aged. had all the bearing of
what he was, or, l should say, is
q grandee of old CASTLE.
On returning to the Eugene we
found Antonio the Cuban working
among the crew as Justify and as ac-
lively Gs any man on board Weston
now offered him remuneration for the
time that he had been with us, with
hint that he might find a berth else
where; but our castaway eyinced the
greatest reluctance to leave the brig,
and begged that he might be permit
ted to remain on board as three of
our best hands had been sent ashore,
sick, to the hospital
So short-sighted is man that Cap
tain Weston, despite the dislike OF the
crew and the advice OF Marc Hislop.
ordered that the name of Antonio be
entered on the ships books as fore
mast man.
Three weeks after our arrival the
u,
clear OF all the cargo, and had her
copper scraped and cleaned. an op-
grafton which the constant rains of the /
season greatly retarded.
There was much in Cuba to feed 1
IN imaginative mind, and mine was
ull of the voyages, the daring adyen-
ures and the vast discoveries OF Co
umbus, with the exploits of the buc-
whose haunts were amid these
Wild and, in those days. savage
hores.
| thought of the gaily plumed and
armed caciques whom Co
umbus had met In their feet pirogues
II had encountered in the dense for
sts which clothe the Cuban noun
ains-forests, old perhaps, as the
ays Of the deluge-of the yellow
kinned women with their long, flow
ng black hair and with plates of mol
she'd gold hanging in their ears and
osesi OF the fierce warriors streakel
nth sable war paint and armed with
ane arrows shod with teeth or poi
oned fish bones. that fell harmless
rom the Spanish coats OF mail; OF the
Wild Caribs, who devoured their pris-
ners-with whom a battle was but a
recursor OF a feast; and of the ia
nous fighting women-the terrible ,
mazons Of Guadalupe.
] thought of the story OF Columbus
riting the narrative of his wonderful ,
iscoyeries, his perils and adventures, :
n roll OF parchment. which he
raped in oilcloth covered over with s
ak. inclosed in little cask, and then :
ist into the sea, with a prayer, and ?
lie hope that II he and his crew per- :
he'd this record OF their achieve r
ents might be cast by the ocean on |;
lie shore OF some Christian land. a
AS | sat by the sounding sea that
'lled into the bay OF Matanzas. what [
ould / not have given to have seea a
lie waves cast that old cask, covered h
it'll weeds and barnacles. at my Il
ct, =
But now the plodding steam tug and D
e rusty merchant trader ploughed q
e waters OF the bay instead of the
lded Spanish caravels, or the long Il
ar pirogues Of the Indian warriors: y
Id where they fought their boodiest d
titles on the wooded shore, or in the /,
zen savanna, where the painted ca Z,
que and the mailed Castilian met I,
and to hand in mortal strife, the .
noke OF the steam mill. grinding cof- n
e or boiling sugar, darkened the sky. b