The Donaldsonville chief. [volume] (Donaldsonville, La.) 1871-current, 1905-07-08
HAVANA EXCURSION.
Continued from First Page.

sible TO hold out for any length OF
time. Below the castle on the harbor
side, down by the water, are the
guns of the battery OF the Twelve
Apostles, each of the twelve having
it's apostolic name. These are the
most powerful guns on the island.
CABANA.
The fertilization of Cabana occupies
an elevated site on hill which rises
100 feet almost abruptly from the
water's edge across the harbor from
Havana. The principal entrance to
the fortress is on the landWard front,
where drawbridge leads across a
ditch 40 feet deep to the sally-port.
The legend above the entrance sets
forth that the work was begun during
the reign Of Carlos III. in the year
1868, and was completed in l774. From
the entablature grin two grotesques,
hideous and repulsive, fit genll OF the
dismal place.
Entering through the vaulted hall,
the visitor comes shortly to the . laurel
ditch, y so named because of the laurel
trees which grow there. This was the
place of execution of insurgents and
political prisoners during the Cuban
war. In those days persons who took
part in the revolution, or who were
merely suspected, rightly or wrongly,
of sympathy with the cause, were ar
bitrarily arrested by order of the cap
tain-general and sent to MORO or
Cabana, where they were shut up in
communicado-that is, without com
munica alton with friends or counsel
and by like arbitrary decree, we're held
In the dungeons or sent to Africa as
slaves, or, finally, shot to death in
the famous "laurel ditch" The vic
tim, kneeling with his face to the high
wall, was shot by file of Spanish
soldiers. The line marked by the
bullets in the wall is traceabIe for s.
feet and is called by the significant
name of the "dead line.' A bronze
memorial, provided by popular sub
scription, has been set in the wall
above the center of the grewsome line
to commemorate the martyrdom of the
brave men who died on that spot in
the glorious cause of scuba libre. =
The design represents an angelic mes.
senger receiving the soul of the dying
patriot.
The interior OF Cabana is vast
labyrinth OF windings and turnings,
ascents and descents, with narrow,
high-walled passages and vaulted
halls, covered ways, courts, barracks,
prisons, officers quarters, parapets
and terrepleins, one beyond another
and the whole seemingly interminable.
The visitor gets an impression o.
vastness and dreariness, of sombre-
ness relieved only by the bright color
here and there of some Towering shrub
or tree, and his Impractical eye is
baf1ed when he endeavors to compre-
bend the plan of the mammoth work.
1t is rambling succession of FORTH
cation within fortifcation, the whole
enormous in extent. The Anticipated
guns, deliberately Ornamental and
each bearing the name of a Spanish
sovereign, are quite IN keeping with
Cabana's age and uselessness. AS a
forti6cation the place is absolutely
worthless. It is now occupied by the
Cuerpo de Artilleria. Among recent
projects for its utilization was a plan
to convert it into state prison for
the convicts now confined in the Pres.
lido at Havana.
Returning to Havana about1l o 'clock,
the party partook of a sumptuous
breakfast at the Pasaje, which the
management of the hotel rendered to the
Louisianians free Of charge. In Hav-
ana the first meal Of the day is served
between 6 and o'clock q. N. and con.
sists of fruit, coffee or chocolate, and
bread and butter. Breakfast is taken
from IL to 1890 O'Clock, when the
menu comprises soup, fish, meats, veg.
etables, and the inevitable fruit, cheese
and jellies. Dinner, the heavy meal OF
the day, is served from 6 to O'Clock
p. m. and does not differ materially
from breakfast, except that the menu
is larger and more varied.
There was no set excursion on the
| program for Tuesday afternoon, and
the pencil pushers scattered to see as
much of the city as they could in the
time left to them and to purchase sou.
venirs for the folks at home. The
| writer and a party of congenia al friends
boarded a couple OF the thousands 81
little cabs that line the streets of Hav-
ana and proceeded on a visit TO the
Tacon Market and the mammoth Ca.
banas cigar factory, description oi
which interesting places is given here
| with.
TACON MARKET.
The Tacon Market is the largest il
the city and contains the most varied
display of Cuban products. Ia the
stalls are seen red and yellow ba.
| nanas, plantains, oranges, grape fruit,
lines, shaddocks, citrons, sapotas,
sapadillos, anonas, mameys, aqua.
Gates, guanabanas, pineapples, cocoa.
| nuts, vans, cassava and other trop.
ieal productions, with score of veg.
etables familiar IN northern markets,
and native fruit preserves, jellies and
marmalades in enticing display. Sus-
| pended above are palm leaf baskets
and curiously shaped gourds, common
enough in Cuba, but certain to be
priced if taken home as souvenirs
The fish, many Of them superb in
coloring, are kept alive in tanks, from
which the purchaser makes his selec.
tion.
| CABANAS CIGAR FACTORY.
The cigar industry OF Cuba is pro
digious and its statistics are expressed
in millions. On every hand in Havana
one sees a cigar factory, tobacco
stores are encountered without mum.
Der, and at each step the stranger il
accosted by a street vendor of cigars
At.