The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1914-01-12


promontory, is in part built on solid
rock, and in part .hevn out OF the
rock. The walls are very high and
from the top We had a view we'll
worth the trip over. In this castle
we saw the cell in which our own
Richmond Pearson Hobson was kept
| prisoner for several weeks during the
| Spanish-American war.
On Saturday afternoon We were
honored by having large number OF
the city officials and native educators
accompany US on a trip TO the Prov
| idencia Sugar Mills. The income from
the sugar industry on the island in
1904 amounted TO 100000 and
has steadily increased every year.
Saturday evening We were given a
reception and ball at the Plaza hotel
The marine band of IS pieces fur
nished dandy music and the Sen
oritas Americana" Were enchanted
A large number of officers and cadets
in full dress uniform came over from
Cabana and added much to the pleas
ure Of the occasion.
Sunday morning at 3 o'clock we
left for MatanZas, "a miles distant.
When We arrived we were delightful
W surprised by being presented with
an artistic, attractive card of greet
ing, TO which was added for each
lady bouquet Of native flowers from
the teachers of Matanzas. This is
two hours trip but one could never
tire OF the beautiful vista of rolling
Mills, covered with a wealth of green
hemp and cane fields, stately royal
palms, dotted here and there with lit
tle native houses, built of the palms,
the roof being made entirely of the
big leaves. AS the train pulled into
the station a fine band was playing
its welcome
We went first to the celebrated
Bellamar caves, whose wondrols
beauty of formation is very like our
Mammoth cave in Kentucky The
Ncave is brilliantly lighted with cleo
tricity throughout, which make the
cleaning stalactites and stalagmites
transform this underworld into a
ffairy land. Next we were taken to
the Hermitage of Montserate on the
summit of Cumbre hill and from
there shown the marvellous view
across Zumuri valley. The prospects
over this immense valley with the
river winding through the parti-
colored fields of cane and hemp, with
royal palms dotting the whole ex-
panse of the level slopes and sum-
amits of the encircling hills, is con-
psidered the most beautiful in Cuba
and one of the most famous in the
world.
On Sunday evening | went to our
Baptist chapel and school over which
DR.. Mccall has charge | was delight
ed with the service and a report of
the work as told by the teachers.
There is one time in Cuba when
one loses sight of self and we'll nigh
things terrestrial" and that is in
the evening, strolling down the
Prado and Malecon as the band plays,
the lights twinkle and the gorgeously
gowned senoras and senoritas pass,
seated in magnificent equipages.
Monday morning was spent seeing
| the sights of Havana. Among the
many interesting places we visited
was the presidents palace, where we
saw and met his sweet little daugh-
ter, an unusually bright, pretty girl
of about twelve years, who spoke
English we'll and graciously wrote
her name, Georgiana G. Menocal, in
number of our diaries. The Senate
Hall, Botanical Gardens, Carcel, sew
eral historic cathedrals, markets,
Principe Castle and Columbus mem
orial were visited.
A drive out the Malecon through
the Vedado fthe fifth avenue of Ha-
vana) was most charming. On this
driveway we saw many grand and
elegant homes, all of Spanish ar
Moorish architecture, all having
profusion of palms, vines and bright
hued flowers either in the garden or
inner court
Colon Cemetery is a place all WISH
tors go. There are many handsome
monuments and on even the humblest
| graves were floral wreaths made OF
tinted shells. While we were there
/