Year: 1871

entertaining to most of our readers.


The gentleman is a close observer of men
and things and hence great reliance may
be placed on what he relates.


The chief cause of the war still going ON
throughout the southern and eastern pOr-
tions of the island consists in this That all
the offices and patronage are given to
Spaniards; no native is allowed to hold any
Office of profit or trust, unless we except the
children of Spanish parents or such other
natives as may have taken an active part
against their own people.


The probabilities are that the war will go
on until the rule of Spain is overthrown.


The sugar and tobacco crops throughout
the northern and western parts of the island
promise very well, but the fruit crop has
suffered very much on account of the hurri-
cane last autumn. The markets in Havana
are poorly supplied, and will not compare
favorably with those of New Orleans


The mercantile interest appears very
much absorbed in the customhouse, and it
revenues are divided beween the govern
ment the officers. and the dealers or ship
pers.


The cost of visiting Havana, besides pas
sage from New Orleans, which is about
$40, is-for passports. IS 40; gondola so
cents; customhouse fee, 81; cab, 20 cents.
The regular cab fare is only twenty
cents to any part of the city. 1t is esti-
mated that ten thousand people are con-
stantly riding in cabs. The rolante, or
pleasure carriage, is mixture between a
cart and chaise, drawn, usually, by two
horses-the one in shafts, and the other half
length ahead, with an outrider astride,
by whom the team is driven. In the old
portion of the city that used to be closed
with walls, the streets are narrow, varying
from fifteen to twenty-five feet, the side
walks being from six to thirty inches. In
the newer part, however, are spacious
streets and avenues.


The Telegrapho is the best hotel in
Havana, kept on the European plan. 1t
has an excellent cuisine, clean beds and
rooms. The beds are all cots, i. e., made
of single canvas.


parlor in that city consists of a piece
of carpet occupying the centre of a large
room. To ''come into the parlOr' you
simply draw your chair up to the edge of
the carpet, on which you place your feet.
and by which arrangement all the company
are brought face to face.


The carriage or rolante is generally kept
in the house, next to the parlor and in
front of the diningroom, so that it is
often necessary to remove the. pole
or shafts of the wagon to make room
for a chair at table. There are no
cbimneys, tiregrates or stoves in Havana.
They use charcoal in cooking. The coolies
make their best cooks, and many of them
are employed in that capacity. There is
much business enterprise manifest through
out the city. The cigarette factory and the
factory for the manufacture of Guava jelly
deserve especial notice.


Our informant did not visit the cave at
Matanzas, but learned much of it from
persons who had been there, and especially
from a young American lady of exquisite
taste and rare powers of discrimination,
who had in company with family from
the United States made a careful examin-
alton of its interior. She expressed herself
much pleased with what she had seen, and
well repaid for the trouble and expense of
the journey.


BY the way, the cave is about three miles
from Matanzas, and was discovered not
long since by accident by its present owner,
who had purchased the tract for the pur
pose of making lime. Lime-making proved
failure, as everything else had done with
him previously but the cave is great
financial success.


A planter named John Esnard, seventy
five years of age and ffty-two years resi-
dent of the island, stated that in the year
part of the island which effectnally de-
stroyed all vegetation in process of growth
at the time. Considering the latitude of
Cuba this is indeed an unusual occurrence
and worthy of note. Mr.. Esnard resides in
Cardenas. He emigrated from Charleston,
South Carolina, in 1920.


The old gentleman states that it is the
custom for young man to make proposal
to the young lady whom he visits, and this
must be done at the third or fourth visit.
Young persons of opposite sexes never go
out together unless chaperoned.


A circumstance happened on the steam
ship Havana, during her last trip, worth re-
lating. AS the ship was about to depart
for New Orleans, on the twenty-fOurth
ultimo, number of Spanish officers came
on board in search of a Criminal" On in
quiry as to the crime, it was ascertained
that he was Charged with being suspected
of hostility to the government" and also
had outdone a Spaniard in trade, by
which the latter lost much money.


They, failing to find the fugitive, offered
a reward Of five hundred dollars for his ap-
prehension, but no one seemed disturbed
by the offer, and the result was that he was
not found until the good ship arrived at
Key West, after perilous voyage of some
thing over eighteen hours. Here it is said
that an American lady passenger received
back her cloak, hat and chignon from an
exiled Cuban soldier, who came ON board
and took passage for Cedar Keys, thence to
the seat of government at Washington


The selfish world will say that the Cuban
exile had more than five hundred dollars,
and could outbid the Spanish officer, but
let us rather concede to the women of
America that they have in their number
those who can distinguish between the