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left horse, and the right had a pair of reins fixed | which we occasionally rode, remove any of the to the side of the volante, by which he was to be sombre air which hung over the scenery. At held in by us on going down a hill, while a strap length, after riding nearly three hours, we caught four feet long, connecting his head to that of the sight of the white-washed church of Madruga, middle horse, kept him from straying too far to the perched on a distant high hill, and leaving the unright, and another, attached to the bit of the latter, dulating grounds of the lowlands, we commenced and held by the postilion, prevented his being pull- the ascent of the elevated land on which the viled after him. The traces were of rope, the har- lage lay. The scenery now changed to one of ness much the worse for wear, and the horses had exceeding beauty, made up of thickly wooded hills apparently, for some time past, been dragging out a and small valleys covered with a rich cultivation, miserable existence, if their skeleton frames told the amid which the cottage and the mansion seemed to truth. Their tails were, however, tightly braided repose in happy security; while moving teams of à-la-mode, and their extremities lashed to their oxen or pack-horses, and men laboring in the fields cruppers, and with something like an effort to hurry, presented a lively contrast to the lonely and desothey scrambled off, one after the other, under the late wilds we had just left. Slowly clambering up repeated lashes of the postilion, and we soon reach- the last hill, our postilion, who with all his stolid ed the open country. Our road, after leaving the looks had a spice of pride in him, walked his horses vicinity of the city, ran along the foot of the moun- until close to the village, and then, with a sudden tain, which bound the plain on its northern side, start, attempted to dash through the streets; but over a gently undulating surface. It was, more, the already tired animals, not entering into the over, McAdamized here and there with large stones spirit of the thing, it was a complete failure, and a foot or two in diameter, thrown in heaps wherever they only scrambled along up to the door of our a cart had previously been bogged; and over and posada. This was a large building of two stories, around these we trotted, or rather scrambled at the on the corner of the public square, with one end rate of five or six miles an hour, with far more occupied as a tiénda, containing the usual show of ease to ourselves than could be expected from the bottles of sweet oil, cordials and wines, a bar and appearance of the road. Not so, however, with counter, and the medley always seen in a country the poor beasts they had imposed on us for horses. store. It was by his counter that our host received The central one, with nearly the whole weight of us with a bow, and offered us seats; but when he the volante and its contents on his back, and ham- learned from our postilion that the "Consul" had pered by the shafts which did not reach as far as strongly recommended us to his particular attenhis shoulders, seemed scarcely able to struggle tions, he at once declared that "the whole house through the difficulties that beset him on every and all it contained were at our service," and forthside. Now his four legs would be all entangled with ushered us up a narrow stairs into a spacious with each other; then the horse to the right would room above, which, during the bathing season, when sheer off at a wide angle and jerk his head after many from Havana resort to this place to use the him with the leash connecting them, and anon he neighboring mineral waters, served the double purwould return slapdash against him, forcing him pose of a parlor by day and a ball room at night. against the postilion who, dashing away his head, From the balcony, a fine view was obtained of a and jumping his own animal in front of him, would long valley, the gently undulating surface of which suddenly arrest his progress, almost crushing him was covered by the rich verdure of the cane, by between the two; and then he would again be coffee estates and farms, with the ever graceful dragged forwards with the whole vehicle by the royal palm scattered singly, or in groups, over its sudden efforts of the others. In this manner, we whole extent, and sugar houses, mansions and were carried over rocks and through mud holes, groups of negro huts half concealed by groves of up hills and down into ponds, with scarcely any mangoes and oranges; while on the left, the Majolting, although the body of the volante rolled and druga mountains, in a long extended line, raised pitched like a small boat in a short sea. As to an abruptly their wooded ridges and precipitious sides, upset, the first deep hole into which one wheel broken into numerous peaks by intersecting ravines. sank while the other was elevated on a high bank, There was not one rugged feature in the whole; assured us that such an occurrence could not by a rich verdure clad the mountains and carpeted the any possible means take place. The face of the lowlands; and as it brought back to my recolleccountry, as we proceeded, gradually changed from tion similar scenery in Switzerland, amid which, that of the fertile plain of Guines to one wild and in by-gone days, I had often loitered, I could not unsettled, with hills of waste barren land, and por- but own that this surpassed in loveliness the fairest treros void of cattle. Now and then, the isolated I had there beheld. I was, however, soon called cottage of a harriero, or of a small farmer, and one from the enjoyment of the sense of sight to one or two ruins of old churches were seen, by their more congenial with my wants, by the summons loneliness, enhancing the desolate appearance of of our host to breakfast. Our table was covered the country, nor did the deep silent woods through with a clean white cloth, and the repast of fresh

eggs, rice, plantains, meats and excellent bread | sugar house, and looked so ripe and tempting, that which was spread before us, soon engrossed all our after asking the way of the bueyero, who had just thoughts. After the meal, under his guidance, I arrived with his ox-cart ladened fresh from the visited the sulphur spring near by, which is cele- field, we begged for a few pieces. He immediately brated for its medicinal qualities. On our way, we selected some of the best, and trimming off the passed the square surrounded by low cottages, du- hard envelope, presented them to us. A ride of a ring the season teeming with life and fashion, now league more, and we saw the bamboo avenue which closed and silent; and taking a path to the left, led to the mansion of the Carlotta estate, and driafter descending for a short distance, we reached ving hastily through its deeply shaded walks, arthe bathing houses and spring. The latter was rived at the house, just as the storm broke over our bold, running from a well six feet deep, and leav- heads, and the clouds, dissolved in showers of mist, ing a white deposit in the gutters that conveyed were driven by the violent gusts of wind into every its waters to the different baths. Its taste was part of the volante. We made a hasty retreat sweet, and it is but slightly aperient, but the strong into the piazza, where the administrator, in the absulphuruous smell which pervaded the place plainly sense of the owner, received us with much kindindicated its strength. The basins were of stone, ness, and under his hospitable roof we soon found large enough to accommodate about ten persons in ourselves, in homely phrase, quite at ease. This each, and the other arrangements were good, with- is one of the most beautiful and best arranged esout any show of comfort. They are resorted to in tates I have ever visited. The house, which is March and April, when the dullness of the place built. in the style of the English cottage, is suris changed to a stirring activity. Good boarding rounded by a wide piazza, along the border of which is obtained for $1,50 a day, but the wealthier fami- a thick hedge of perpetual roses rises nearly to the lies have private mansions on the adjoining hills balustrades, while a garden, rich in every variety which they occupy only at this time. The village of flowers and shrubs, adjoining the back of the and its suburbs are said to have more than a thou-house, offered a pleasant promenade to its inmates. sand inhabitants, but I suspect the census was taken The site was elevated, and commanded an extenduring the bathing season, for it now did not appear sive view of the coffee grounds, with its alleys of to contain two hundred; it is only four leagues palm and orange which lay in the vale below, and from Guines and would form a pleasant retreat for of the rich cane fields which stretched out to the invalids during the heats of spring. Our resting very foot of the opposite hills, studded over with place for the day was but nine miles distant, and isolated palms, the verdure of the whole rendered we hastened to depart, that we might reach it be- still brighter by the recent rains. Eastward, the fore the norther, which we saw gathering its misty habitations of the slaves, neat, white-washed, stone shroud in the horizon, could overtake us. Our cottages, were placed on either side of a spacious host was attentive to all our wants to the moment level tract of ground; at one extremity of which, of parting, and when he could do nothing more, near the entrance to the estate, were seen a large gave us multiplied good wishes for a pleasant jour-airy building, the hospital, and a few yards from ney. The horses which, at our expense and against it the general kitchen in which all their food was the articles of our contract, had made a hearty prepared; while a capacious coffee storehouse, meal, seemed somewhat inspirited by, that unusual and a mill for separating the berries from their occurrence, and we were quickly carried to the foot of the mountains, up the steep acclivities of which the road began to wind through one of the ravines. We passed several hills of coarse granite, whose sterile soil yielded sustenance only to the stunted palmettos of the Savannas, which, scattered over its surface, with their fan-like leaves disposed in whirls from the center, looked like so many gigantic nests. The highlands now enclosed us on every side, and completely shut out the view, and to add to the wildness of the scenery large scuds, per discipline, was the the rapid forerunners of the norther, were swiftly this group of habitations and the neighboring hills sweeping over our heads, so low that they seemed were a large number of thatched huts, from which but a few feet above the surrounding heights. most unmelodious cries rose on the evening air;Urging our horses to their utmost speed, we gained a small valley cultivated in sugar cane, but which, from the old orange trees seen among it, we knew had formerly been planted in coffee. The steam engine was busily at work expressing the rich juice from the canes which lay in large piles around the

pulpy envelope occupied the other end of the square. The whole presented the appearance of a miniature village; and as I saw the laborers retiring to their homes after their day's toil had ceased, and gazed on the troops of young creoles gambolling about them free from all care for the future, I could not but contrast their state with that of the half starved and overworked slaves of the English manufacturing districts, and concluding that the lot of the Cuba slave, when under a prohappier one. Between

these were the pig and poultry houses of the slaves, the source of many a hard dollar to them, and where several were now engaged in giving to their hogs their meal of plantain leaves and cane. There were about three hundred negroes on the estate, chiefly the old, and those who were not sufficiently

robust to work on the owner's sugar estate. In- we passed a sugar refinery, the only one in the deed, although it once yielded one hundred thou- island, and that one owned by a citizen of the Unisand dollars from a single crop, the Carlotta is now ted States. Yet, strange to relate, in a country retained almost solely as a country scat and as an where the abundance of sugar is only excelled by asylum for the infirm slaves. It is, however, a its inferior quality, even this single establishment perfect nursery for children, for whose especial has to look abroad for support, and sends much of use twenty cows are kept, and so judicious is their its sugars to old Spain. Being made from fresh treatment that very few die. The land is very ele-muscovado, it retains the rich flavor of the cane, vated, and the well which supplies the slaves as and is far superior to any refined in the United well as animals with water is more than three hun- States, where the very refuse of sugars is used to dred feet deep, cut through the lime stone rock. make the loaf. The appearance of Matanzas as In 1813 all the coffee shrubs were killed by a frost; we entered it was not prepossessing, for our postiwhich induced them to plant amid the new trees lion drove us through by-streets of low, meannumerous plantains, the broad leaves of which looking houses, and brought us to our hotel near quite protected them in 1822, when a slight frost was again formed, although the plantains themselves were destroyed.

the bridge of the Yumuri, without our having seen any but the worst part of the town. This city derived its name from the murder of certain CastilOur host, who was a Frenchman, and well in- lians by the Indians, during the earlier settlement formed on all the passing events of the times in of the island, when, according to Herrera, a numEurope as well as in America, had, for many years, ber emigrated hither from Havana; only one man* attended to the agricultural interests of the family and two women were saved, the Indians escaping to which the owner of this estate belonged, and in their canoes to the other side of the bay. The had wisely invested the snug fortune he had here place was thence called Matanças,† signifying the It is situated at the accumulated in landed property in France. He slaughter of a battle-field. was a tall, noble-looking specimen of manhood, head of the bay, on a mangrove swamp which has and on account of those very advantages had fled been partly reclaimed, and on the rising grounds to Spain, when all such were eagerly sought for in which lie between the two small rivers St. Juan France to fill the ranks of the Emperor. Thence and Yumuri. The water is so shallow, even at the he had come to Cuba, and his flight had proved extremity of its long wharf, that none but boats of that if he cared little for glory, his present com- light drafts can approach it; and the shipping is fortable position was an earnest of the good sense moored in the bay a mile from the town, launches he possessed. After passing a pleasant evening in being employed to load and unload them. Soon his company and that of his wife, a lady from the after being made a port of entry, it increased raUnited States, we retired to our chambers, as the pidly in size, and now extends an arm through the crack of the whip, thrice repeated, summoning the mangroves on the South, called the Pueblo Nuevo, slaves to rest, was distinctly heard from the dis- and another towards the Cumbra, named Versalles, tant boheas. Early the next morning, after a light while it covers a large space of ground between repast and taking leave of our kind host and his the rivers which separate it from those two parts. family, we once more occupied our seats in the The whole population of the city and its suburbs volante. We had not proceeded far before the gait of our horses struck us as being very similar to that of those which had dragged us along the previous day, and on interrogating the postilion we learned that but one had been changed, the other two of the relays not being draft horses. It would have been unjust to have vented our spleen on him, so we proceeded in silence, "nursing our wrath to keep it warm," determined to send it sealed up in a double sheet to the owner of the animals. To add to our vexation, we soon learned that the horses would not walk up a single hill unless we did so before them, and as these increased in number and height as we approached Matanzas, it required no great effort to close our hearts against any charitable feelings towards their owner, who, by-the-bye, was not the "Consul." Our road lay over a roll-tela, who erected a cross on the spot, and blessed the first ing country presenting but little to interest the tra- stone then laid in its foundation by the governor. They are now, 1843, just finishing the front by the erection of a veller, until we reached the St. Juan river, along second tower. The next day, they selected the place the fertile banks of which the ground was in a high called the Punta Gorda for the erection of a castle, which state of cultivation. About a league from the city, they named after the governor, San. Severino.—Valdes.

is 19,124, of whom 10,304 are whites, 3,041 are free colored, and 5,779 are slaves. Besides a small church in Pueblo Nuevo, it contains another well

*This man was preserved three years by a Cacique, who saved his life and treated him as his own son, until the arrival of Narvaez in the province Habana; when, preceeded by three hundred Indians bearing presents, he went out to receive the Spaniards and delivered up his guest. His imitative powers appear to have been strong, for the historian remarks, that he retained all the habits of the Indians, squatting on the ground, and using his mouth and hands like them.

Historia de la Isla de Cuba por Antonio J. Valdes. + Matanzas was founded in 1693 by Manzaneda, then the governor of Cuba, who, on Saturday, the tenth of October, commenced the city at the plaza de armas and laid out the streets and the site of the church. The place was consecrated a few days after by D. Diego Evelino de Compos

built edifice now undergoing improvement; a thea- | sion with its pillared and arched front, which strikes tre, a cuck pit of course, large handsome barracks, the attention of the traveller, on sailing up the bay, a fine spacious hospital for the poor, the military by its lonely appearance. Not a tree was planted and strangers, a well built and new prison, several near it, for the Spaniards fear too much their tenpublic and private schools, a college, and a single dency to attract the lightning to permit one to grow mantua-maker and milliner, which I mention for near their houses; but its cool verandahs, and the the especial benefit of my country women, the Spa- fine view it commanded of the bay and city proved nish creoles making all their own dresses. The the good taste of its wealthy owner. Our horses paseo forms a pleasanter promenade than any in were urged to a gallop wherever the road at all Havana, and commands a fine view of the bay and permitted that gait without endangering our safety, the surrounding country, and the plaza is as large and we soon reached the narrow ridge of the Cumas that of the latter city. During the year 1841, bra, more than a thousand feet above the sea. As when the commerce of the island was much de- I walked along the now level road, I knew not on pressed, 480 vessels entered its bay, and 558 sailed which side to fix my gaze, the landscape was everyfrom it, paying to the government, in tonnage and where so beautiful. Seaward, was the wide ocean, other duties on their cargoes, etc., nearly a million and more than thirty miles of the coast towards Haof dollars: 302 of these vessels were American vana in full view; while the bay of Matanzas, dwinbottoms. Its importations the same year amounted dled in size, looked like a smooth, broad river leadto $1,995,311, of which $434,599 were for lumbering to the city, whose houses were spread out over from the United States; and its exportations to a level tract at its head. On the other side of the $4.374,780, of which $3,733,879 were for sugar, road, far down, below our very feet, lay the lovely $351,733 for molasses, and $163,385 for coffee. vale of the Yumuri, with its grounds now broken The houses are chiefly of stone brought from the into peaked hills, now gently undulating, its palms, neighboring cliffs of the Yumuri, and are built in its cane fields, its farms and its cottages. As the the same durable manner as those of Havana, with morning mist, which partially enshrouded it, rolled their windows barricadoed by iron bars. The num- up the sides of the surrounding mountains, and obber of those built of wood on the bay, and the En-ject after object became lit by the bright sun's rays, glish heard at every step in that busy street give it throwing into bold relief the portions illuminated, much of the appearance of an American town to the while the shadow of the Cumbra still lay on the stranger who approaches it from the sea. It is rest, it brought back to my recollection those certainly the most quiet city I have ever visited; graphic descriptions of tropical scenery given by scarcely a single person being met in the streets St. Pierre in his Paul et Virginie; and as I gazed after 10 o'clock at night, and the silence being only on the palm thatched cottage below me, perched broken by the whistle and repeated cry of the on the very pinnacle of a small conical hill, and watchman, who, with his lantern, spear and double listened to the distant crowing of the cock, and brace of pistols, will be frequently seen by the pe- the bleating of the kids, I could not but envy the destrian at that hour. During the three winters I poor montero his secluded abode, so quiet and happy passed in its vicinity, often visiting the town, I did it look. The valley is quite small, which adds heard of but one assassination, and one bold attempt to its beauty, and is so hemmed in by its high surat house-breaking; yet the stranger will no where rounding hills, to the West stretching far away, hear more tales of murderers and robbers than he that it seems almost inaccessible; while its orienwill in Matanzas, which on investigation are found tal air, and calm, peaceful appearance is increased to refer to years ago. Even now I was greeted by the contrast of the wildness of the surrounding with fearful accounts of the disturbed state of the heights. But the heart is pained on recurring to very partido whither I was going, Limonar; but its past history; and as fancy sketches to the mind as the letters from my friends there contained no- the carnage which this place has witnessed of its thing relative to it, I strongly doubted the credi- former innocent inhabitants, it seems well that the bility of what I heard. There are many beautiful name of the neighboring town should be significant drives near Matanzas, and no stranger will quit the of slaughter. It was here, that in 1511 numbers place without visiting the Cumbra, and the cele- of the aborigenes were cruelly massacred by the brated vale of the Yumuri. Leaving the city at Spaniards, and the remainder, driven to the surearly dawn in a volante and three horses, we cross-rounding hills and hunted by bloodhounds, rushed ed the bridge of the latter river, and commenced to the precipices that overhang the Yumuri river, the ascent of the high hill which leads to the Cum- over which they threw themselves, crying out in bra. It was, in a great measure, bare of trees, their despair, "io mori, io mori,' "*"I die, I die;" but its whole extent was covered with a carpet of whence the name of the valley and river. On the yellow flowers, that, from a distance, gave to it a ridge were several private residences, into one of beautiful appearance. Following a road of the roughest kind imaginable, we passed behind the large barracks and hospital, and the solitary man

* The word Yumuri, the first name of the place, is said by others to have arisen from the lamentations of an Indian, who there suffered martydom from the Spaniards.

which, being invited by the owner, we were rega- erect, his brawny limbs without a portion of suled with a glass of fresh milk, that most uncommon perabundant flesh, with his bold bearing he seemed article in a Cuba country house. During our de- able to face a dozen poltroon robbers. For a moscent of the hill, while returning to the city, seve- ment, I regretted the absence of my pistols, but as ral most beautiful landscapes were presented of I had a well filled purse I knew that if attacked, of its bay and shipping, and its whole suburbs. Turn- which I felt assured there was scarcely a probability, ing off by a road which began close by the bridge I should get off with only a moderate beating. Our of the Yumuri, we rode rapidly along its level sur-party moved gaily on by the margin of the beautiface, and entered the gap which leads to the valley. ful bay, with its fleet of vessels at anchor on its Close to us lay the placid waters of the little stream blue waters, and the heavy launches conveying to spread out into a miniature lake, while the oppo- them the produce of the country, or returning to site precipices overhung it with immense, rugged the city with loads of their discharged cargoes. festoons of party colored rock, and massive stalac- The waves, propelled by a north wind, were dashtites, beneath which the entrance to a large cave ing high over the rocks of its southern shore, was seen. Suddenly, the valley in all its beauty guarding its whole extent by a line of breakers; burst on our view, and after lingering awhile to en- while over the shoal water near by, several pelijoy the picture, we returned to the city, and dri- cans were slowly sailing, their cumbrous beaks ving up the hill behind it, again regaled our sight pointing forwards like bowsprits, and their heads with the varied landscape, the valley, the town, turning with one eye downwards then the other, the bay, and the surrounding country. Our ride searching their prey in the crystal waters beneath. occupied three hours, and I had never before looked On the margin of the reef, a brig of about three on so many different views in the same space of hundred tons was hove down, and men were busily time. The panorama changed at every step, and employed in cleansing her bottom with burning tar: the whole was so lovely, that the heart was kept she had just landed near the bay eight hundred in one continued flutter of delight. Matanzas is slaves from Africa; for the trade, although it has declared by all its inhabitants to be the healthiest diminished on account of the low price of negroes, city in the universe, but its surrounding mangrove still continues, and receives the private support of swamps induced me to doubt it, and I asked Belle, the island government by their connivance at the a fellow citizen of Charleston, who keeps a fine open infringement of the laws. On the right lay bathing house, and is moreover a living receptacle the mangrove swamps, covered with water and exof all the news in the city,, about its health-" My posed to the full heat of the sun, the bushes having good sir," she replied, "every body had fever-and- been all cut down the preceeding summer, for the ague last summer." By-the-bye, my country- purpose of tanning hides, the bark being used for woman is quite a blue stocking, and has travelled that purpose. A large number of convicts were as far as Paris; although not a direct descendant at work on its borders cutting transverse trenches of Japheth, she is very entertaining, and a seat in in the soft coral rock, and squaring the blocks her parlor, amid the gentlemen who make it a already raised from the bed. Each had the free lounge, will introduce the stranger to all the topics end of his chain attached to his waist, while the of the day. To verify her opinion, I became sick other was securely fastened to his ancle, and their myself, and experiencing all the discomforts of a clanking at every movement of the body, as the boarding-house of not the cleanliest kind, although pickaxe rose and fell to the ground, reminded me the best in the city, I determined to leave as soon strongly of the galley slaves seen about Naples. as the return of health permitted me to do so. My They were under a guard of soldiers with loaded departure was in better style than that from Gui- muskets, and seemed to work together, both whites nes; the volante was a fine one, and three strong and blacks, without any promptings from their horses, under the guidance of a young negro pos- overseer. The road, as we ascended the highlands tilion, dressed in an embroidered jacket and having before us, was alive with numerous harrieros, carrya long sword lashed to his side, carried me rapidly ing corn and other farming products into the city; along. Soon after crossing the bridge of the St. and caballeros, mounted on fine pacing barbs, with Juan, connecting the city with the Pueblo Nueva, solid silver buckles and plates spread profusely over we reached the shores of the bay, along which the the head pieces and bit and holsters; themselves, road ran more than a mile, and overtook four vo- armed with long swords having large silver basket lantes filled with ladies bound also for the country. hilts, and massive spurs of the same metal, urging They were escorted by a horseman, dressed in a their steeds to a rapid speed, their swords jerking pair of white pantaloons, with his large loose shirt about, and their spurs jingling, looked not unlike over them, fluttering in the sea breeze as he gal- so many knight-errants in search of adventures. loped by their side, and armed with a long Spanish Now and then, we passed a montero with his wife, fusil, and the Toledo blade lashed to his back. He or sweetheart riding in front of him on the same was one of those fine specimens of manhood not alvardo, his arm around her waist, and his hand unfrequently seen among the monteros; tall and holding the loose reins, the slightest pressure of

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