L'ile de Cuba seule pourrait valoir un royaume. L'Abbé Raynal. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1854, by PHILLIPS, SAMPSON & CO., In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts. Stereotyped by HOBART & ROBBINS, New England Type and Stereotype Foundery BOSTON. TO His Friend, FRANCIS A. DURIVAGE, ESQ., As a small Token of Regard for HIS EXCELLENCE IN THOSE QUALITIES WHICH CONSTITUTE STERLING MANHOOD; AS A TRUE AND WORTHY FRIEND; AS A R

The remarkable degree of interest expressed on all sides, at the present time, relative to the island of Cuba, has led the author of the following pages to place together in this form a series of notes from his journal, kept during a brief residence upon the island. To these he has prefixed a historical glance at the political story of Cuba, that may not be unworthy of preservation. The fact that the subject-matter was penned in the hurry of observation upon the spot, and that it is thus a simpl

The Island of Cuba—Early colonists—Island aborigines—First importation of slaves—Cortez and his followers—Aztecs—The law of races—Mexican aborigines—Valley of Mexico—Pizarro—The end of heroes—Retributive justice—Decadence of Spanish power—History of Cuba—The rovers of the Gulf—Havana fortified—The tyrant Velasquez—Office of captain-general—Loyalty of the Cubans—Power of the captain-general—Cupidity of the government—The slave-trade—The British take Havana—General Don Luis de las Casas—Don Franci

The constitution of 1812—Revolution of La Granja—Political aspect of the island—Discontent among the Cubans—The example before them—Simon Bolivar, the Liberator—Revolutions of 1823 and 1826—General Lorenzo and the constitution—The assumption of extraordinary power by Tacon—Civil war threatened—Tacon sustained by royal authority—Despair of the Cubans—Military rule—A foreign press established—Programme of the liberal party—General O'Donnell—The spoils—Influence of the climate. When the French inva

Armed intervention—Conspiracy of Cienfuegos and Trinidad—General Narciso Lopez—The author's views on the subject—Inducements to revolt—Enormous taxation—Scheme of the patriots—Lopez's first landing in 1850—Taking of Cardinas—Return of the invaders—Effect upon the Cuban authorities—Roncali recalled—New captain-general—Lopez's second expedition—Condition of the Invaders—Vicissitudes—Col. Crittenden—Battle of Las Pozas—Superiority of courage—Battle of Las Frias—Death of Gen. Enna—The fearful finale

Present condition of Cuba—Secret treaty with France and England—British plan for the Africanization of the island—Sale of Cuba—Measures of General Pezuela—Registration of slaves—Intermarriage of blacks and whites—Contradictory proclamations—Spanish duplicity—A Creole's view of the crisis and the prospect. Cuba is at present politically in a critical and alarming condition, and the most intelligent natives and resident foreigners live in constant dread of a convulsion more terrific and sanguinary

Geographical position of the island—Its size—The climate—Advice to invalids—Glance at the principal cities—Matanzas—Puerto Principe—Santiago de Cuba—Trinidad—The writer's first view of Havana—Importance of the capital—Its literary institutions—Restriction on Cuban youths and education—Glance at the city streets—Style of architecture—Domestic arrangements of town houses—A word about Cuban ladies—Small feet—Grace of manners and general characteristics. Having thus briefly glanced at the political

Contrast between Protestant and Catholic communities—Catholic churches—Sabbath scenes in Havana—Devotion of the common people—The Plaza de Armas—City squares—The poor man's opera—Influence of music—La Dominica—The Tacon Paseo—The Tacon Theatre—The Cathedral—Tomb of Columbus over the altar—Story of the great Genoese pilot—His death—Removal of remains—The former great wealth of the church in Cuba—Influence of the priests. On no occasion is the difference between the manners of a Protestant and Cat

Nudity of children and slaves—The street of the merchants—The currency of Cuba—The Spanish army in the island—Enrolment of blacks—Courage of Spanish troops—Treatment by the government—The garrote—A military execution—The market-men and their wares—The milk-man and his mode of supply—Glass windows—Curtains for doors—The Campo Santo, or burial-place of Havana—Treatment of the dead—The prison—The fish-market of the capital. One peculiarity which is certain to strike the stranger from the first hour

One of the most successful villains whose story will be written in history, is a man named Marti, as well known in Cuba as the person of the governor-general himself. Formerly he was notorious as a smuggler and half pirate on the coast of the island, being a daring and accomplished leader of reckless men. At one time he bore the title of King of the Isle of Pines, where was his principal rendezvous, and from whence he despatched his vessels, small, fleet crafts, to operate in the neighboring wat

The lottery at Havana—Hospitality of the Spaniards—Flattery—Cuban ladies—Castilian, Parisian and American politeness—The bonnet in Cuba—Ladies' dresses—The fan—Jewelry and its wear—Culture of flowers—Reflections—A most peculiar narcotic—Cost of living on the island—Guines—The cock-pit—Training of the birds—The garden of the world—Birds of the tropics—Condition of agriculture—Night-time—The Southern Cross—Natural resources of Cuba—Her wrongs and oppressions. There is a monthly lottery in Havana,

The volante and its belongings—The ancient town of Regla—The arena for the bull-fights at Havana—A bull-fight as witnessed by the author at Regla—A national passion with the Spanish people—Compared with old Roman sports—Famous bull-fighters—Personal description of Cuban ladies—Description of the men—Romance and the tropics—The nobility of Cuba—Sugar noblemen—The grades of society—The yeomanry of the island—Their social position—What they might be—Love of gambling. The volante, that one vehicle o

A sugar plantation—Americans employed—Slaves on the plantations—A coffee plantation—Culture of coffee, sugar and tobacco—Statistics of agriculture—The cucullos, or Cuban fire-fly—Novel ornaments worn by the ladies—The Cuban mode of harnessing oxen—The montero and his horse—Curious style of out-door painting—Petty annoyances to travellers—Jealousy of the authorities—Japan-like watchfulness—Questionable policy—Political condition of Cuba. The sugar plantations are the least attractive in external

Probably of all the governors-general that have filled the post in Cuba none is better known abroad, or has left more monuments of his enterprise, than Tacon. His reputation at Havana is of a somewhat doubtful character; for, though he followed out with energy the various improvements suggested by Aranjo, yet his modes of procedure were so violent, that he was an object of terror to the people generally, rather than of gratitude. He vastly improved the appearance of the capital and its vicinity,

Consumption of tobacco—The universal cigar—Lady smokers—The fruits of Cuba—Flour a prohibited article—The royal palm—West Indian trees—Snakes, animals, etc.—The Cuba blood-hound—Mode of training him—Remarkable instinct—Importation of slaves—Their cost—Various African tribes—Superstitious belief—Tattooing—Health of the negroes—Slave laws of the island—Food of the negroes—Spanish law of emancipation—General treatment of the slaves. The consumption of tobacco, [47] in the form of cigars, is absolut

Pecuniary value of the slave-trade to Havana—The slave clippers—First introduction of slaves into Cuba—Monopoly of the traffic by England—Spain's disregard of treaty stipulations—Spanish perfidy—Present condition of Spain—Her decadence—Influence upon her American possessions—Slaves upon the plantations—The soil of Cuba—Mineral wealth of the island—The present condition of the people—The influences of American progress—What Cuba might be. Like Liverpool and Boston, in their early days, Havana has

Area of Cuba—Extent of cultivated and uncultivated lands—Population—Proportion between the sexes—Ratio of legitimate to illegitimate births—Ratio between births and deaths—Agricultural statistics—Commerce and commercial regulations—Custom-house and port charges—Exports and imports—Trade with the United States—Universities and schools—Education—Charitable institutions—Railroads—Temperature. In addition to the statistical information incidentally contained in the preceding pages, we have prepared

Retrospective thoughts—The bright side and dark side of the picture—Cuban institutions contrasted with our own—Political sentiments of the Creoles—War footing—Loyalty of the colony—Native men of genius—The Cubans not willing slaves—Our own revolution—Apostles of rebellion—Moral of the Lopez expedition—Jealousy of Spain—Honorable position of our government—Spanish aggressions on our flag—Purchase of the island—Distinguished conservative opinion—The end. It is with infinite reluctance that the tem

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