History of Cuba; or, Notes of a Traveller in the Tropics: Being a Political, Historical, and Statistical Account of the Island, from its First Discovery to the Present TimeBallou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
History
History of Cuba; or, Notes of a Traveller in the Tropics: Being a Political, Historical, and Statistical Account of the Island, from its First Discovery to the Present Time
Ballou, Maturin M. (Maturin Murray)
Cuba -- Description and travel; Cuba -- History
Of course the reason for this is quite apparent, and is openly
acknowledged in Havana, viz:--that these youths, during their residence
here, adopt liberal ideas and views of our republican policy, which
become fixed principles with them; nor is there any doubt of this being
the case, for such students as have thus returned, unhesitatingly
(among friends) avow their sentiments, and most ardently express a hope
for Cuban independence; and this class, too, upon the island are far
more numerous than might at first be supposed. Those who have been
educated in France, Germany, and England, seem at once to imbibe the
spirit of those youths who have returned from the United States, and
long before there was any open demonstration relative to the first Lopez
expedition, these sons of the planters had formed themselves into a
secret society, which is doubtless still sustained, with the avowed
purpose of exercising its ability and means to free Cuba, sooner or
later, from the Spanish yoke.
The city of Havana is surrounded by a high wall and ditch, and its gates
are always strictly guarded by soldiery, no stranger being permitted to
pass unchallenged. The streets, which are extremely narrow, are all
Macadamized, and cross each other at right angles, like those of
Philadelphia and some other American cities. There are no sidewalks,
unless a narrow line of flag-stones which are level with the surface of
the street may be so called. Indeed, the people have little use for
sidewalks, for they drive almost universally about town in place of
walking, being thus borne about in that peculiar vehicle, a volante. A
woman of respectability is never seen on foot in the streets, and this
remark, as singular as it may sound to our Broadway and
Washington-street belles, is applicable even to the humblest classes;
unless, indeed, it be the fruit women from the country, with their
baskets richly laden upon their heads, while they cry the names of
their tempting burdens in the long drawling Spanish style.
The architecture of the city houses is exceedingly heavy, giving to them
an appearance of great age. They are constructed so as almost
universally to form squares in their centres, which constitutes the only
yard which the house can have, and upon which the lofty arches of the
corridor look down. The lower story is always occupied as storeroom,
kitchen, and stable, (think of a suite of drawing-rooms over a stable!)
while the universal volante blocks up in part the only entrance to the
house. From this inner court-yard a wide flight of steps leads to the
second story, from the corridor of which all the rooms open, giving them
an opening front and rear on two sides at least. As peculiar as this
mode of building may seem, it is nevertheless well adapted to the
climate, and one becomes exceedingly well satisfied with the
arrangement.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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