I

CHAPTER XXXVI.

Here and There in Cuba.

F the traveler in Cuba desires to see its most beautiful portions, and also some of its prettiest, quietest towns, he will do well to

make a trip along the south coast, from Batabano to Santiago de Cuba, stopping at Trinidad, and, if he likes, taking the steamer at Santiago home to the States. Or if he desires to visit the British West Indies, he can do so by means of the French steamers running from that place.

The trip is a very enjoyable one, even for ladies, the boats are large and fine, and the accommodations on board them excellent; the voyage is as pleasant and beautiful as a summer trip on the Hudson, or as a sail on Lake George, the sea being generally as calm as a lake. With a good party and plenty of light reading it is as agreeable a trip as can be taken.

Leaving Havana at 5.45 in the morning, the traveler reaches Batabano at 8 o'clock, and goes immediately on board one of the steamers lying at the wharf; and he should immediately see the cabin-boy and make his choice of a stateroom, which should always be taken in the upper cabin, if one can get it there. An eye after one's baggage will not be amiss now, for they do sometimes make mistakes.

And now we are afloat and have time to look about us, and we already feel quite at home from finding the boat and machinery are "Yankee notions,” being made either in New York or Philadelphia, while the cheerful looks and courteous manners of the passengers demonstrate that we are in good company. Acquaintance will be easy if the traveler is able to speak any Spanish; if not, all he has to do is to look pleasant, like the rest of the people, and watch his chance of finding some one who speaks English, and who will be

delighted to explain to the stranger, in his own tongue, the beauties of the Cuban shore.

Ten o'clock, and there goes the breakfast bell. No hurry, gentlemen, everybody is provided for, and there is none of that scrambling and struggling for a seat at the table, so disgraceful to us Americans on our boats; no, everything here is quiet and orderly, and ladies go leisurely to their table in the upper cabin, and the men to theirs arranged in a cool place on the main deck.

Now you will want your Spanish bill of fare, for the table is bountifully supplied with the best of food cooked in the best Spanish fashion, while there is an ample supply of ice and vino catalan to wash it down with; don't hurry, either, my friend, these people don't propose to make a labor of what should always be a pleasure.

Bold Coast and Rocky Islands.

The coast for some distance after leaving Batabano is quite low, and generally marshy; but, on nearing Cienfuegos, it gets higher and even mountainous. To the right, some distance from the coast, and inside of which the steamer always keeps on her passage, are low keys or rocky islets, known as Los Jardines, and likely to prove very dangerous to the navigator, if not acquainted with their locality.

Many of the passengers, after breakfast, seat themselves at a table with the game called "Loto," at which they all gamble more or less. Even the chambermaid is a party to the gambling speculation, for she goes about the boat offering you a ticket in a raffle for a gold watch, or something else, and finding as many purchasers among the ladies as among the men. And so the day slips round, and we have the beauties of a moonlight night in a tropic sea, which add vastly to our pleasure before turning in for the night into our cane-bottomed berth, over which is simply thrown a sheet—a capital idea for boats in warm weather, for such beds, being cool and quite elastic, are most comfortable.

We arrive off the harbor of Cienfuegos some time during the night, but as vessels are not allowed to enter any of the ports of the Island at night, particularly during war times, we have to wait until

daybreak, when we get under weigh and enter that beautiful port by the light of the rising sun. The bay is a very extensive one, the en- trance itself being quite narrow, with a lighthouse on the extreme point, and stone forts upon the adjacent hills at the mouth, none of which appear to be very strong.

Anchorage for Large Vessels.

The bay has anchorage for vessels of the largest class, while the high hills that surround it afford ample shelter from any stormy winds that may blow. It was this bay that Columbus visited on his first voyage, and Padre las Casas, in speaking of it, calls it the most magnificent port in the world, comprising within its shores six square leagues. Herrera, also, describing the port and bay of Cienfuegos, as seen by Ocampo in a voyage round the Island, "There was says: Ocampo very much at his ease, well served by the Indians with an infinite number of partridges, like those of Castile, except somewhat smaller. He had also abundance of fish (lizas, skate). They took them from this natural fish-pond, where there were millions of them just as safe as if they were in a tank attached to one's home."

The steamer reaches the wharf about six o'clock, and, as she remains until eleven, the traveler has ample time to go ashore and see the town or try the excellent oysters, of which they have large quantities. Probably no place on the Island offers greater advantages for seeing sugar-making in its most favorable aspects than Cienfuegos, as it is surrounded by an immense cane-growing district, with some of the best estates on the Island.

Still, keeping close to the coast, we begin to see some of its mountainous beauties; for, sailing within a mile or two of the shore, we have a constantly changing panorama of green hills, that come down to the very water's edge, while, in the distance, they stretch away until some of their tops appear to be holding up the heavens.

We know not if Tennyson was ever in the tropics in person, but he must have been there in mind when he wrote, as though filled with their ardor:

"Oh, hundred shores of happy climes,

How swiftly streamed ye by the bark!
At times the whole sea burned; at times,
With wakes of fire we tore the dark;
At times a craven craft would shoot

From heavens hid in fairy bowers,
With naked limbs and flowers and fruit,

But we nor paused for fruits nor flowers."

Breaking in upon our romantic musings comes the sound of the hand-bell, and we wonder what it can be for. Our late breakfast was over only an hour or so ago. It cannot be anything to eat; no, innocents, it is only something to drink, in the shape of frescos, which may be made either of lemons or oranges, placed nice and cold, in large pitchers, for you to help yourself to at discretion.

Small Hands and Ruby Lips.

It is an attractive sight to see these pretty Cuban women sipping their frescos, holding the glasses to their ruby lips with the smallest hands imaginable; while, perhaps, peeping out from beneath their dresses, are the tiny feet for which they are celebrated, evidently never intended by nature to walk on. "To be sure" (we think we hear some uncharitable lady reader say), "if I made as little use of my hands and feet as they do, I could have such trifling appendages." Nevertheless, they are very pretty, and we think most of the Señoritas are positively aware of the fact, from the way they display them.

About four o'clock in the afternoon, we arrive in sight of those high and beautiful mountains of Trinidad, a continuation and part of the range which we have been seeing all day, known as the "Guanahuya;" and, at last, we see Trinidad-beautiful Trinidad-on this balmy south coast, which, seen from some distance out at sea, looks, as it lies far up the mountain side, its white walls glistening in the golden light, like a babe nestling on its mother's breast. It takes some time to get up to its port, for in front of the bay there is a large narrow point of land, which, with the main land, forms the bay and port of Casilda.

Reaching this, we steam around the point, and then, retracing our course in the direction from which we have come, we see, upon the shore of this beautiful bay, the little village of Casilda, which is the port of entrance for Trinidad. There are two other ports of entrance, though not in use-that of "La Boca," to the south-west, where empties the river Táyabo, and that of the river Musé, to the south

east.

The anchorage in the bay is not a very good one, as the water is so shallow that it necessitates the loading of vessels by lighters, unless they happen to be quite small. The town has quite an extensive series of wharves and warehouses, the principal portion of the shipping business being done down here, though the town itself is a straggling village, with a few large warehouses and the depot of the railroad which connects it with Trinidad.

A Hotel in Trinidad.

If the traveler can find a volante, we would advise him to take that and ride up, unless the cars are ready to start, for sometimes there is a delay of several hours after the arrival of the boat, before the train gets off, and as the distance is only three miles, over a good road, with beautiful views, it is quite as pleasant to go in a volante as in the cars, though somewhat more expensive. It is an ascent all the way.

One is not very greatly struck with the appearance of the town of Trinidad upon getting out at the depot, for the streets lying immediately in its neighborhood are anything but attractive, though they are rather antique and rugged, looking as if you had come to some third-rate village.

One has to look out now for his own baggage, engaging a cart to carry it, and seeing himself that it is put upon the cart, which is then driven to the designated hotel. Generally there is not much choice of hotels in Trinidad, and the best way is to examine all of them that are tolerable enough to go to, before deciding.

Says a traveler, speaking of a large boarding-house: "Our first experience there was very amusing. After securing our room, we