Pan. 
 
 W. Indies 
 
 Anderson , Rm^as 
 
 Remarks on the island of Cuba 
 
I 
 
 ON THE 
 
 f 
 
 1SL 
 
 
 AND OF CUBA. 
 
 From the Missionary Herald , published in Boston, Mass, by the 
 American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions. 
 
 The following- notices respecting the island of Cnba, are furnished bj' a 
 gentleman, who, for the benefit of his health, spent some part of the last 
 winter and spring on that island. They take their particular character from 
 the fact, that the writer spent most of his time travelling in the interior, 
 and was chiefly conversant with planters and rural scenery. The statements 
 may, it is thought, be relied on as correct; and they are as full, as time, and 
 circumstances, and a due regard to health, would permit them to be.—As 
 Cuba has not hitherto been well known to the people of this country, and as 
 it is increasing in interest, both to the merchant and to the Christian, the 
 belief is entertained, that many would be pleased to see such sketches as 
 the following. Should there be some erroneous statements of facts, which 
 is certainly very possible, the reader will easily find an apology, in the dif¬ 
 ficulty of being well informed on all the subjects contained in this paper, 
 even after a much longer residence in any place, than the writer enjoyed 
 on that island. 
 
 Preliminary Remarks .—Cuba bad the 
 honor of being discovered by Columbus, on 
 the -8th ot October, 1492. It was supposed 
 to be apart of a great continent till 1508, 
 when it was circumnavigated by an officer 
 named Obando. In 1511, Don Jago Valas- 
 quez, with a force of 300 men, conquered 
 and colonized it He first built St. Jago de 
 Cuba, on the south-eastern part of the island, 
 and afterwards the Havana, on the north¬ 
 west. This latter city is now the capital. 
 
 The island extends from 73° 50' to 85° 30' 
 W. Longitude, making a difference of longi¬ 
 tude of 11° 40/ or about 700 English miles 
 The body of the island being, however, curv¬ 
 ed, and not laying exactly east and west, a 
 line passing through the middle of it, from 
 one entl to the other, would probably exceed 
 800 miles in length. The medium breadth 
 of the island is estimated at 75 miles, so that 
 its superficial contents can fall little short of 
 GO,000 square miles—an area larger than that 
 of England and Wales. Its greatest Latitude 
 is 23 Q 20', and its least 19° 4o' N. Of course 
 it falls just within the northern limit of the 
 torrid zone. 
 
 The Gulf Stream separates the island from 
 Florida on the north; and the Old Bahama 
 Channel divides it from the Great Bank of 
 the same name, and numerous small islands, 
 on the north-east. Its eastern point ap¬ 
 proaches near to the western extremity of 
 Hayti. Jamaica is not far from its most 
 southern limits. South-west is the Carib¬ 
 bean Sea. And on the west and north-west 
 is the the Gulf of .Mexico. 
 
 The position of this island is such, that, 
 awing to the influence of the Trade Winds 
 and of the Gulf Stream, the vast amount of 
 
 produce, which comes annually down the 
 Mississippi, and from all the shores of the 
 Mexican Gulf, passes of necessity almost 
 within sight of the Havana, before it can 
 come into the Atlantic. The commercial 
 importance of the island may, then, easily be 
 seen. It is great at present. But when, in 
 the lapse of ages, the tide of population from 
 the east and south shall meet in now unex¬ 
 plored regions, and agriculture shall pour 
 forth its golden treasures from the Missis¬ 
 sippi to the Bio del Norte and the lloeky 
 Mountains, then the importance of this 
 island must become immeasurably great. 
 
 appearance of the country .—The coast be¬ 
 tween the Havana and .Vlantanzas—a distance 
 of about 70 miles —has a barren aspect, ex¬ 
 hibiting spots of rich vegetation only here and 
 there. In some places it is covered with a 
 stnnted brushwood; and almost uniformly is 
 elevated enough to conceal from those, who 
 sail along the shore, every thing beyond, ex¬ 
 cept the summits of mountains in the inte¬ 
 rior. But there are a few openings, through 
 which the delighted beholder looks up into 
 regions of perpetual verdure. 1 have reason 
 to suppose that this general description will 
 apply to the whole northern coast. The 
 southern is said to be less elevated, and more 
 j fertile. 
 
 Almost the whole surface of the interior 
 I is pleasantly diversified with hills and vallies, 
 
 - plains and mountains. The vallies are usu- 
 I ally narrow, and often deep; and the plains 
 level, and sometimes extensive. The moun¬ 
 tains are generally abrupt, and never rise to 
 a great height. A ridge passes through the 
 middle of the island from E. to W„ though 
 
o 
 
 Remarks on the Island of Cu'ba. 
 
 with some interruptions. Once in particular 
 it yields, for the space of 60 miles, to a plain, j 
 which is said to stretch across the island Over 
 some part of this vast plain 1 travelled. It 
 is level as the ocean, and possesses a rich soil: 
 but only a small portion ol it is yet brought 
 under cultivation. 
 
 The finest scenery is found among the 
 mountains. Even where the improving hand 
 of man has never been applied; where the 
 wilderness, through which the savage roamed, 
 still remains; and only a narrow, winding 
 footpath guides the traveller;—the eye is con¬ 
 tinually delighted with rich and romantic 
 views. The forest teems with vegetable life, j 
 so as to be almost impervious. The tall, ; 
 crowded trees are tied together by festoons j 
 of numberless creepers, which ascend from ' 
 branch to branch, till they overlook the wood, : 
 and rejoice in the clear sunshine. 
 
 Sometimes the traveller descends into a ! 
 deep ravine, and there, beneath the everlast- j 
 ing shade of lofty, woody declivities, finds the 
 rocky bed of some dried up torrent. Some¬ 
 times he rises imperceptibly upon elevated 
 land, till he looks abroad over an area of large 
 extent, embracing plains, of various elevations 
 above the sea—abrupt cones, apparently of 
 volcanic origin—irregular, precipitous ridges— 
 and occasionally a part of the ocean. Some¬ 
 times he emerges suddenly from a beautiful wil¬ 
 derness of vegetation into an open heath, 
 where the eye ranges unobstructed over i 
 thousands of acres, and where nothing grows 
 but a dwarfish species of palm, and an almost 
 worthless grass. Here the rocks assume a 
 darker aspect, and seem to have changed 
 their nature. 
 
 But there is no scenery which the art and 
 industry of man cannot improve; and art and 
 industry have done much in many parts of 
 this island. In vain do 1 strive to give to one, 
 who has never visited a tropical climate, a 
 correct conception of the appearance of a 
 landscape there, when dressed up and adorned 
 by a tasteful agriculture. Many of the plants, 
 shrubs and trees, which in this country form 
 articles of choicest luxury, are there indigen¬ 
 ous, and are among the common productions 
 of the soil. And these, when flourishing in 
 their native earth, and under the free rays of 
 a sun duly proximate, exhibit a deeper and 
 livelier hue, and a greater luxuriance of fo- 
 l.age and growth. Even when standing insu¬ 
 lated and alone, how lovely do many ot these 
 plants, shrubs and trees appear to a north¬ 
 ern eye! But when brought together by hun¬ 
 dreds, or thousands—when arranged by the 
 pu rest taste and most practised eye—when 
 spreail abroad over an extended plain—w hen 
 loaded with fruit, useful, various, and abun¬ 
 dant—and especially, when one is standing in 
 the midst of all this vast and beautiful gar¬ 
 den, traversing avenues, neat, broad, straight, 
 crossing each other at frequent intervals and 
 at right angles:—then, I had almost said, 
 there is something before the mind, which 
 nature unaided never equals. 
 
 Still there are parts of the island, espe¬ 
 cially large tracts of cleared, uneven country 
 devoted chiefly to pasturage, which recalled 
 New England to my mind. The palms, in¬ 
 deed, which grow every where, with their 
 
 straight, naked trunks, and tufted tops 
 waving high in the air, suggested nothing 
 analogous io themselves; but, these apart, 
 there was much in that pastoral scenery, 
 which resembled scenery rendered dear by 
 long acquaintance and a thousand pleasant 
 associations. 
 
 On the whole, I must regard Cuba as a 
 magnificent island. The features of it are 
 by no means so majestic as are those of the 
 Mexican table lauds: but almost every 
 wher« is to be seen splendid variety, and 
 inexhaustible richness. 
 
 Soil .—Enough has been said, to convey 
 the idea, that the soil of Cuba is immensely 
 productive. The mountains, indeed, have 
 usually a thin soil. I he torrents of the rainy 
 season have in man) places left little but a 
 mass of lime-stone. There are, also, many 
 parts where there is hardly a sufficient depth 
 ot earth to preserve vigorous Ide iu plants, 
 during the dry season: and I have already 
 remarked, that, along the the margin of the 
 northern shore, the soil is not generally pro¬ 
 ductive. But after every abatement, it is 
 the fact, that a very large proportion of the 
 island—perhaps five parts out of six—is ex¬ 
 cellent for tillage. This is emphatically true of 
 the numerous, and often very extended 
 plains; upon which the more valuable plan¬ 
 tations of sugar, coffee and tobacco, are chiefly 
 situated. On these plains there is generally 
 a deep, warm, mellow soil. One would think 
 that they had been, in some former period, 
 covered with water, and that the water had 
 passed off through openings between the hills, 
 gradually or suddenly formed; and perhaps, 
 too, by subterranean passages to the sea, pro¬ 
 duced by somegreat natural convulsion. There 
 are, at present, in almost every plain, crev¬ 
 ices in the rock that lies beneath the surface, 
 called sumideros , of unknown depth, and 
 leading no one knows whither, which absorb 
 vast quantities of water. The soil on these 
 plains is sometimes 4u feet deep, and is the 
 same in its nature quite down to its rocky 
 bed. More generally it is from three to four 
 feet in depth, and rests on limestone, or a 
 hardened body of clay. 
 
 The soil is of various kinds. The first 
 which l notice is the most common, at least 
 in the parts of the island which I visited. It 
 seems to be a mixture of clay and sand, color¬ 
 ed by an oxide of iron. Its color generally 
 approaches near a scarlet red, and if wetted 
 it gives a deep stain. I have seen it used as 
 the base of a paint for the doors, windows and 
 wainscots of respectable houses. Beneath the 
 surface, it has a degree of moisture and cohe¬ 
 sion. This is the soil preferred for coffee. 
 
 A deep black mould is also very com¬ 
 mon. Where there is much depth, the 
 growth upon it is rapid and luxuriant; and as 
 it retains moisture belter than the red, it is 
 more esteemed for the sugar cane. 1 Ls color 
 in some places inclines to grey, hut without 
 any apparent diminution ol its richness. The 
 relative positions of the red and black struck 
 me sometimes as a singular phenomenon. 
 Generally the dividing line is distinct, and 
 the transition from one to the other sudden. 
 When crossing the mountains of Madruga, 
 
Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 8 
 
 called by sailors, to whom they are a land 
 mark, “the Iron Hills,’ 1 observed the line 
 of division running along the summit of the 
 ridge from west to east: on the north was the 
 red soil, and on the south the black. 1 also 
 remarked the same on two or three other 
 ridges, of different heights, in other patts of 
 the island. Often veins of black traverse the 
 red, in various directions, across the plains. 
 
 Another kind ot soil is composed of mix¬ 
 tures, in different degrees, of red and black, 
 and is there denominated mulutto soil. Lying 
 on a btd of clay—which forms another class 
 —it needs much draining; and when properly 
 attended to in this respect, it is highly pro¬ 
 ductive. 1 saw the clay in considerable puri¬ 
 ty, only beneath this species of earth. 
 
 There are ot er varieties; but they fell 
 not particularly within my observation, and 
 do not, 1 believe, extend over large tracts of 
 land. 
 
 Cultivation .—The soil is capable of bring¬ 
 ing to perfection a great variety of useful 
 fruits, of which a few only can be specified: 
 —Two and sometimes three crops of excel¬ 
 lent maize are raised in a year Without 
 trouble the finest rice is produced on the 
 black and mulatto earths, during the rains. 
 I was told that wheat and oats would flourish. 
 Planta'wis, bananas, yams, and sweet potatoes, 
 grow in great abundance. Cabbages, lettuce, 
 carrots, turnips, various kinds of beans, 
 green peas, asparagus, and numerous other 
 esculent vegetables, may easily be furnished 
 for the table. A magnificent dessert may be 
 formed of the pine-apple, orange, guava, avo¬ 
 cado-pear, mango, tamarind, grape, melon, 
 pomegranate, and other fruits too numerous 
 to mention;—some of which are indigenous 
 to the island, and all are adapted to its climate. 
 Cotton is a native of the island, and of a supe¬ 
 rior quality; but it has not been found pro¬ 
 ductive. The great objects of the planters, 
 however, are sugar, coffee and tobacco. 
 
 But a small portion of the island is yet 
 brought under cultivation. Perhaps little 
 more than a sixth part of it, is improved in 
 any way. The jurisdiction of Havana, which 
 extends over the western part of the island, 
 contains about 35,000 square miles, or 
 22,000,000 of acres. From the “Guia de 
 Forasteros de lsla de Cuba ,” for 1824, 1 
 have ascertained the number of sugar, coffee 
 and tobacco plantations, and also the number 
 of small farms and herbaries, within this ju¬ 
 risdiction. The average number of acres as¬ 
 signed to each, in the following table, is con¬ 
 jectured, but the number assumed is thought 
 to be large. The results go far to substantiate 
 the assertion made above. 
 
 
 No. 
 
 Ac. in ea. Acrs. 
 
 Sugar Plantations, 
 
 625 
 
 400 
 
 250,000 
 
 Coffee Plantations, 
 
 779 
 
 400 
 
 311,600 
 
 Tobacco Plantations, 
 
 1,601 
 
 200 
 
 320,000 
 
 Small Farms, (Sitios tie labor,) 9,821 
 
 40 
 
 392,840 
 
 Herbaries, 
 
 183 
 
 10 
 
 1,830 
 
 Land under cultivation, 
 
 1,276,270 
 
 To this add, 
 
 
 
 
 Grazing- Estates, 
 
 1.762 
 
 1,000 
 
 1,762,000 
 
 Pastures, (Potreros,) 
 
 1,193 
 
 300 
 
 357,900 
 
 
 AU that is improved, 
 
 3,396,170 
 
 There seem, therefore, to be at least 
 18,000,000 of acres of unimproved land within 
 the jurisdiction of Havana. The jurisdic¬ 
 tion of St. Jago de Cuba, which includes the 
 eastern part of the island, contains not less 
 than 16 , 00 ( 1,000 of acres, ol which probably 
 a twentieth part only is improved. Thirty- 
 three millions of acres on this island are then 
 unimproved! And yet more than 25,000,000 
 of acres must be regarded as arable land; 
 much of it exceedingly rich; and all lying, as 
 1 shall by and bye remark more fully, in one 
 of the fini st of climates, 
 
 Sugar, coffee and tobacco being the chief 
 productions, and forming the principal ex¬ 
 ports of the island, l may be expected to de¬ 
 scribe britfly the mode of their cultivation. 
 Respecting the last, however, 1 shall say noth¬ 
 ing, as it fell only partially within my notice, 
 being raised chiefly in the parts of tlie island 
 west and south-west of the Havana, where 1 
 did not find it convenient to go. I simply 
 remark, that the superior quality of the Ha¬ 
 vana tobacco is, by the inhabitants, attri¬ 
 buted to the nature of the soil; and that the 
 tobacco produced in different districts of the 
 island, is thought to possess very unequal 
 excellence. 
 
 Sugar Plantations .—The cane i3 a jointed 
 reed, terminating in blades, or leaves, whose 
 edges are finely serrated. \V hen ripe, its 
 color inclines to yellow. It is filled with a 
 soft, pithy substance, abounding in juice, 
 which, coming from the fresh cane, is very 
 delicious The distance between the joints 
 of the cane varies from two to five inches; 
 and its average diameter is about three-fourths 
 of an inch The common height of the cane 
 is from five to seven feet. 
 
 It is cultivated by laying short pieces— 
 usually the tops—horizontally in holes or 
 trenches, and covering them with earth about 
 two inches deep In a few days the young 
 sprouts appear, and, as they grow, earth is 
 gradually drawn around them. Precisely the 
 same attention is needed by the cane, that 
 is given to Indian corn. The season for 
 planting is the autumnal months, and the cane 
 is ripe tor the mill in about a year and a quar¬ 
 ter. A single planting answers for several 
 years. 
 
 So much nutriment is contained in the juice 
 of the cane, and so freely is it drank during 
 the harvest, that although the poor slave 
 then works very hard—often I fear much too 
 hard—at no time of the year does he look so 
 well, or enjoy better health. 
 
 The ripest cane is of course cut first, but 
 only enough from day to day to supply the 
 demand. The mill, in which it is ground, 
 consists of three upright, iron-plaUd cylin¬ 
 ders, between 30 and 4(1 inches in length, and 
 from 20 to 25 in diameter. The power is 
 applied to the middle cylinder, which moves 
 the other two. A slave, standing in front, 
 thrusts the cane between the middle cylinder 
 and the one at the right; and another slave, 
 on the other side, sends it back between the 
 middle cylinder and the one at the left, by 
 which time the juice is pretty thoroughly- 
 expressed. This is conveyed into the boiling 
 house, along a wooden gutter lined with lead, 
 ! where it is received into what is termed the 
 
4 
 
 Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 clarifier. Here the temperature of the li- 
 <[Uor is raised nearly, but not quite, to boiling 
 heat; a small quantity of quicklime is thrown 
 in, which is supposed to take up some veget¬ 
 able acids, that prevent the granulation of the 
 sugar; and the impurities, rising to the sur¬ 
 face, are skimmed olf. The juice is then re¬ 
 moved to a boiler, and, as the evaporation 
 proceeds, through a series of boilers, until it 
 acquires the consistency of syrup. 
 
 If muscovado, or the common brown sugar, 
 is to be made, this syrup is then put into 
 large, shallow vessels, and is allowed to cool 
 and granulate undisturbed; when it is placed 
 in hogsheads, the bottoms of which are per¬ 
 forated with holes. Through these the mo¬ 
 lasses passes into a channel, that conveys it to 
 a reservoir; arid from thence it often goes to 
 a distillery, and is converted into rum. But 
 I saw only one plantation, where muscovado 
 sugar was made in considerable quantities. 
 The general custom in Cuba, is to carry the 
 process of refining further titan this. 
 
 In the first place, the syrup is poured into a 
 trough, and is beaten while it is cooling. It is 
 then put into conical earthen vessels, contain¬ 
 ing as much as a negro can carry, and hav¬ 
 ing both ends open. That the molasses may 
 be thoroughly carried oft', these vessels are 
 placed upon a frame, with their apex down¬ 
 ward, and moist clay is spread over the top 
 of the sugar. The water from the clay,filtering 
 through the sugar, dilutes the molasses, and 
 carries it through the open apex, into a chan¬ 
 nel, formed like an inverted roof of a house, 
 which transmits the whole to a reservoir. 
 Sugar, thus purified, is, for an obvious reason, 
 denominated c'ai/ed sugar. It is tbe com¬ 
 mon while sugar. 
 
 In general a gallon of juice will produce a 
 pound of sugar; and an acre of cane will furnish 
 from fifteen hundred weight to a ton; some¬ 
 times much more. The fields of cane, which 
 fell under my observation, consist of from 
 2(J0 to 400 acres each. 
 
 Coffee Plantations .—The coffee tree has 
 only a single stem, which rises perpendicular¬ 
 ly, and is well filled with branches from within 
 a foot of the ground upw ards- In order that 
 the fruit may be gathered with facility, the 
 tree is not suffered to grow more than five 
 feet and a half high. Its general form is con¬ 
 ical. 
 
 A coffee-field is laid out with great at¬ 
 tention to order and beauty. A piece of 
 level ground is chosen, which usually has a 
 red soil, and is generally free from stones. 
 A square, or parallelogram is then marked 
 out, containing from 100 to 5S0 acres, to be 
 enclosed in a hedge of limes, pinon, or some 1 
 other suitable material The lime hedge is 
 very beautiful, being from four to six feet ' 
 thick, and having its top, bv frequent trim¬ 
 ming, a perfect level. The pinon is not so 
 beautiful; but it takes less room, requires less 
 attention, makes as good a fence, and is more 
 durable. 
 
 Ha ving defined the boundaries of the estate, 
 the principal avenues through it are next 
 laid out; and they are generally two, three, 
 or four rods wide, straight, and intersecting 
 each other at right angles. Iu the finished 
 
 estates, these are usually ornamented and 
 shaded, on each side, by rows of the orange, 
 citron, mango, almond, avocado, and palm 
 trees, &c. At the termination of one of 
 these, and situated perhaps on elevated 
 ground, is the house of the planter. Smaller 
 avenues are next made, parallel with the 
 others. All these avenues are preserved free 
 from weeds, and are kept smooth and neat. 
 
 Thus the whole ground is thrown into 
 squares, which are to be filled with coffee 
 plants. These, having previously grown to 
 the height of one or two feet, from seeds 
 sown under the shade of some grove, are care¬ 
 fully transplanted, and arc arranged in rows 
 parallel with the avenues, and nearly six feet 
 apart. A square contains 10, 20, or SO thou¬ 
 sand trees. By the third year from t his time, 
 they begin to remunerate the planter; and at 
 the end of six or seven years, may be regardi d 
 as mature. When a tree dies, a new one 
 lakes its place; hut the original plantation is 
 expected to live about 15 years —Among the 
 coff e, especially when it is new, tbe plantain 
 is suffered to grow, for the purpose of giving 
 bread to the negroes. Here and there, also, 
 the orange and citron trees lift their golden 
 fruit above the surface; and far above all the 
 rest, the privileged palm, in every direction, 
 waves its beautiful summit. 
 
 Such plantations arc great, splendid gar¬ 
 dens, and are justly regarded by the inhabi¬ 
 tants as tbe glory of their island. 
 
 The plantations that are finished, contain 
 from 100,000 to 400,000 trees in each, and 
 are wrought by from 40 to 4 i0 negroes; and 
 i in proportion to the gross income, the expense 
 of conducting them is said to be considerably 
 less, than that of the sugar estates. Hence 
 their number is more rapidly augmenting. 
 
 The trees generally blossom in February, 
 and in the early part of May, and sometimes 
 oltener; but the blossom, on which most 
 dependence is placed, is the one in May. 
 Then a vast level surface, white as the drifted 
 snow, is presented to the beholder; but va¬ 
 ried and enlivened by the taller trees just 
 mentioned. The harvest commences in 
 September, and ends in February or March. 
 It within this time the average of half a pound 
 of coffee is gathered from each tree, the har¬ 
 vest is esteemed good. 
 
 When the berries acquire a dark red color, 
 they are considered ripe for gathering, and 
 the negroes, properly equipped, are sent into 
 the field. An industrious negro will gather 
 five bushels in a day; and a bushel in the 
 pulp, fresh from the tree, is expected to yield 
 at least 10 pounds of good coffee. It is then 
 spread upon extensive dryers made of stone 
 and mortar. This process requires nearly a 
 month. The husk, or shell is then separated 
 from the seed, in a mill, which exactly re¬ 
 sembles the mills iu this country, where 
 apples are ground in a circular trough, by a 
 huge, rolling stone—excepting that the roller 
 for the coffee is wood, though of considerable 
 weight. In a few cases, a machine of a very- 
 different construction is used; but it need not 
 | be described. 
 
 The pulp being removed, tbe whole is ex¬ 
 posed to the action of a fan, and then of a 
 ! sieve; after which the female slaves carefully 
 
Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 pick out the defective kernels. From 12 
 to 15 hundred pounds may thus be cleaned 
 
 in a day._In the opinion of the planters, the 
 
 flavor of coffee is materially improved by age. 
 That winch is four or five years old is pre¬ 
 ferred. 
 
 Hitherto the planters have paid little at¬ 
 tention to the manuring of their lands, though 
 the subject receives increasing regard. Al¬ 
 most the only method has been, to spread 
 over the surface of the ground the decayed 
 leaves and stems of the sugar cane, and other 
 vegetables. 
 
 Some idea may be obtained respecting the 
 produce of the island, from an account of the 
 exports of sugar and coffee, from the Hava¬ 
 na and Matanzas, during the year 1823. 
 
 Sugar .—From Havana; 300,312 boxes, 
 
 containing about lbs. 120,000,000 
 
 From Matanzas; 80,000 boxes, 32,000,000 
 
 Exports of sugar, lbs. 152,000,000 
 
 Coffee .—From Havana; 895,924 ar- 
 
 robas, lbs. 23,294,024 
 
 From Matanzas, 3,400,000 
 
 Exports of coffee, lbs. 20,694,024 
 
 Estimated value of the sugar, at g25 
 
 per box, jg9,508,800 
 
 Estimated value of the coffee, at 15c. 
 
 per lb. 4,004,103 
 
 Value of the above exports, gl3,513,903 
 
 I have in my possession no estimate of the 
 produce shipped from the other ports in the 
 island. Excepting St. Jago de Cuba, it can¬ 
 not, I suppose, be to any considerable amount. 
 
 The produce of the interior is sometimes 
 transported to the coast by mules, and by 
 small native horses, which follow each other 
 in what is, with us, called “Indian file.” But 
 more generally strong carts are used, the 
 wheels of which have a large diameter. The 
 oxen are guided by a small rope, passing 
 through the cartilage which divides the nos¬ 
 trils. If there is more than one yoke, the 
 forward oxen are led by a negro boy. The 
 yoke is placed just behind the horns, to which 
 it is strongly bound, and the whole weight is 
 drawn by the head—it is thought, with much 
 advantage. 
 
 In a few instances, the land carriage is 
 shortened by rivers. The only navigable 
 river, however, that came within my observa¬ 
 tion, was the Canimar, which runs into the 
 Bay of Matanzas. A bar at its mouth per¬ 
 mits the entrance of boats only; but within 
 the bar, and for eight miles, (when all naviga¬ 
 tion suddenly ends,) there is depth enough 
 for vessels of any burthen. Its width is about 
 60 yards; and its banks generally' rise abrupt¬ 
 ly to the height of one or two hundred feet, , 
 Through the kindness of a friend, 1 sailed up 
 this river in April; and when I had observ- | 
 ed its steep, elevated banks; their regular j 
 correspondencies to each other; the great 
 depth of water; the absence of a current, that 
 could wear out a channel; and the sudden 1 
 ending of navigation, and, I may say, of the 
 river itself; — I could not blit indulge the con- j 
 jecture, that, in some ancient convulsion, the 
 
 solid ground had been driven asunder, and 
 the neighboring ocean had rushed in at the 
 opening.—Much business is done at the head 
 of the river, which is called the Embarcadero, 
 to which place the growing plantations, for 30 
 miles round, send their productions, and from 
 whence not less than 1,500,000 pounds of 
 coffee, and 8 , 000,000 pounds of sugar are 
 annually sent to Matanzas. 
 
 Animals , &c .—There are no dangerous 
 wild animals on the island. The wild dogs, 
 descended from the bloodhounds originally 
 imported to hunt down the natives, are the 
 most mischievous. They are considerably 
 numerous. 
 
 The race of tame animals is various, and 
 generally excellent. There are said to 
 be no larger, stronger, or more docile oxen 
 I in the world. 1 have seen few such in the 
 ! I United States. 'I he naiive horses are gener¬ 
 ally small, but vigorous, hardy, swift, surefoot¬ 
 ed”, and well broken. Their common gait is 
 an agreeable pace, or amble. Mules are nu¬ 
 merous, and, though a diminutive breed, have 
 remarkable strength, and endure hard labor, 
 and cruel abuse from the negroes, with much 
 patience. Cows give less milk than is com¬ 
 mon in this country, but the quality of it is 
 very good. Goats, sheep, and swine are easily 
 raised. 
 
 There are no reptiles on the island, the 
 bite of which is fatal. The hornet, scorpion, 
 and centipede are considered the worst. Liz- 
 zards are abundant, but harml&ss. 
 
 The mountain-crabs come annually from 
 the mountains, in large armies, to deposit 
 their young in the sea, and then return. They 
 are followed by the young ones, as soon as 
 they have strength for the journey. Another 
 kind dwells in holes dug along the sea-shore. 
 A species of ant, called viva-agua, does 
 much mischief to the coffee, by depriving the 
 trees of their leaves. These insects make 
 deep subterranean excavations. A short ride 
 sometimes carries the traveller past hundreds 
 of little tumuli on the plains, formed by the 
 earth which they have thrown up. A small 
 ii insect, called by the French a chigre, is very 
 troublesome to the feet of those, who are era- 
 \ ployed in cleaning the coffee. It makes a 
 lodgment beneath the skin, where it forms a 
 small bag, and, if not soon removed, deposits 
 ii its eggs. But the most interesting specimen 
 | of the insect tribe, is the cuculla, a curious 
 i fire-fly, which, as the rainy season approaches, 
 kindles a thousand brilliant little fires in the 
 evening air. It has two strong lights on each 
 side of the upper part of the head, and one 
 beneath the abdomen; and when fully grown, 
 is about three-fourths of an inch in length. 
 Two or three of these will enable one to read 
 in the darkest night. 
 
 The most noted birds, are the parrot, paro- 
 j quet, and quail. 
 
 The markets have a good supply of fish. 
 Excellent turtles are found in the shallow 
 waters. Turtle-soup is the dish for Friday, 
 when no good Catholic eats meat, without a 
 dispensation. But such dispensations, I should 
 judge, must be common. 
 
 Climate —The climate of Cuba is not well 
 understood abroad. From the frequent mor¬ 
 tality among strangers at the Havana, the 
 
6 
 
 Remarks on the 
 
 whole island has been supposed unhealthy. 
 But this is far from being correct. 
 
 The Havana , indeed, is never absolutely a 
 safe place for strangers, without many pre¬ 
 cautions on their part; and sometimes no pre¬ 
 cautions will avaii. While I was on the island, 
 however, which was from early in February 
 till sometime in May, the city was remarkably 
 healthy. So it had been for the two months 
 previous to my arrival. I was assured, on 
 respectable authority, that but one case of 
 death happened among foreigners in Decern 
 her and January, although their number in 
 the city and harbor must have exceeded 
 4,000. But this was a rare phenomenon, and 
 might be chiefly owing to the unusual coolness' 
 of the season. 
 
 Natives of the Havana are not, so far as I 
 could learn, liable to the yellow-fever provid¬ 
 ed they are, at no time, long absent from the 
 city. But l am not surprised that strangers 
 suffer. No tide gives motion to the waters 
 of the harbor. 'I he elevated land, also, rising 
 on the eastern side of the harbor, and crown¬ 
 ed with fortifications, breaks the current of 
 the trade-winds. The city, moreover, stands 
 on a low plain, and is surrounded by a wall 
 of considerable height, which obstructs the 
 circulation of air. Its streets, too, are narrow, 
 badly paved, generally muddy or dusty, and not 
 always free from impurities; while, during the 
 rainy season, a vertical sun almost daily pours 
 intense heat upon a thousand little pools, 
 which are formed in them. In addition to 
 this, the floors of the houses, being usually 
 of hardened earth cannot fail to give rise to 
 chilling exhalations What wonder'd disease of¬ 
 ten sends the stranger into the grave, when, on 
 his arrival, he is assailed at once by malaria 
 from all these sources! 
 
 But other causes, no doubt, have been ac¬ 
 tive in multiplying instances of mortality. 
 The great body of victims to the fever, are 
 seamen. They have experienced, perhaps, a 
 sudden change of climate from coolness to 
 great heat, and the vital powers act, conse¬ 
 quently, with diminished energy. The mas¬ 
 ters and supercargoes are then exposed to 
 burning sunbeams on the mole, and are ex¬ 
 hausted by business, and vexed by disappoint¬ 
 ments and delays Perhaps their diet is ir¬ 
 regular; their digestion impeded; their pers¬ 
 piration obstructed: and then, vexation of 
 mind and exhaustion of body, amidst nox 
 ious effluvia, (if such there are,) will suffice, 
 one would think, to occasion, in frequent in¬ 
 stances, a fatal catastrophe.—The common 
 sailors reside on board their vessels; are often 
 exposed, in the season of fever, to both 
 sun and rain; have little regard to the kind, 
 or quantity of their food; make an excessive 
 use of liquids; expose themselves to be cooled 
 on deck by the breezes and dews of evening; 
 and, when wearied, not seldom fall asleep 
 where they are chilled by a cold stream of the 
 midnight air—The enlargement of the mole, 
 within a few years, by facilitating the progress 
 of busiuess, and lessening the amount of ex¬ 
 posure, has, it is said, diminished materially 
 the mortality among seamen. 
 
 Without the walls of the Havana, where 
 there is a numerous population, and where 
 circumstances are more favorable, the danger 
 
 Island of Cuba. 
 
 is said to be much less, than in the city. It is 
 thought to be less, also, at Matarizas. 
 
 I could not find that the internal parts of 
 the island are liable, in any extent worthy of 
 notice, to the yellow-fever. If strangers 
 avoid the midday sun, the chilling damps of 
 the night, exposure to rain, and intemperate 
 eating and drinking, 1 think they might dwell 
 there, through the year, as secure from sudden, 
 fatal disease, as in New England—and these 
 precautions are easily taken. 
 
 The more common diseases among the in¬ 
 habitants, are dysentery, intermittent fevers, 
 complaints of the liver, and ophthalmia Dys¬ 
 enteries sometimes occasion great mortality', 
 especially among the slaves. Intermittents 
 are common to the low grounds. The liver 
 complaint is a frequent evil : and cases of par¬ 
 tial blindness, I was assured, not seldom occur. 
 Children have a healthful appearance, hut 
 need considerable care The general manner 
 of living, however, being simple, health is a 
 blessing greatly prevalent. Old age is often 
 to be seen. Hypochondriacs are rare. 
 
 The yellow-fever is not regarded by the 
 natives as at all contagious ; but the consump¬ 
 tion ^1 suppose because it is rare,) is thought 
 to be so: and when a person dies of that dis¬ 
 ease, the precautionary measures, which are 
 taken, are sometimes very many. 
 
 Having broken my thermometer, and being 
 unable to replace it at the Havana, I despaired 
 of coming to a precise knowledge of the tem¬ 
 perature of the climate. But just before my 
 departure, a gentleman of great accuracy, 
 who had come to the island for the same reason 
 with myself, was so kind as to transcribe for 
 me a thermometrical journal, which he had 
 kept from December to March last inclusive. 
 The gentleman resided, during that time, 
 about 30 miles south of Matanzas, on ground, 
 which, as to its elevation and surrounding 
 country, would render the temperature there, 
 a fair specimen of the temperature in the in¬ 
 terior generally. 
 
 The extremes of Fahrenheit’s thermometer, 
 in these months, were as follows: 
 
 At sunrise, - - - - from 40° to 72' 
 
 At 2 o’clock, P. M. - • 65° “ 87' 
 
 At 9 P. M. - - - 47° “ 78° 
 
 General range, - - 55° “ 82° 
 
 The mean temperature, at each of these 
 times of day, withthe mean temperature of 
 each month, and of the four months, is given 
 in the next table. 
 
 
 Sunrise. 
 
 2 o'clock. 9 P. M. The month. 
 
 December, 
 
 70° 
 
 79° 66° 72° 
 
 January, 
 
 61° 
 
 80° 64° 68° 
 
 February, 
 
 62° 
 
 77° 68° 69° 
 
 March, 
 
 64° 
 
 80" 71° 72° 
 
 Mean temperature of the four months, 70° 
 
 When the thermometer was depressed be¬ 
 low 50°, it was owing to what is termed a 
 JVorther; that is, a northerly wind, which is 
 generally attended with showers. At the 
 Havana, in February, I found these northers 
 uncomfortably cool. Humboldt somewhere 
 says, that, during these winds, the thermome¬ 
 ter at the Havana has been seen to fall as low 
 as 32°, or to the freezing point, only 262 feet 
 above the level of the ocean.—The mean 
 
7 
 
 Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 heat of the summer months, according to the 
 representations of the inhabitants, cannot 
 very much exceed 75*. The atmosphere is 
 tempered by the rains. 
 
 Though the four months above mentioned 
 were a part of the dry season, there were a 
 few show ers in each of them. In April these 
 showers became more frequent, and still more 
 so in May.—The rainy season commences in 
 June, and continues till November. The 
 morning is usually fair; but about noon dark 
 clouds arise, the lightnings play, the thunder 
 is frequent, loud and terrific, and the waters 
 come down in torrents. Now vegetation ad- [ 
 vances with wonderful rapidity, and nature 
 puts on her richest attire. But the deep i 
 loam in the roads, saturated with water, yields 
 to pressure, and is almost impassable. 
 
 A considerable number of invalids from the 
 United States resort to this island, in the win¬ 
 ter. Those, who go before their constitutions 
 are broken down, and who attend properly to 
 their diet and exercise, usually derive benefit. 
 But some go to the island when it is too late 
 to find health any where; and others derive 
 no benefit from the change, because they 
 suppose that the climate alone will do every 
 thing, and act accordingly. In no country can it 
 be easier to adhere to a mild and salutary 
 regimen, than it is in Cuba. 
 
 No invalids should proceed to the West In¬ 
 dies, unless acquainted there, without good 
 letters to some merchants or planters With 
 such letters they will he hospitably and kind¬ 
 ly entertained; for no people are more hos¬ 
 pitable and kind than the merchants and plan¬ 
 ters of that island. Of this I had abundant 
 experience A passport will of course be pro¬ 
 cured before leaving this country, which must 
 be endorsed, according to the laws of Cuba, 
 by some Spanish Consul residing in the Uni¬ 
 ted States. 
 
 Population —The population of the island 
 is estimated, in the “Stranger’s Guide” before 
 mentioned, to have been, in the year 1819, as 
 follows: 
 
 Freemen.—Whites, 
 People of color, 
 Slaves. 
 
 290.0217 
 115,691 $ 
 
 405,712 
 
 225,268 
 
 Total, 630,980 
 
 Amount of the colored population, 340,959 
 Excess of colored population above 
 
 the white, - - 50,938 
 
 That is; in every 100 inhabitants, 46 are 
 whites, 18 are free colored people, and 36 are 
 slaves. 
 
 According to Humboldt, there were, in 
 1804, 234,000 whites, 90,000 free people of 
 color, and 108,00!' slaves; or, in every 100 in¬ 
 habitants, 54 whites, 21 free people of color, 
 and 25 slaves. 
 
 The more obvious classification of the inhabi¬ 
 tants is into foreigners, (consisting chiefly of 
 emigrants from the United States, Great Brit¬ 
 ain, Germany and France.) European Span¬ 
 iards, Creoles, free people of color, and slaves. 
 
 The settlement otforeigners upon the island 
 is favored by the present Governor-General ol 
 Cuba, and by the Governor of Matanzas, whose 
 characters, for enlightened views and strict 
 integrity, are deservedly held in high estima¬ 
 
 tion. Many of the principal mercantile houses 
 are composed of foreigners, and not a few 
 plantations are owned and conducted by them. 
 
 The European Spaniards are numerous, 
 and possess great influence; but whether they 
 have a monopoly of offices and privileges, as 
 was formerly the case in the Spanish provin¬ 
 ces of South America, I am not well informed. 
 
 The Creoles are the native white popula¬ 
 tion; and although excelled, as a body, by their 
 European brethren, in intellectual acquire¬ 
 ments, they are not excelled by them in orig¬ 
 inal capacity. They possess great quickness 
 and shrewdness of perception. 
 
 The population of free colored people has 
 risen from the humanity of the Spanish law. 
 Every slave has a right to his freedom, when 
 he pays his master a sum of money equal to 
 his value. The master cannot demand more 
 than he gave for the slave, unless he has 
 taught him a trade. Slaves may, also, pur¬ 
 chase a part of their time, in which case they 
 may soon obtain money to redeem the whole. 
 They generally have certain privileges. Each 
 one is allowed a small piece of ground for 
 his own use; and to some extent they are 
 permitted to raise hogs and poultry, which 
 they Si'll to their masters. The number of 
 the free colored people, twenty years ago, 
 was 90,000. During the fifteen subsequent 
 years it augmented, as we have seen, to about 
 115,000; which is no more than might be ex¬ 
 pected from the natural increase. 
 
 The slaves are thought to be treated better 
 on this island, lhau on most of the other West 
 India islands. In general, their usage is bet¬ 
 ter than I had supposed Several enlighten¬ 
 ed planters confessed, however, that slavery is 
 an evil not confined to the slave, since it really 
 diminishes the value of the island. “Were 
 there no slaves,” said they, “we could procure 
 more efficient labor from the white popula¬ 
 tion.” But I must be allowed to question,, 
 whether the Spanish emancipation-law, as it 
 now stands, confers any advantage either up¬ 
 on the slave, or his master. It has set loose 
 from restraint more than 100,Oou blacks, to 
 dwell in the island, with no love for the whites, 
 without education, without moral principle, 
 without good habits, and destitute of charac¬ 
 ter. Make but another law, providing effect¬ 
 ually for the Christian instruction of the slave; 
 then will the law, which provides for his lib¬ 
 erty, have an excellent effect; especially since 
 it gains its object by a gradual operation, 
 through the industry and frugality of the slave. 
 When slaves become free, it might not be 
 amiss to send them to Hayti, where their con¬ 
 dition will be improved, and where they can 
 do less harm, than if they remained in Cuba. 
 
 The number of slaves imported from Africa, 
 since 1786, is as follows: 
 
 From 1786 to 1800 - - - 60,473 
 
 From 1800 “ 1815 - - 84,517 
 
 From 1815 “ 1821 - . - 99,939 
 
 Total, 244,929 
 
 In 1821 the further importation of slaves 
 was prohibited by the Spanish government; 
 though, since that time, at least 5,OOOare sup¬ 
 posed to have been smuggled into the island 
 every year. 
 
S Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 Chief Places .—I visited the Havana, Ma- 
 tanzas, and Madruga. My descriptions will 
 be confined to these places, and must be very 
 general. 
 
 The Havana is to be ranked with the prin¬ 
 cipal cities of our hemisphere, as well on ac¬ 
 count of its population, as its commerce. The 
 number of whites residing within the walls of 
 the city is about 44,000; and the suburbs and 
 dependencies of the city, contain about 4 o ,000 
 more. It stands on a plain, west of one of 
 the most beautiful of harbors, and its walls, 
 "which enclose about a square mile of ground, 
 are between -20 and 30 feet high- Cannon 
 are mounted at suitable distances on the walls, 
 and, in case of an attack from the land, there 
 is a wide ditch without, that can be filled with 
 water from the canal which supplies the city. 
 
 Perhaps the entrance to few ports, if any, 
 in the world, is more strongly fortified, than 
 the port of the Havana. Although there is 
 an admirable bay of deep water within, its 
 mouth is so narrow, that but one ship can en¬ 
 ter at a time. Proceeding into this bay, a 
 ship first passes a lofty castle, called the J\lor- 
 ro, situated at the extreme point of land on 
 the left. A light-house rises from a corner of 
 this fortification. From the Mon o, for nearly 
 half-a-mile up the harbor, the elevated bank 
 is crowned with immense batteries, denomi¬ 
 nated the Cabanas, erected, it is said, at an 
 expense of more than 30,000,Out) of dollars, tin 
 the opposite side, is another strong fort, called 
 the Punta, connected with the walls of the 
 city; and within the walls is the citadel. 
 These most expensive fortifications arose 
 from a belief, very properly entertained by 
 Spain, that the dominion of Cuba was essen¬ 
 tial to the preservation of Mexico, which pos¬ 
 sesses no good harbor on its eastern shore. 
 
 The city is divided into solid squares, and 
 its streets, though narrow, are straight, and 
 intersect each other at right angles. The 
 houses are quadrangular, having a court in 
 the middle. All the rooms have a direct com¬ 
 munication with each other, and also open in¬ 
 to this court. Most of the houses have two 
 stories. The lower one is commonly used for 
 a ware-house, shops, Ike. The materials for 
 building are small, irregular fragments of 
 stone, which are united by a strong cement, 
 and the wall is then plastered and white-wash¬ 
 ed. The roofs are tiled. 
 
 Many of the inhabitants possess vast wealth, 
 and have costly habitations. There are, also, 
 rich and spacious monasteries, convents, and 
 churches. The convents of St. Domingo and 
 St. Francisco were the only institutions of 
 the kind, which I visited. Each of them oc¬ 
 cupies an entire square, having an open court 
 in the middle, which is surrounded bv piazzas 
 in the first and second stories. The walls 
 facing the courts, are covered with historical 
 paintings, representing transactions in the 
 lives of their patron saints. Both the buildings 
 and paintings are now going to decay. The 
 convent of St. Francisco had been converted 
 into barracks for soldiers, and had suffered 
 wanton abuse. This is one of the 1‘2 con¬ 
 vents, that were suppressed during the reign 
 of the Constitution. 
 
 But the Cathedral interested me more than 
 any other edifice. It is a massive. Gothic 
 
 structure; and for magnitude and taste, is in¬ 
 comparably superior to the other places of 
 worship. Even a Protestant might survey its 
 walls, and pillars, and even its altar, and find 
 little to offend. There is no tinsel, no parade. 
 Every where is simplicity. The paintings 
 seem to have been placed where they are, 
 rather by the artist, than by the divine; and 
 such are the subjects of them, and such their 
 execution, disposition, and moral effect, that, 
 as they seemed not to be objects of worship, 
 I should be sorry to have them removed. 
 The images are few, consisting only of cruci¬ 
 fixes, which are so small that they must be 
 near, in order to be seen.—The churches in 
 general, however, abound with images, large 
 as life, and gaudily decorated. 
 
 'I’he Cathedral is the more interesting, as 
 it contains the ashes of Columbus, which were 
 brought to the Havana in 1796. They are 
 deposited in the wall, on the right side of the 
 altar; and the urn is concealed by a marble 
 slab, on which is sculptured, in high relief, a 
 front view of the memorable man. 
 
 Beyond the walls is the Paseo, or Promo- 
 nade, to which the Citizens resort morning 
 and evening, for exercise and air. It is a 
 broad avenue for carriages, about a mile in 
 length, with shaded walks on each side; and 
 was designed for a beautiful place. But it 
 was left unfinished, and now suffers for want 
 of repairs. 
 
 Contiguous to this, is the Botanical Garden, 
 which, more strikingly than the Paseo, exhib¬ 
 its an elegant plan, left but imperfectly exe¬ 
 cuted. The Garden was formed under the 
 patronage of the “Royal Patriotic Society of 
 the Havana,” an institution, which has been of 
 much service to the island. 
 
 A greater curiosity is the country-seat of 
 the Bishop of Havana, which is about three 
 miles from the gates of the city; and, for 
 beauty of situation, elegance of design, and 
 perfection of order, is perhaps equalled by no 
 one of the country-seats around the metropo¬ 
 lis ot New England. But this is the only thing 
 of the kind near the Havana. After quitting 
 the suburbs, though there are many fine sites, 
 nothing is beheld, for several miles, but the 
 thatched cottages of a few peasantry. Wheth¬ 
 er the reason assigned for this, by a very in¬ 
 telligent citizen of the Havana, be well found¬ 
 ed, namely,—the insecurity of a well furnish¬ 
 ed, but insulated residence, so near the city,— 
 I am not competent to decide. The church 
 is the Bishop's heir at law; but the apprehen¬ 
 sion of sacrilege, is said not always to defend 
 this estate from encroachments. 
 
 Matansas. The import of this name is 
 slaughter. Tradition reports it to have been 
 given to the place, on account of a bloody 
 battle with the natives, which happened there. 
 It is not material to inquire whether this be 
 true. The city, as to its principal growth, is 
 modern. The amount of its white population 
 is 8,400 It is situated at the bottom of a bay, 
 which penetrates several miles into the land; 
 and, for the most part, stands on more elevated 
 ground than the Havana. It has also cleaner 
 streets than that city. A large proportion of 
 its houses consist of a single story, and perhaps 
 two thirds of them are thatched: but the thatch¬ 
 ed houses do not border on the harbor. Much 
 
Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 American society is always found in this place, 
 and our language is understood, in various de¬ 
 grees, by many of the inhabitants. The city has 
 but one church, and that is a plain building, 
 furnished in the plainest style. Tile mercan¬ 
 tile importance of Matanzas is considerable at 
 present, and is annually increasing. 
 
 Madruga. This is a noted watering-place, 
 SO miles from Matanzas, and 45 from the 
 Havana. It is situated on the south side of the 
 hills, or mountains, which bear the same name. 
 There are about 500 respectable houses in 
 the place, and during April and May the 
 crowd of persons in pursuit of health and 
 pleasure, is very great. It is a singular fact, 
 that there is no hotel in the place Every 
 man owns a house, or else hires one, or a part 
 of one, for the season. The church is a very 
 decent building, much superior to the usual 
 style of churches in the interior. 
 
 The ground is uneven, and on three sides 
 is barren. On the south it is fertile, descend¬ 
 ing beautifully towards the plains of San Luis. 
 
 1 was shewn three mineral springs, called 
 the Paila, Tigre, and Castilla. At each 
 there was a bath. The Paila is most celebra¬ 
 ted. It smells and tastes strongly of sulphu¬ 
 retted-hydrogen gas, and deposits sulphur. 
 The Tigre has less of these indications, and 
 the Castilla none. The waters are transpar¬ 
 ent, and flow not in great abundance. Al¬ 
 though an oxide of iron is very observable in 
 the neighboring soil and rocks, I perceived no 
 traces of iron in either of the springs. The wa¬ 
 ters have been analyzed, but I could not learn 
 the results. I desired to ascertain the temper¬ 
 ature, but there was no thermometer to 
 be obtained. Invalids have found these waters 
 beneficial in cutaneous diseases, and in cases 
 of debility. 
 
 The Padre of Yladruga gratified me—as 
 did, also, an older priest at Matanzas—by his 
 kindness of disposition, amiable manners, the 
 humble piety which he seemed to possess, and 
 the excellent character which he sustained. 
 He called at my lodgings, while I was out, and 
 before my letter to him had been delivered, and 
 inquired of my friends, if 1 was a Physician. 
 They answered, that I was not, but an Ecclesi¬ 
 astic. “Of what denomination?” said he. 
 They answered, “a Presbyterian.” The re¬ 
 ply of the priest was characteristic. “It is no 
 matter; if he be an enlightened man, he will 
 not fail to be liberal.” 
 
 Commerce. —Enough has been said with 
 respect to the amount of exportations. The 
 articles exported, besides sugar, coffee and 
 tobacco, are chiefly these,— molasses, honey, 
 wax, hides, aguardiente de cana, segars, and 
 tobacco. In exchange for these, they receive 
 linen, cotton and silk goods, woolens, earthen 
 and glass wares, hard wares, naval stores, lum¬ 
 ber, groceries, furniture, stationary, &c. The 
 number of mercantile vessels, which entered 
 the port of Havana, during the last year, was 
 as follows: 
 
 From Spam, 
 From England, 
 From Germany, 
 
 708 
 
 From Holland, 
 
 19 
 
 274 
 
 From France, 
 
 18 
 
 96 
 
 From Denmark, 
 
 15 
 
 34 
 
 From Sweden, 
 
 4 
 
 Total, 1168 
 
 In addition to these, 14‘J vessels of war en¬ 
 tered that port during the same time.—At 
 Matanzas on the 7th of February last, there 
 were, according to a printed circular of a re¬ 
 spectable mercantile house, 5 ships, ‘29 brigs, 
 and 10 schooners, consisting ot 6,800 tons bur¬ 
 then, all from the United States! 
 
 Intercourse between different parts of the 
 island.— The law requires every man, going 
 from one part of the island to another, to ob¬ 
 tain a passport, which, however, costs nothing. 
 Between the Havana and Matanzas, 1 re¬ 
 marked that there was considerable inter- 
 I course. But between these places and Santi- 
 1 ago de Cuba, I should think there was com¬ 
 paratively little. 
 
 The roads are good, or bad, according to 
 ! the nature of the ground, and the season of the 
 year. Art and labor have done very little for 
 i them. They originated from paths through 
 the wilderness, and have been brought into 
 j their present state simply by long use. On 
 1 the plains, they are good in the dry season, 
 but almost impassable during the rains, Over 
 the high lands, they are often sufficiently 
 rough. 
 
 The carriage in common use, is called a 
 volante. It has a general resemblance to our 
 chaise, or gig, and is drawn in the same man¬ 
 ner. The diameter of the wheels is nearly 
 I six feet. The body hangs lower than the 
 centre of the wheel, divides its weight about 
 j equally between the wheels and the animal, 
 
 ! and does not rest upon springs. The shafts 
 ; are long. These carriages are rarely upset, 
 
 ; and are the easiest I ever rode in. The dri- 
 i ver sits upon the animal Sometimes two 
 1 horses, or mules, are attached, and, when the 
 case demands it, three; but all of them are 
 abreast. The baggage is carried in a seron, 
 or large frail, by a negro on horseback. The 
 most frequent mode of travelling, is on the 
 fine ambling horses of the country. 
 
 Of late, a stean.-boat has passed every week 
 between the Havana and Matanzas. The 
 cost of a passage is 12 dollars. Another boat 
 is contemplated between Matanzas and the 
 : Embarcadero at the head of the Canimar 
 j River, for the better conveyance of produce. 
 There are no houses on the road, corres¬ 
 ponding with our inns, or hotels. The trav¬ 
 eller makes his calculations to lodge with 
 planters on the way. But, after passing Villa 
 Clara, (about 160 miles E. of Matanzas,) he 
 must forego, in great measure, this privilege. 
 At the Havana and Matanzas there are 
 boarding-houses, at which the expense for 
 food and lodging is from two dollars to two 
 and a half per day. 
 
 | The fashion of the country is to travel arra- 
 i ed. No countryman would ride a league 
 without his machete, or long sword. This 
 must be owing less to fear, than to ancient 
 custom, from which a Spaniard is not apt to 
 depart. The higher classes and foreigners 
 arm ihemselves with pistols: audit is prudent 
 for all travellers not to be without at least a 
 pair of holsters. 
 
 Attention to Literature , &c. — As I com¬ 
 menced with the resolution of giving the re¬ 
 sults of my personal inquiries only, I shall be 
 brief under this head. 
 
10 
 
 Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 It is not the fault, but the misfortune, of the 
 inhabitants, that education among them is in 
 a low condition. 1’wo or three years since, 
 they established schools by law in all the prin¬ 
 cipal villages, and ordained that every person, 
 who, after certain years, could not read and 
 write, should be deprived of the privileges of 
 citizens. But the overthrow of the Constitu¬ 
 tion was fatal to all such attempts. A large 
 proportion ofthe Creoles in the interior were 
 represented to me as unable to read. Female 
 education is specially neglected. The reading 
 population of the island cannot therefore be [ 
 great. Hence the price of books is nearly 
 400 per cent, greater there, than it is in the 
 United Stales; though I found several well 
 furnished bookseller’s shops in the Havana. In 
 that city, also, two small daily papers are pub¬ 
 lished. In Matanzas there is one. 
 
 A college, connected with the Cathedral, 
 has, under the auspices of the Bishop of Ha¬ 
 vana, become a valuable institution;—far more 
 valuable, I apprehend, than the “Most Illus¬ 
 trious Royal and Pontifical University,” in 
 the convent of St. Domingo. The College 
 was instituted in 1774, and the University in 
 1728 l am informed that the principal of 
 the former, Don Justo Maria Velez, trav¬ 
 elled in this country not long since. A school 
 for drawing and painting, and, also, lectures 
 on political economy, were both established, 
 by the Royal Patriotic Society, in 1818. Vac¬ 
 cine Committees were, moreover, instituted 
 by the same society in 1804, whose duty it is 
 to preserve and distribute the virus. The 
 Society itself v'as formed in 1793 
 
 There are about ‘200 lawyers in the Havana, 
 and nearly 300 physicians. This latter num¬ 
 ber does not include the barbers, whose of¬ 
 ficial duty it is, nevertheless, to bleed and pull 
 teeth Of supernumerary priests, there did 
 not appear to be many. I have reason to be¬ 
 lieve, that in each of these professions are 
 learned men. 
 
 Manners, Customs , and General Charac¬ 
 ter. —The inhabitants of Cuba are generally 
 good-looking, cheerful and polite. Even the 
 common class have scarcely any thing that is 
 coarse and vulgar. Hospitality is among their 
 cardinal virtues. If they' have but a little, 
 they will offer you a part of that. They dis¬ 
 cover a great fondness for the amusements of 
 cards, dancing, cock-fighting, and the theatre. 
 The women shew much kindness to sick 
 strangers. 
 
 Children are respectful and attentive, and 
 parents are indulgent. With one custom I 
 was mm h pleased At night, before retiring 
 to rest, the child kisses the hand ofthe father, 
 and receives from him a blessing in these 
 words,— Dens te haga buen santo, “God 
 make thee a good saint.” In one instance 1 
 saw children, who seemed to be tenderly be¬ 
 loved, kiss their father’s hand, as they' rose 
 from the dining table. Females go into soci¬ 
 ety' at an early age: indeed their mothers sel¬ 
 dom go any where without them. They also 
 marry young. I saw one married lady of only 
 13 years of age, and her case was not spoken 
 of as singular. Children are always named 
 after some one in the calendar of saints. My 
 name not happening to be there, a Spanish 
 
 friend, on giving me a letter cf introduction 
 to a Catholic gentleman, kindly provided me 
 with another that was more orthodox, in order 
 to ensure me a more welcome reception. 
 
 I understood that the death of young chil¬ 
 dren was regarded rather as a matter of joy, 
 than of grief, because they are supposed to 
 have had a removal to a better world, without 
 the contaminations and vexations, which are 
 inseparable from a long residence here. 
 Hence, at their funerals, their friends rejoice; 
 though, human nature being every where 
 substantially the same, parents can hardly 
 fail to grieve in secret. 
 
 Those, who stand as the god parents of 
 children, are so far their guardians, that, if 
 parents neglect, or abuse their children, the 
 godparents can take measures to secure them 
 proper usage Custom, also, allows a run¬ 
 away slave to choose a padrino, or godfather, 
 who intercedes for his pardon, and ensures 
 his future good behavior. Padrinos, in this 
 case, are often the parish priests. Upon such 
 interference, the slave escapes punishment. 
 
 If a man abuses his wife, she is removed 
 from his house, upon complaint being made 
 to the Alcalde , or magistrate, and is placed in 
 some respectable family where she is kept at 
 the expense of the husband. 
 
 The dead are buried w ithout coffins. They 
 are borne to the grave in what is culled a 
 shell, which is reserved for future use. The 
 testator sometimes describes, in his will, the 
 dress, in which he would be buried. At the 
 Ha vana, quick-lime is thrown upon the body 
 to consume the flesh. In some districts of 
 the country, interments are very carelessly' 
 performed. 
 
 The churches being opened at a very early 
 hour in tiie morning, the more zealous Cath¬ 
 olics go to mass as their first business. Many 
 take the first hours of daylight to walk or ride. 
 Breakfast is served from 8 to 10, and is a 
 more substantial meal, than is common with 
 us. The usual hour for dining is from 3 to 
 5, after which it is customary to indulge in 
 a siesta, or short sleep. While the sun is 
 setting, and while the brief twilight lasts, the 
 ladies, dressed in good style, ride on the 
 Paseo, at the Havana—about the city, at 
 Matanzas—and over the plantations, in the 
 country. This is the hour for going on 
 ’Change, and the Mole at the Havana is then 
 thronged with gentlemen. The inhabitants 
 usually retire to rest at an early hour. 
 
 Trial by jury is not enjoyed on the island; 
 and I heard frequent and loud complaints 
 made of the want of sound principle in the 
 judges. There are no oral pleadings in the 
 courts. Every thing is done by writing. Law¬ 
 suits are frequent, tedious, and expensive. 
 
 When a man becomes insolvent, instead of 
 seizing on his property, and dividing it among 
 the creditors, a suitable time is commonly 
 given him, in which to pay his debts; during 
 which time his crops are embargoed, so mucii 
 only being allowed the debtor, ns will suffice 
 to conduct the plantation. 
 
 Protestants, as such, cannot hold real es¬ 
 tate on the island. Certificates of being good 
 Catholics must first lie obtained from some 
 priest. These certificates, however, money 
 will pretty easily procure. 
 
11 
 
 Remarks on the Island of Cuba. 
 
 The Catholic religion is the only one toler¬ 
 ated. I suppose a congregation of Protestants, 
 worshipping according to Protestant forms, 
 would be held an illegal assembly. I nderthe 
 constitutional government, numerous copies 
 of the Scriptures, sentfrom the United States, 
 Great Britain and Holland, were sold or given 
 away; and I am inclined to the belief that, by 
 prudent management, a few might be dispos¬ 
 ed of now: though it may be doubted whether 
 they would pass the Custom House. 
 
 The opening of Cuba to free commerce has 
 occasioned considerable changes in the man¬ 
 ners, customs, and condition of the inhabitants. 
 They have since advanced rapidly on the scale 
 of human life. How could they make progress 
 before. Their houses and tables, especially in 
 the interior, are much better furnished 1 
 dare not state how deficient they were in this 
 respect 15 years ago, lest I may have been 
 misinformed, or should not gain full credence. 
 No small progress has been made in liberal 
 views and feelings, with respect to other re¬ 
 ligious denominations; and the attachment of 
 the people at large to the forms and ceremo¬ 
 nies of the Catholic church has been consid¬ 
 erably moderated. 1 know that much of this 
 is owing to the prevalence of an infidel skep¬ 
 ticism, or, as I heard a good Padre call it, 
 while mourning over the evil, ‘‘the new phi¬ 
 losophy:” but something is to be attributed to 
 an enlargement of views, consequent upon an 
 intercourse with the world; and something, it 
 may he presumed, to the influence of the 
 Scriptures, which have been circulated. 
 
 It cannot be said, however, that morals 
 have improved: neither am 1 aware, that they 
 have materially changed for the worse. 1 
 enter with diffidence on this part of the sub¬ 
 ject, knowing that a traveller, but imperfect¬ 
 ly acquainted with the language of a people, 
 residing but a little while in a place, and pass¬ 
 ing as it were over the surface of society, is 
 more likely to see the vices, than the virtues 
 of the community; and of course is in danger 
 of misapprehension. How great this danger 
 is, all must have felt, who have been familiar 
 with the accounts, which English travellers 
 have given of the United States At the 
 same time, the moral and religious character 
 of a people is not to be passed in silence. 
 
 There are several causes, which operate un¬ 
 favorably on the morals of the inhabitants of 
 Cuba. The principal are these:—the ease, 
 with which absolution is obtained, by confess¬ 
 ing sin, without forsaking it—the want of pub¬ 
 lic preaching—the disregard of the Sabbath— ! 
 
 | and the loose character of the clergy, as a 
 body. To these might be added, the low 
 standard of public opinion, with respect to 
 moral character;—low, I mean, n hen com¬ 
 pared with its standard in New England. 
 
 The first must operate most powerfully on 
 the ignorant and credulous, going far to set 
 them free from the restraints of conscience, 
 and the salutary corrections of remorse; and 
 tiius breaking down one of the strongest bar¬ 
 riers, which \ I mighty God has opposed to 
 vice—1'he preachmg of the Gospel, another 
 divinely appointed means of national virtue, 
 is seldom heard on the island. I could not 
 learn, that more than one or two sermons are 
 preached in a year.—The observance of holy 
 time in a holy manner, another ordinance of 
 heaven designed for the same purpose, is also 
 disregarded. Mass is said in the morning of 
 the Sabbath, after which the churches are 
 shut for the day. The markets are held as 
 usual. Counting-houses are open. The places 
 of amusement are unusually frequented. 
 “Sunday,” said a respectable Catholic to me, 
 —“Sunday we regard as a day for enjoy ing 
 one’s self.”—I have spoken favorably of two 
 Catholic priests, with whom I became ac¬ 
 quainted;* and 1 doubt not there are others 
 quite as estimable. But l have painful rea¬ 
 son to believe, that the Catholic clergy, as a 
 body, are exceedingly corrupt, and exert an 
 influence, as pernicious as it is extensive, on 
 the public morals.—The standard of public 
 J opinion with respect to moral conduct, is, 
 perhaps, rather an effect, than a cause: yet 
 it cannot be doubted, that the moral character 
 of every man is more or less influenced by a 
 regard to public opinion. In this point 
 of view, public opinion becomes a powerful 
 agent. Were this agent as it should be in 
 Cuba, the clergy (I of course speak of the ir¬ 
 religious portion,) would be obliged to reform, 
 or retire from (he sacred office. 
 
 I close these remarks—already, I fear, too 
 much prolonged—by expressing my earnest 
 desire, that a curiosity may be excited in our 
 community to know more, than we have 
 I hitherto known, of the character and circum¬ 
 stances of our Catholic neighbors at the South. 
 To us, as a Protestant people, it is a subject 
 of very serious interest, that no less than six 
 empires, all holding the Catholic Faith, 
 —saying nothing of islands in the West 
 Indies,—are growing up in the same hemi¬ 
 sphere with ourselves! 
 
 See p. 9. 
 

 
 
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