Chapter XVI: Appendix: II

NOTES ON SOME OLD PAPERS CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF THE WEST INDIES.

IN 1886-7 the writer of these lines became closely connected with the West Indian Section of the Indian and Colonial Exhibition, South Kensington. Sir Augustus Adderley, the Commissioner for the West Indies, a gentleman of varied knowledge and experience, displayed an activity in organising the Court for which he was responsible, which resulted in a thorough and most satisfactory representation of the various West Indian islands under British dominion. To add attraction to his Department, Sir Augustus set himself to collect every historical document, book, print, and MS., illustrative of the early history of the islands, which he could procure. With this object, he entrusted the author with the mission of obtaining whatever records of Columbus and his companions existed in Rome and elsewhere, even in the Antilles. Thanks to letters from Cardinal Manning, an interview with Cardinal Simeone, then Director of the Sacred Congregation of the Propaganda, was soon obtained, and his introduction to the Secretary, Archbishop Jacobini, granted, in the most friendly manner. A minute search of the archives of this famous institution was immediately made, but nothing of any particular importance connected with the subject of enquiry was found to exist. Monsignore Jacobini, however, averred that he had heard a story to the effect that in Napoleon I.'s time, the archives of the Propaganda were roughly packed in carts, conveyed to CivitA Vecchia, and there embarked for France and Paris. Whilst passing through the streets of Rome, several bundles of most valuable papers were jolted out, picked up, and some--but very few--restored to the Congregation. Of the rest, only a part were returned to the College, whilst almost all the earlier papers were retained in Paris, and are now stored in the BibliothA"que Nationale and elsewhere. The existing archives of the Propaganda only date from the first half of the present century. It was found impossible to obtain permission for the exhibition of many treasures among the Vatican MSS.--which, seen through glass cases, would have hardly, indeed, produced the effect they deserved. All my attention, therefore, was turned to the small but most interesting collection of parchments and MSS. in the Borgian Museum. Pre-eminent among these are the far-famed Borgian Maps, the first of which is probably the earliest existing geographical record of Central America and the West Indies. Down this famous sheet Pope Alexander VI.'s own hand traced the lines dividing the whole of the New World into two equal portions, one for Spain, the other for Portugal. Notwithstanding his evident desire to oblige the Commissioner and the Committee, His Holiness decided that so precious and historical a relic could not be allowed to leave its place, but he courteously gave permission for the removal to the London Exhibition of the second Borgian Map, known as "Diego Ribero," a document of the highest archaeological value. The drawing, perfect and beautiful, was executed by Diego Ribero, geographer to Charles V. from 1494 to 1529, that is, during the lifetime of Columbus, and under his personal supervision. Down the centre pass two slight lines, _facsimile_ of the divisional lines traced by Alexander VI. on the first Borgian Map. The map, though singularly clearly drawn, is full of absurd inaccuracies. The West Indies are shown with precision, and the names given with considerable elaboration. America, on the other hand, is barely indicated, the coast alone being defined, and Africa is introduced with the Nile wandering somewhat at random down to three lakes, situated just above what is now known as Cape Colony. A number of very well-drawn ships are introduced, of colossal dimensions, in comparison with the land, and bearing inscriptions to the effect that they are either bound for, or returning from, the "Maluccas," by which it would appear that these were then considered the principal maritime port of the world. The arms of Pope Julius II.--an oak-tree with twisted branches--are introduced in a shield at the foot, notwithstanding the fact that the map bears the date of Clement VII. As a specimen of Italian, or rather Spanish, calligraphy, of the 16th century, it is superb, and in most perfect preservation. The Congregation of the Propaganda also lent an engraved reproduction of the famous Marco Polo Map, a curious specimen of German geographical lore, at the commencement of the 15th century, the original of which is engraved on brass. It was found to be far too heavy for transportation. In this map the world is reproduced surrounded by water, and the general appearance is not unlike that of a drop of Thames water as seen through a powerful microscope, so confused are the earth and water, and so mixed up with representations of extraordinary living creatures.

A very interesting collection of books, maps, prints, and MSS., illustrative of the early history of the West Indies, belonging to Sir Graham Briggs, Mr Audley C. Miles, Mr Henry Stevens, and the writer, were also exhibited, and the following notes on this improvised library, which will certainly never be gathered together again, will doubtless be found of interest, as throwing considerable light on the bygone domestic history of our colonies in the Antilles.

In the eighteenth century their prosperity was at its height, and a surprising amount of luxury and magnificence existed in the capitals of each of our settlements. In 1741, we find the Island of Montserrat considerably exercised (_The Laws of Montserrat from_ 1640 _to_ 1788) by many open "Breaches of the Sabbath," a general neglect of "Public Worship," to the scandalizing of the Protestant religion, and by the encroachments of the "Scarlet Whore of Rome." To remedy this state of affairs, the rites and ceremonies of the Church are, according to the authority mentioned above, to be immediately placed on a footing with those practised in England, and "an able preaching minister is to be maintained, at a cost to the public exchequer of 14,000 lbs. of sugar per annum, or the value thereof in tobacco, cotton, wool, or indigo. Moreover, the said minister can demand not exceeding 100 lbs. of sugar, or the value thereof as above, for the joining together any of the inhabitants of this island in the holy and lawful state of matrimony." Meanwhile, Trinidad and Cuba, on the other hand, were gravely occupied by the question of Protestant encroachments. These islands were still Spanish, and the Inquisition was in full swing, occasionally roasting an unhappy wight suspected of heresy or idolatry.

"The Laws of Montserrat" enlighten us as to the manner in which the negroes were treated in some of the islands. Thus, in 1670, an Act was passed forbidding the negro to enter any plantation save his master's after nightfall, and should any be found, the owner or overseer of such plantation was given full power to punish him as he chose. "And should any negroes harbour or conceal any such loiterers in their cabins, they shall be taken before the next Justice of the Peace, and there his or her owner shall, in the presence of the said Justice, exercise the punishment of forty lashes."

Slaves were not permitted to enter a field of cane with any lights or fire whatsoever, as, "by their insufferable boldness in so doing, much damage has been done, and more is likely to ensue, and this is enacted to prevent future inconvenience, which may happen by such insufferable boldness."

Should a slave, transgressing this law, happen to set fire to the canes, he or she "shall not only be whipped, but, if it pleases their master, be put to death in any fashion he shall devise." If a negro stole a cow or any other head of cattle, he was to be brought before the next Justice of the Peace and publicly whipped. This punishment did not appear to have been sufficiently severe, for by the year 1693, theft had grown so common that an Act was passed ordaining that "henceforth any negro that shall be taken stealing or carrying away stock, cattle, or provisions, amounting to the value of twelve pence, shall suffer such death as his master shall think fit to award." If a negro was proved guilty of a theft below the value of twelve pence current money of the island, "he shall only suffer a severe whipping, and have both his ears cut off for the first offence, but for the second offence he shall suffer death in the form aforesaid ... and it shall be lawful to shoot at, and if possible, kill any negro he shall find stealing his provision, provided such provision be not within forty foot of the common path, and that the party so killing hath not expressed hatred or malice against the owner of such negro." The white servants might, it appears, "be kicked, but not whipped," otherwise they were treated very little better than the slaves. Negroes caught without tickets authorising their absence from their own plantation, are to be whipped with thirty-nine lashes by the constable who took them, for which service, "in each case he receives six shillings." Should a slave absent himself for the space of three months from his master's service, he was to suffer death as a felon, the owner to be allowed 3500 lbs. of sugar, out of the public stock, in compensation. Should a slave be killed or maimed by another man's slave, his owner had his choice of the manner of the offender's death for the first-named offence, and for the second he could decide whether he should be whipped, or the offence be atoned by compensation. From the _Acts and Statutes of Barbados_ (1652), we find that the maker of a fraudulent and deceitful sale on that island of any "servant, cattel, negroes, and other flock or commodities, shall suffer six months' imprisonment, and stand in the Pillory two hours with his ears nailed thereto, with a paper in his hat, signifying the cause of his punishment ... and whosoever shall be convicted of carrying away any goods whatsoever after the same have been legally attached, shall be sent to prison during fourteen days, and if before the fourteenth day he have not made satisfaction to his Creditor, he shall be put in the Pillory and lose both his ears."

To turn to pleasanter things, we learn (from _A Short History of Barbadoes_, published in 1742) that nothing can exceed the splendour of the planters' manner of life. They have as fine houses as any in England, and are attended upon by regiments of negroes, and white servants in gorgeous liveries. "Their plate and their china, their fine gowns and their genteel manners, eclipse anything that the writer has ever seen on his travels, and their hospitality cannot be imagined--an hospitality for which Great Britain was once so deservedly famed." At the time when England was divided into two factions, Cavaliers and Roundheads, the planters, though naturally favouring one side or the other, made a law amongst themselves, forbidding the use of either of the two words, on penalty of giving a dinner to their neighbours. Many purposely made themselves liable to the penalty as a pretext for entertaining their friends. In those good old times, the Governors, notably those of Jamaica and Barbadoes, kept great state. When they went to church, they were preceded by pages in silver and gold liveries, and gorgeous officers--in fact, the splendour displayed recalled that of the King himself, when he betook himself in State to St Paul's. A good deal of jealousy was evinced, at times, between the citizens, as to who was entitled to attend the Governor's entertainments. The scene round Government House in James Street, Spanish Town on great ball nights, must have been of the most picturesque description. The ladies arrived in their Sedan-chairs, accompanied by armies of slaves, carrying torches. There must have been some great beauties amongst them, for we find the author of _Letters from Barbadoes_ deeply impressed with "the majestic beauty of Miss Dolton," "the divine Miss Gordon," "the celestial Miss Alleyne," while, he declares,

"Sisters Carter, as two meteors bright,
Shine glorious round, and diffuse light."

Balls and parties, routs and dinners, suppers and theatres, occupied the attention of the West Indian ladies to an extent which would have amazed their descendants.

The advertisements in the Colonial papers of the last century teem with offers of "brocaded silk and satins, beaver hats, gold-headed canes, snuff-boxes, costly china, plate, and patch-boxes," which were imported on board every vessel, and found a ready sale amongst the luxury-loving inhabitants. No wonder that occasionally, as we learn from the _Groans of the Plantation_, the islanders fell into pecuniary embarrassment, and that money grew so scarce that large cargoes of negroes had to be exported for sale at Charlestown and New Orleans.

The streets of a West Indian city must have presented a very picturesque spectacle at this period. Here groups of great ladies--in hoops and sarsenets, with powdered hair and "patches," escorted by their spruce cavaliers in the daintiest satin garments which the London or Paris tailors could supply, their white clad servants at a respectful distance behind them, carrying their parasols and fans, or lagging in the rear with their heavily gilt Sedan-chairs--pass up and down under the shadow of the tropical vegetation, hardly pausing, probably, to notice the public flogging of a couple of runaway slaves, or the edifying spectacle of a white servant caught in the act of stealing, seated with his legs and arms in the pillory, and his nose and ears freshly cut off. Yon learned-looking gentleman may be Dr Hans Sloane, the famous naturalist, with his friend Dr Burton, a noted preacher, who occasionally goes the round of the various islands to exercise his eloquence, and eat a series of good dinners in return for his pious endeavours to save the souls of his entertainers. The conversation is not of the most elevated description. Little or no literature is consumed and canvassed, save such as comes out in packages from England--_The Gentleman's Magazine_, _The Lady_, _The Tatler_, Miss Frances Burney's latest novel, Oliver Goldsmith's _Vicar of Wakefield_, or Fielding's _Tom Jones_. Through the open windows of the roomy houses, with their broad verandahs, floats the tinkling of the sempiternal spinette. Very occasionally, as we learn from the _Grenada Gazette_ (of which a complete file for the years 1792-3 are exhibited by Mr. J. G. Wells), "a grand pianoforte" makes its appearance, and is considered a great novelty, for which a very high price is asked and paid.

The _History of the Barbadoes_ states that Lord Howe became Governor in 1733, but fortunately for the Colony, he did not hold the office long, "for if he had remained a few years longer, he would have ruined Barbadoes by his introduction of luxury."

In every island, perpetual war was waged between the Governor and the people, and the people seem to have had good cause to protest, for almost without exception, it would appear, the Governors sent from the mother country were most tyrannical and cruel in their methods. This is proved by the continual protests and "Articles of Complaint" that were forwarded to England. Many of these temporary rulers seem to have conceived their sole mission to be to extort money for their own private pockets by every means in their power, legal or illegal. To rule the country fairly, and to keep it in a settled condition--a by no means easy matter in those times--appears to have been quite a secondary matter in their eyes. A notable instance is that of a Mr Lowther, who carried on the usual routine of extortion. He was sent out to Barbadoes in 1711, and in justice to others it must be said, that for downright wickedness, he far outstripped them. He "swallowed up the taxes as fast as they were raised, ships forced on the island by stress of weather were compelled to give him one half of their cargo to save the other; he seized rich ships without cause; and he suspended Mr Skeen, the Secretary, because he refused to allow him a pension of AL400 per annum out of the fees in office. He kept a cause of Haggot v. King hanging up in Chancery all the time he was Governor, only because Mr Haggot would not consent to the marriage of a young lady under his guardianship to a person to whom Mr Lowther _owned he had sold her for_ AL15,000. Again, in order to accomplish his bargain, he was about taking her from Mr Haggot when she was married, and he did actually despoil him of the guardianship of her sister, declaring that no parent had a right to appoint a guardian to his child." When officially remonstrated with for some of his iniquities, Mr Lowther simply replied, "D---- n your laws, don't tell me of the laws. I will do it, and let me see who dares dispute it." Again, the Governor of the Bahamas in 1701-2--Mr Elias Haskett--was, we are informed, such an iniquitous personage, that "he seizes all the claret and brandy imported into our own port for his own use, and most unmercifully doth whip the parish beadle (this is enough, surely, to make the late Mr Bumble turn in his grave) and the tax collector." This gentleman's evil doings are related in a curious MSS. document of over twelve closely-printed pages, by one Captain Cole, who, it appears, was deputed, on his return to England, by the people of New Providence, to make an official complaint of their Governor.

A rare old pamphlet on the State of Jamaica, published early in the last century, contains a curious account of the arrival in that island, in 1687, of Christopher, Duke of Albemarle, on his appointment to the Governorship. He was the only son and heir of John Monk, who had helped to restore Charles II., and who had been rewarded with a dukedom, the Garter, and a princely fortune, which his successor completely dissipated, and reduced himself to beggary. To rid himself of his importunities, King James II. gave him the above-mentioned position in Jamaica, where he died, childless, soon after his arrival, and his honours became extinct. He seems, however, to have lived long enough to collect a considerable sum of money for his creditors. He entered into partnership with a Sir William Phipps, who, having discovered the wreck of a Spanish plate-ship, which had gone down in 1559, provided skilful divers to search for the sunken treasure, and the partners are reported to have recovered twenty-six tons of silver. When Albemarle arrived at Kingston, he behaved in a fashion as arbitrary as it was whimsical. He immediately called an assembly, which he dissolved as promptly, because one of the members, in a debate, repeated the adage "_Salus Populi suprema lex_." His Grace took this member into custody, and caused him to be fined 600 crowns for his offence. Evidently James II. had entertained some hope of converting the island of Jamaica to the Roman Catholic faith, for with Albemarle he sent out a missionary,--Father Thomas Churchill, but the Duke's death and the Revolution of 1688 upset the good Father's projects, and, after visiting Cuba, he returned to England. The Duchess, who accompanied her husband, was a very remarkable woman, and an exceedingly handsome one. The speaker of the assembly, in his first address, expatiated upon her presence in the following extraordinary strain of eloquence: "It is an honour," said he, "which the opulent Kingdoms of Mexico or Peru could never arrive at, to be visited by an English Duchess, and even Columbus' ghost would be appeased, could he but know that his own beloved soil was hallowed by such footsteps." In a very old private letter, included among the exhibits, was a singular account of the subsequent career of this Duchess. It seems that on the death of the Duke, she possessed herself of all the treasures he had rescued from the Spanish plate-ship, and refusing to part with a shilling, even to pay his legitimate debts, prepared to embark for England. But the creditors seized her person in the King's house, in Spanish Town, and attempted to carry her off. She contrived, however, to escape, and communicated her distress to the House of Assembly, who thereupon appointed a formidable committee of their ablest members to guard her day and night. After some delay, she was safely embarked for England, on one of the King's ships, and arrived in this country with all her fortune, on board the "Assistance" man-of-war, in the beginning of June 1688. For a year or so she made a great show in London society, gave her friends sumptuous entertainments, and herself, it would seem, incredible airs. At last the poor lady's mind gave way. She imagined herself destined to become the wife of the Emperor of China, who, having heard of her immense wealth, was hastening, she declared, to come to England, and pay her his addresses. She dwelt in Montague House, on the site of which the British Museum now stands, and she furnished the mansion sumptuously for the reception of her august suitor. She appears to have been a gentle and good-humoured person, even in her lunacy, and her attendants encouraged her in her delusions. They did more. They tried to turn her folly to good account by assisting a certain needy peer, the Duke of Montague, to personate his Chinese Majesty. "Here," continues the letter, "is the prettiest piece of business that has ever been. My Lord of Montague, disguised as the Chinese Emperor, has won the hand of that worthy, silly old woman the Duchess of Albemarle, and will, doubtless, soon confine her as a lunatic." She certainly was carefully enough guarded, but she seems to have been allowed to indulge her mania to her heart's content. She was wont to stride about her vast apartments, attired as a Chinese Empress, her attendants taking good care to kneel as she passed, and to address her in language befitting so transcendant a personage as the consort of the supreme ruler of the celestial Empire. Her Grace the Duchess of Albemarle and Empress of China survived her husband, the pretended Emperor, for many years, and died in 1734, at the vast age of ninety-eight. She was, it seems, served upon the knee to the end of her long career, and expired in the full belief that she was a Celestial Empress.

The _Grenada Gazette_, a curious old newspaper to which I have already alluded, throws considerable light on the manners and customs of the period between 1792 and 1799. The details of the French Revolution are recorded with great minuteness, and it was evidently a subject of deep interest to the _Gazette's_ numerous readers. The editor can scarcely contain his indignation as he relates the sufferings of the unfortunate French king and queen, and he feels sure God will punish the French people "for their barbarity and utter godlessness." He is certain a judgment will fall upon them "for their iniquitous conduct, their cruelty, and their general viciousness." "Oh!" he exclaims, "I have scarce the power to tell the terrible news of this day: the French king and queen are in prison. The French, by their own madness and folly, have thereby prepared themselves and their heirs for the bitterest punishment of God." When at length he reaches the execution of Marie Antoinette, he is "prostrate with horror, and dumb with fear." He can no longer proceed: "his pen is dry from sheer terror, and refuses to write." The poor gentleman is "thrown into a consternation" as he thinks of the fate in store for the afflicted little Dauphin. The series of slave advertisements which disgrace every number of the _Chronicle_ are curious in their way. Thus the cargo of the ship "Ellen," consisting of 203 Gold Coast negroes, and that of another ship containing 343 young slaves, are both offered for sale. "Both cargoes are in high health, and the terms of sale will be made as agreeable as possible to the purchaser." An estate in St Lucia, placed on the market, comprises amongst its stock "250 negroes, large and small, and six horses and five mules." "There are among the negroes twenty tradesmen of great value." One person wants "a complete washerwoman. Anyone having one to dispose of may hear of a purchaser." There are many advertisements for the recovery of runaway slaves, "for whom a genteel reward will be offered," to be recognized by their backs, still sore from recent whippings, their cropped ears and split noses. These horrors seem to make no impression on the editor--the humane gentleman who so deplores the imprisonment of the French royal couple. He is not ashamed to advertise "a pretty boy, nearly white, for sale, price, AL20," nor to call attention to Madame Marchand's announcement that she is about to leave the colony, and wishes to dispose of her stock-in-trade, consisting of "hardware, haberdashery, dry goods, a complete collection of the works of the best French authors, an excellent washerwoman, and two bedsteads." However, men should be judged, to some extent at all events, according to their lights, and it must be remembered that although, in the year of grace 1792, slavery was held throughout the West Indies to be a right divine, the papers above alluded to contained constant appeals to slave-owners to treat their human property with kindness. And perhaps, after all, the bulk of the negroes were a good deal happier than many free men are to-day, for plenty of kindness was shown them. They were allowed three wives--many, perhaps, will think this was no very kind concession--and we read of parties given to the negroes, at which servants dressed up in their mistresses' finery, and danced to a most unreasonable hour of the night, to the sound of the sackbut and the tabor. I exhibited in the St Vincent Court of the Exhibition a delightful series of old engravings, representing negro festivities in the olden times. The darkies had all Sunday to themselves, and raised pandemonium in the principal streets of Spanish Town and Nassau, until the nuisance grew unendurable, and was put down. They used to sing, dance, and wrestle, at which last exercise they "were marvellously expert," to their hearts' content. When their behaviour in the streets became unbearable, they were prohibited from singing or dancing in the vicinity of churches or genteel folks' houses. Their food was good, and their huts were waterproof, at all events,--for it was to the interest of the owners, of course, to keep their slaves in perfect health. Nevertheless, the negroes always felt themselves an oppressed race, and many were their struggles for freedom. They concocted various plans for a general rising, which was to make them masters and the Christians slaves. But the plots were always discovered, and the ring-leaders tortured and put to death, as an example to the rest. At one time owners had great difficulty in preventing their slaves from hanging themselves, either out of fear of possible punishment for some small fault, or dread of vengeance threatened by masters or overseers. Consequently no owner ever delayed a punishment. The darkies all had a firm belief in a resurrection, and were convinced they would return after death to their own country and begin their lives anew. This conviction led them to endeavour to expedite their release from slavery. An owner who had lost several useful slaves in this manner, "caused one of their heads to be cut off and fixed on a pole 12 feet high, and obliged all his slaves to come forth and march round this head, to show the poor creatures that they were in error in thinking the dead returned to their own country, for this man's head was here, as they all plainly saw, and how was it possible the body could go without the head?" This simple theory was quite sufficient to convince them, and thenceforth that owner never lost another slave by suicide.

Sometimes there was a theatrical performance in one or other of the capitals of the various islands. Companies from England or France paid the principal cities a visit, and occasionally amateurs undertook to assist the professionals, or to supplement their efforts. The French theatre at St George's, Grenada, had a great reputation throughout the islands. It was opened about six times in the year, sometimes by an English and sometimes by a French troupe. We read in the _Grenada Gazette_ that "on Saturday, 31st August 1792, 'Douglas' was performed, Lady Randolph by a lady--her first appearance on any stage--and old Norval by a gentleman." "No admittance," the announcement goes on to say, "on any account behind the scenes. The gentility is invited to send their negroes early (to retain seats), who are to sit in their places till five minutes before the curtain rises, when they are to give up their places to the proper owners." The managers also remind the audience to "bring their own candles." The negroes filled the galleries, and were renowned for their judicious criticism, the warmth of their applause, and the vehemence of their disapproval. Ladies of great quality were accommodated with seats on the stage. We note that on one occasion, in 1798, the French company gives "Nina Folle par Amour." This must be either Copolla's or Paesiello's opera, composed about that time.

Cock-fighting, we learn from the same journal, was a fashionable sport of the gentry. "On Saturday, the 31st September 1792, at 10 o'clock, a match of twenty cocks will be fought by ten gentlemen. _N.B._--A genteel dinner will be provided." In the same day's issue is announced the appearance in England of "a new sect, called the Anti-Chartists," whom it describes as "another branch of those iniquitous wretches who are opposed to the slave-trade."

Jamaica, then said to be the "wickedest place on earth," is mentioned with great detail in _The British Empire in America, or the History of the Discovery, etc., of the British Colonies_ (published in London, _1708_). The island probably deserved its name, for, in point of fact, the inhabitants mainly gained their livelihood at that period by trading with pirates, an enormous number of whom infested the neighbouring seas, making raids upon the Spanish islands, and carrying off immense treasure to Jamaica, where it was spent in debauchery.

The same book gives some interesting details of the earthquake in Jamaica on 7th June 1692. In many of the streets of Port Royal there were several fathoms of water, "a great mountain split and fell into the level land, and covered several settlements and destroyed many people." One settler's plantation was carried half a mile from the place where it formerly stood. Part of the mountain, after having made several leaps, overwhelmed a whole family and great part of a plantation, lying a mile off; "and a large mountain is quite swallowed up, and in the place where it stood there is now a vast lake, four or five leagues over." About 2000 people perished by this catastrophe.

Owners would never consent to allow their slaves to become Christians, as will be seen by the following extract:--

"I took a great interest in a certain slave, Sambo, who wanted much to become a Christian, and spoke to the master of the plantation on his behalf. His answer was, that were Sambo once a Christian he could no longer be accounted a slave, and thus owners would lose hold on their slaves. Were he in this case to do so, such a gap would be opened that all the planters in the isle would curse him."

We learn from another old volume (_An Account of the Island of Domingo, 1668_) that "there are several old mountains in the midst, which encompass an inaccessible bottom, where from the top of certain rocks may be seen an infinite variety of reptiles of dreadful bulk and length. The natives were wont to tell of a vast monstrous serpent that had its abode in the said bottom. They affirmed that there was in the head of it a very sparkling stone, like a carbuncle, of inestimable price, that the monster commonly veiled that rich jewel with a thin moving skin like that of a man's eyelid, and when it went to drink, and sported itself in the deep bottom it fully discovered it, and the rocks all about received a wonderful lustre from the fire issuing out of that precious gem."

The original entry of the marriage of Lord Nelson in the register of the parish church where it took place was exhibited in the Nevis Court. Very singular also is the sales-list of the Byam estate in Antigua, from which we learn the prices of slaves to have varied from AL10 to AL150, "warranted sound." Some elderly ladies and gentlemen of colour are occasionally "thrown in gratis." Several copies of the slave Bible were also shown, in which all verses calculated to disturb the idea that slavery is an institution by right Divine are carefully eliminated.

THE END.

INDEX

A.

Adderley, Sir Augustus, 257.

Advertisements for the sale of slaves, 271.

Albemarle, Duke of, captures Havana and Matanzas, 60.

" Duke of, Governor of Jamaica, 268.

" Duchess of, 269;
remarkable behaviour of, 270;
believes herself to be Empress of China, 270.

Amedeo, Prince, accepts the Spanish crown and resigns it again, 90.

American Revolution, the, 62.

Americans, influence of the, upon Cuba, 19;
settlements in the island, 26;
help the insurgents, 87.

Amusements in Havana, 129;
during Carnival, 139.

Animals found by Columbus in Cuba, 6;
animals of the forests, 106.

Antomarchi, Dr to Napoleon I., 203;
his death and monument, 203.

Apiculture introduced by French colonists, 61.

Aquelera, Don Francisco, elected President of the Cuban Republic, 93.

Aristocracy, Havanese, 126.

_Aristolochia pelicana_, the, 149.

Army, the rebel, its number and organization, 101.

_Autos da fA(C)_, the frequency of, 56;
description of an, 59.

B.

Bahamas first sighted by Christopher Columbus, 38;
New Providence, 224.

Bananas, 4;
used as vegetables, 154.

Banyan tree, the, 148.

Baracoa founded by Diego Velasquez, 49.

Barbadoes, 263;
governorship of Lord Howe, 266.

Bats, enormous size of, 7.

Bayamo, founded by Diego Velasquez, 49;
taken by the Spaniards from the rebels, 85.

Beggars in Havana, the, 137.

Bellamar Caves, the, 158.

Berriz, Colonel, accusations brought against, by Miss Cisneros, 118.

Birds, 8.

Blake, Lady, 231.

Bobadilla, DoA+-a Isabella de, Governess of Cuba, 181.

Bolivar, 67.

Borgian Maps, the, 258.

Botanical Gardens of Havana, the, 127.

British interests in Cuba, 26.

Buccaneers, the, and their romantic history, 51;
their hatred of the Spaniards, 52;
their rugged life, 52;
Henry Morgan, the Welshman, 52;
they burn Havana, 53;
enactments against the, 52;
the adventures of Jacob Sores, 53.

Buchanan, President, threatening message to Spain, 78.

Bull-baiting, 145.

Butter, lack of, in Cuba, 154.

C.

Cactus, the enormous size of the, 126.

CafA(C)s and restaurants, Cuban, 155.

Campos, Marshal Martinez, agrees to the Treaty of Zanjou, 94;
his good intentions, 116.

Canga, the, 141.

Canovas, SeA+-or, de Castillo, signs Treaty of Zanjou, 95.

Cardenas, called the "American City," 26;
its population, 192 (in note).

Carnival, dances given during, 23;
the Havanese Carnival, 139;
its end on Shrove Tuesday, 142.

Caruba tree, the, 190.

Cattle used as horses, 167 (in note).

Cauto River, the, navigable for small craft, 5.

Caves of the Bellamar, the magnificent, 158.

Cays, the, dangerous to vessels, 5;
their beauty, 174.

Cemeteries, Cuban, 202.

Cereals, exported from Spain, 4.

Cerro, the, 125.

Cespedes, Carlos Manuel, begins the rebellion, 83;
his character, 83;
the burning of his plantation, 85;
elected President of the Cuban Republic, 87;
his tragic death, 91.

Chinese, the wretched condition of the, in Cuba, 37;
the Chinese in the ranks of the rebels, 37;
their religious practices, 110.

Churches, the, of Havana, 132;
music in the, 138;
flirtation in church, 138.

Cienfuegos, the town and harbour, 161;
the surrounding country, 162.

Cipango, Columbus thinks Cuba is, 42.

Cisneros, Miss Evangelina, story of, 117.

Cisneros y BA(C)tancourt, Don Salvador, elected
President of the Cuban Republic, 93.

Clergy, the, of the rebel army, 109.

Cleveland, President, tries to prevent filibustering
expeditions to Cuba, 99.

Climate, 2 (in note);
is tolerable, 10;
108.

Coaches in Havana, 131.

Cock-fighting in Cuba, 145;
a century ago, 275.

Cocoa, 4;
the plant, 213.

Coffee, was one of the principal products, 3;
replaced by the sugar cane, 69;
a coffee plantation, 213.

Columbus, Christopher, first sights the New World, 38;
lands at Fernandina, 39;
the wonders he encounters, 39;
his followers grow clamorous for gold, 40;
the imaginery Quinsai, 40;
he discovers Cuba, 40;
and takes possession of it in the names of the Spanish sovereigns, 41;
convinced that it is the Cipango described by Marco Polo, 42;
believes Cuba to be a part of the mainland, 43;
said to have landed at British Honduras, 44;
Columbus and the native, 46;
visits the island twice again, 49;
the journeyings of his remains, 133;
his enthusiastic description of New Providence, 225;
his birthplace, 237;
and parents, 238;
the house in which he was born, 240;
his brothers, 241;
first goes to sea, 244;
his education, 244;
the sports he played when a child, 254.

Columbus, Diego, Governor of Hispaniola, 49.

Cook, the Cuban, 124.

Cookery, Cuban, 155.

Coolie labour, 36.

Cuba, Island of, its shape and size, I;
mountains, 2;
position and weather, 2 (in note);
coffee and tobacco once the chief articles of cultivation, 3;
French settlers persuade the Cubans to extend their sugar plantations, 4;
other products, 4; navigable rivers, 5;
animals and reptiles, 7;
disagreeable insects, 8;
flora, 10;
climate, 10;
filthy drains, 11;
its prehistoric inhabitants, 14;
present population and inhabitants, 16;
laws, 17;
first appearance of the Inquisition on the island, 18;
Las Casas gives an impetus to education, 18;
state of chaos in, during the Napoleonic period, 19;
overrun by Americans, 19;
society in, 23;
first sighted by Columbus, 40;
its numerous names, 41 (in note);
its beauties in the eyes of its Discoverer, 41;
first circumnavigated, 49;
Diego Velasquez sent to, 49;
he founds Havana, Santiago de Cuba, etc., 49;
Hernando Cortez in, 49;
C. during the buccaneering period, 51;
Drake appears off, 54;
prosperity of, at the beginning of the 18th century, 59;
taken by the English under the Duke of Albemarle in 1762, 60;
large French emigration to, 61;
administration of Don Luis Las Casas, 63;
effect of the Revolution upon, 66;
bad times for, 68;
opening of the Cuban ports, 68;
"Cuba la Sempre Fiel," 69;
the beneficent government of Tacon, 72;
the prosperity of, declining, 73;
the first indications of rebellion, 74;
offers to purchase C., 77;
C. in 1860, 79;
the state of the island going from bad to worse, 81;
result of the work of the Commission appointed to enquire
into the affairs of, 81;
Maximo Gomez, Commander-in-Chief of the rebel army, 93;
U.S. trade with Cuba, 97, 113;
Cuban forests, 104;
economic condition of, 114;
C. Spain's death-trap, 115;
description of Havana, 121;
Marianao, 148;
the cafA(C)s and restaurants of Cuba, 155;
Cienfuegos, 161;
Trinidad, 172;
backward state of the plantations, 174;
Santiago de Cuba, 179;
the newspapers of, 189;
a Cuban plantation, 205;
the beauty of the Cuban night, 212;
a Cuban household, 214.

_Cubana_, the dance, 141.

Cubanos, or Cubans, filthy habits of the, 11;
descent from early Spanish settlers, 17;
characteristics of the, 18;
Voltarian and free-thinking works read by the, during
the Napoleonic Era, 19;
many, educated, 19;
the C. not permitted to share in the Government until
twenty years ago, 20;
C. who live for generations on one plantation, 20;
a very domestic people, 21;
isolation of the children, 21;
premature marriages, 21;
laxity of morals among the, 21;
morbid literature read by the, 21;
the drama, 22;
their love of music, 23;
their large families, 24;
the piety of the women, 24;
insincerity of the, in their religion, 24;
their contract with foreign ideas, 71;
their wish to be represented in the Cortes at Madrid, 71;
they petition Queen Isabella to appoint a Commission to
enquire into the state of the island, 81;
C. in official positions, 112;
the Carnival in Havana, 139;
their theatricals, 144;
the Guajiros, 162;
early habits of the C. 168;
why they differ with the Spaniards, 176;
a Cuban funeral, 200;
a young Cuban lady, 215;
their partiality for smoking, 222.

Cucullo, the, 8.

D.

DECKER, MR, and the Miss Cisneros incident, 118.

Dinner, a Cuban, 154.

Dogs, 6;
the tiny spaniel and the colossal molasso, 6.

Drains, abominable condition of the, 11.

Drake, Sir Francis, appears off Cuba, 54.

Duck-hunt, a, 170.

"Dutchman's pipe," the, 150.

Dysentery among European colonists, 10.

E.

EARTHQUAKES, 3.

Eastern Province, the wholesomest part of the island, 11.

Education, impetus given to, by Las Casas, 18;
the education given by the Jesuits, 19.

Emancipation of the slaves, first steps towards the, 29;
its horrible results, 29.

Estates, the large, given to Spaniards, 20;
rarely if ever visited by the latter, 20;
curious custom on many Cuban estates, 20.

F.

FAN, the language of the, 138.

Ferdinand the Catholic, his opinion of the Spanish people, 70.

Fernandina, 39.

Filharmonia Theatre, an incident in the, 76;
the first appearance of Mme. Patti at the, 143.

Fish, 6; tropical, 8.

Flora, beauty and variety of the, 10;
in the forests, 105;
some strange flowers, 128;
the banyan tree, etc., 148;
ferns, 151, 184;
the moon-flower, 213;
the silk-cotton-tree, 229;
the vegetation of New Providence, Bahamas, 231.

Florida, failure of Hernando de Soto's expedition to, 50;
given to the English in exchange for Cuba, 60.

Foreign residents, 20.

Forests, Cuban, 4, 104.

Fossils of prehistoric fauna, 6;
of human remains, 14.

France wishes to purchase Cuba, 77.

French Revolution, effects of the, upon the West Indies, 64;
remarks upon the, 271.

French settlers, persuade the Cubans to enlarge their sugar plantations, 4;
large emigration of, in 1765, 61;
they introduce the art of apiculture, 61.

Fruits of Cuba, 4; oranges, bananas, etc., 154.

Funeral rites, 200.

G.

GALEGOS, immigration into Cuba of, 17 (in note).

_Galleria_, the, 145.

Gambling in Cuba, 144.

Game, prehistoric, 6.

Garcia, Manuel, the brigand, 101.

Genoa, the birthplace of Columbus, 238;
description and appearance of, 247;
the trade of, 255.

Genoese, the, 252;
the piety of the, 253.

Ghosts, Cuban belief in, 198.

Gomez, Maximo, Commander-in-Chief of the rebel forces, 93;
he retires to San Domingo, 95.

Government of Cuba, 74 (in note);
the bad, 77;
its backwardness, 115.

Governors, magnificence of the, 54;
their rapacity, 74.

Grant's Town, 228.

"Green snake," the, 232.

_Grenada Gazette_, 266, 271.

Guajiros, manners and customs of the, 162;
their supposed relationship with our own costers, 165.

Guanajay, 219.

Guava jelly, 217.

H.

HASKETT, MR ELIAS, Governor of the Bahamas, 267.

Hatuei, the Cacique, bravery of, 15 (in note).

Havana, the city of, society in, 23;
founded by Diego Velasquez in 1519, 49;
obtains civic rights under Las Casas, 50;
burnt by the buccaneers in 1528, 53;
rebuilt by Hernando de Soto, 53;
sacked afresh by the buccaneers, 54;
attacked by the Dutch under Admiral Jolls, who is repulsed, 54;
first theatre opened in, 56;
attacked and taken by the English under the Duke of Albemarle, 1762, 60;
Tacon rebuilds part of the town, 72;
Diego Velasquez calls Havana "La llave del Nuevo Mondo," 121 (in note);
view of the town from the harbour, 121;
the houses of, 123;
the Cerro, 125;
aristocracy of, 126;
cathedral, churches, promenades, gardens, streets, etc., 126;
mode of shopping in, 127;
the Botanical Gardens, 127;
eventide in, 129;
coaches, 131;
the churches, 132;
charitable institutions, 137;
the beggars of, 137;
the Carnival, 139.

Havana University established in 1721, 18;
several chairs created by Las Casas, 19;
almost entirely governed by Cubans, 112.

Heredia, JosA(C) Maria, Cuba's greatest poet, 184.

Holy Week in Santiago, 181.

Horses, scarcity of, in Cuba, 55.

Hotels in Matanzas, the, 152.

Houses of Havana, the, 123; of Matanzas, 157.

Howe, Lord, Governor of Barbadoes, 266.

Hurricanes, 2 (in note).

I.

IGUANA, the harmless but hideous, 9;
roast, 217.

Indian and Colonial Exhibition, 257.

Indigo, 4.

Inhabitants, earliest, 14.

Inquisition, or Holy Office, first introduced into Cuba, 18;
used against State prisoners, 58.

Insects, disagreeable, 8; several insects first introduced
into Europe from Cuba, 8;
the cucullo, 8;
mosquitoes, 126.

Institutions, charitable, 137.

J.

JAMAICA, 275; an earthquake, 276.

Jesuits, the education given by the, 19;
persecution of the, 34;
their first appearance in Cuba, 57.

Jewellery, quantity of, in Havana, 125.

Jews, the, in Cuba, 27.

Junta, Gran, in New York, 98;
excites the Americans against Weyler's atrocities, 117.

L.

LANGUAGE of the early natives, 15.

Las Casas, aid given to education by, 18;
his good government, 50.

Las Casas, Don Luis, the good administration of, 63.

_Leyes de Indias, Las_, 18, 31.

Litterateurs of Cuba, 184.

Lizards, variety of, 9.

Louisiana, expedition to, under O'Reilly, 61.

Lowther, Mr, Governor of Barbadoes, 267.

M.

MACEO, cruelty of, 101;
his character and appearance, 110;
doubts as to whether he is shot, 111.

Mahogany, a once valuable product, 4.

"Maine" disaster, the, 120.

Maize, always been a necessity of life, 4.

Mangoes, 4.

Mantis, 207.

Marco Polo, 38.

Marianao, 148.

Matanzas taken by the English in 1762, 60;
its foundation and name, 152;
"The Golden Lion," 152;
description of M., 157;
its attractions, 158;
the Yumurri Valley, 159.

Mayas, importation into Cuba of, to take the place of coolie labour, 37.

Merced, 132; the curious picture in the, 135;
its orchestra, 138.

Mexico, the Revolution in, 68.

Milanes, the poet, 186.

Monserrat, condition of the island of, in the 17th century, 260.

Moon-flower, the, 213.

Morgan, Henry, the Welsh buccaneer, 52.

Morro Castle, 121.

Mosquitos, swarms of, 126.

Mountains of Cuba, 2;
unhealthy condition of the mountain regions, 4.

Music, Cuban, 190.

N.

NASSAU, the city of, 226;
Grant's Town, 228;
the silk-cotton-tree, 229;
its magnificent bay, 233.

Natives, language of the, at the time of Columbus, 15;
their appearance and manners of life, 15;
extermination of the, 15 (in note);
modesty of the native ladies, 39;
condition of the, at the time of the discovery, 44;
their affinity with the natives of the neighbouring
islands and the mainland, 44;
their number, 45;
their quiet life, 45;
and religion, 46;
Spanish cruelty to the, 47;
their few descendants, 48;
reduced to slavery, 49.

Narvaez starts from Santiago for Yucatan, 180.

Negroes introduced to replace the aborigines, 27;
the free blacks, 35;
their liking for gaudy dresses, 35;
in church, 35;
their love of music, 36;
rebellion of the, 64;
barbaric state of the rebel negroes, 109;
how the blacks enjoy themselves during the Carnival in Havana, 140;
piety of the, 142;
the n. at the opera, 142;
their superstitions, 193;
the n. of the Bahamas, 224;
their cleanly habits, 226;
the n. of Monserrat, 261.

Nelson, marriage of Lord, 277.

New Providence, Bahamas, 225;
a contrast after Cuba, 226;
its vegetation, 231;
the flatness of the island, 233;
the heavy dews, 236.

Newspapers, the, of Cuba, 189.

O.

OBI, the worship of, 193;
strange rites of, 194.

Ojo del Toro, Mountain of, 2.

Oranges, 4.

O'Reilly, Marshal, his expedition to Louisiana, 62.

P.

PALMA, SEA'OR THOMASO ESTRADO, President of the Gran Junta in New York, 98.

Palm-trees, 205.

_Patria, La_, the Revolutionary journal, 98.

Payrete Theatre, the, 141.

Petition to the Queen-Regent of Spain, 119.

Philip II., laws framed by, 18;
fortifies Cuba, 54.

Philippe, Louis, wishes to buy Cuba, 77.

Pico Turquino, Mountain, 3.

Pine-apple, the, 4;
a plantation, 233.

Pinos, La Isla dos, a health resort, 5 and 11.

Plantations, or Haciendas, backward state of the, 174;
description of a, 205.

Population, sparse, in mountain regions, 4;
early inhabitants, 14;
present, 16;
the rural, 176.

Prim, General, proposes to sell Cuba to the U.S., 88;
assassination of, 90.

Procession, a religious, 169.

Propaganda, the archives of the, 258.

Puentes Grandes, 149.

Puerto Principe, founded by Diego Velasquez, 49;
description of, 192.

Punta, La, the fortress, 121.

Q.

QUESADA, MANUEL DE, brother-in-law to Cespedes, elected Commander-in-Chief of the insurgent army, 87.

Quinsai, the imaginery city, 40.

R.

RAILWAYS, mainly in British hands, 26;
Cuban, 150.

Rainy season, 2 (in note).

Rebellion, the Cuban, real commencement of the movement, 64;
first steps towards open, 75;
open revolt under Cespedes, 82;
the holder of the funds decamps, 84;
want of money and arms, 84;
rebels worsted at Bayamo, 85;
the horrors which resulted, 85;
tragic death of Cespedes, 91;
Maximo Gomez elected Commander-in-Chief, 93;
the Treaty of Zanjou, 94;
abstention of the towns from taking part in the, 100;
organization of the, 101;
an encampment, 107.

Rebels, cruelty of the, 101;
number and organization of the, 101;
amusements of the, 109;
their priests, 109.

_Reconcentrados_, the miserable lot of the, 108.

Religion, insincerity of the Cubans in their, 24;
present religious awakening, 24;
toleration, 26;
religion and slavery, 34;
Catholicism in Cuba, 56;
ceremonies of the Church, 57;
an Archbishopric created, 58;
reaction in favour of, 138;
a procession, 169;
state of, in Monserrat, 260.

Reptiles: the red asp, 7;
scorpions, 7;
cure for the bite of a Cuban scorpion, 7.

Republic, the Cuban, proclaimed by, and Cespedes elected President, 87;
send envoys to England, France, and the United States, 87;
tragic death of Cespedes, 91;
Don Cisneros y BA(C)tancourt elected President, 93;
Don Francisco Aquelera, third President, 93;
the Treaty of Zanjou, 94;
the Republican Parliament dissolved in 1879, 95.

Rincon, 151.

Rosario waterfalls, 6.

S.

SAN DOMINGO, revolt of the negroes in, 63.

San Francisco, the church of, 136.

San Salvador, first sighted by Columbus, 38.

Santiago, the province of, earthquakes in, 3;
healthiest half of the island, 11.

Santiago de Cuba, founded by Diego Velasquez in 1516, 49;
its bay, 178;
most historical city in the island, 180;
the cathedral, 181;
Holy Week in, 181;
a literary centre, 184.

Santoveneo, the late Countess of, 125.

Secret societies formed, 67;
branches in America, 98.

Shea, Sir Ambrose, Governor of the Bahamas, 232.

Shopping in Havana, mode of, 127.

Sierra de Cobre, 3.

Sierra Maestra, 1;
resemblance to Genoese Riviera, 2;
its peaks, 2.

Silk-cotton-tree, the, 229.

Slaves, female, 28;
the trade, 29;
the first steps towards their emancipation, and its
horrible consequences, 29;
continued sale of, notwithstanding the law, 30;
their idea of freedom, 30;
laws to protect the, 31;
inhuman torture of, 32;
the household slaves, 33;
their long hours of labour, 34;
slavery and religion, 34;
slavery replaced by coolie labour, 37;
large importation of, 73;
an arrangement for freeing them, 82;
laws against them, 261;
advertisements for the sale of, 271;
good treatment of the, 270.

Society, Cuban, 23.

Sores, Jacob, the adventures of, 53.

Soto, Hernando de, his ill-fated expedition to Florida, 50;
he rebuilds Havana, 53.

Spain aids the American revolutionists, 62;
mistaken policy of, with regard to Cuba, 66;
her revolting colonies, 67;
revolution in S., 90;
maladministration of, in Cuba, 112.

Spaniards in the island, 17;
bigotry of, 18;
S. and Cubans compared, 18;
their way of living, 25;
their cruelty, 47;
hatred in which they were held in the West Indies, 51;
dissipation of the Spanish landowners, 175.

Springs, fresh, 6.

Stories of the Obi, strange, 194.

Sucking-pig, the universal love of, 217.

Sugar, French colonists persuade greater growth of, 4;
sugar canes take the place of coffee, 69;
depreciation in value of, 114;
backward state of the plantations, 174;
description of a s. plantation, 208;
how sugar is made, 211.

Superstitions, Cuban, 193.

T.

TACON, the good administration of, 72.

Tacon, Theatre, the orchestra of the, 36;
the Carnival ball at the, 140;
description of the, 142;
great singers at the, 143.

Theatres in the West Indies, 274.

Tobacco, one of the chief products, 3;
some of the best plantations in British hands, 26;
the trade in a bad state, 114;
the story of, 218;
Cuban, 219;
the tobacco industry, 221.

Tom-tom, the, 36.

Torrecillas Theatre, the, 144.

Tortoise-hunting, 8.

Tortuga, Island of, the headquarters of the buccaneers, 52.

Torture of slaves, inhuman, 32.

Trinidad de Cuba, founded by Diego Velasquez in 1513, 171;
the starting place of Cortez on his expedition to Mexico, 171.

Turquino, the highest point in Cuba, 178.

Twilight, no, in Cuban latitudes, 174.

U.

UNITED STATES, the, wish to annex Cuba by purchase, 78;
will not recognise the Cuban Republic, 88;
another proposal for the purchase of the island, 88;
indignation in, over the "Virginius" affair, 89;
importance of Cuba to the, 95;
her trade with Cuba, 97, 113.

University of Havana established in 1721, 18;
several chairs created by Las Casas, 19;
almost entirely governed by Cubans, 112.

V.

VALDES, GABRIEL DE LA CONCEPCION, the mulatto poet, and his works, 186.

Varona, Don Enrique Jose, editor of _La Patria_, 98.

Vegetation of Cuba, 104.

Velasquez, Diego, sent to Cuba, 49;
founds Havana, Santiago, and other towns, 49;
impressed by the harbour of Havana, 121 (in note).

Villa Clara, 192.

"Virginius," affair of the, 89.

Volante, first appearance of the, 55;
how it looked, 131.

_Vomito nigro_, the deadly, 10;
whites attacked by, 104.

W.

WATERFALLS, the Rosario, 6.

West Indies, general condition of the, during the 17th century, 260;
different Governors of the, 266.

Weyler, General, Marquis of Tenerife, administration of, 116.

Y.

YAMS, 4.

Yellow fever, said to have first appeared in 1761: the
quickness with which its victims succumb, 12;
statistics of, 103 (in note).

Yumurri Valley, the, 159.

Z.

ZAMBRANA, RAMON, the poet, 188.

Zanjou, Treaty of, 94.

Etext transcriber's typgraphical corrections made:

caligraphy=>calligraphy

ansado=asado

FOOTNOTES:

[1] The island of Cuba lies between the Caribbean Sea on the S., and the Gulf of Mexico, the Gulf of Florida, and Bahama Channel on the N., being nearly equidistant from the peninsulas of Yucatan and Florida and the islands of Hayti and Jamaica. It stretches in N. lat. from 19A deg. 50' to 23A deg. 9', and in W. long. from 74A deg. 8' to 84A deg. 158'. The rainfall at Havana is said to be 92.68 inches, or more than double that of the opposite coast of Florida. The atmospheric tendencies are less violent than in the other islands. Hurricanes are frequent, but not so terrible as elsewhere in the same zone. However, one of them, in October 1846, destroyed a third of Havana, while hundreds were killed and thousands injured. The north wind blows with more or less strength throughout the entire winter months. In summer, when the sun is at its zenith, torrential rains, lasting for days at a time, are frequent. Hail is rare, but, once or twice in this century, snow has fallen on the upper plateaus of the Sierra Maestra. According to the proverbial "oldest inhabitant," the rainfall has considerably diminished of late years through the burning down of some of the forests in the central district of the island. It has also been observed that in the past twenty-five years the rainy season begins much later than it did in the good old times--in June instead of April; and ends earlier--in July instead of in October.

[2] The American Racoon--_Procyon lotor_.

[3] The rainfall of Havana is said to be 92.68 ins., more than double that of the opposite part of Florida. Very heavy, and in certain districts, dangerous dews, fall immediately after sunset. The thunderstorms are of tremendous violence, the lightning being often so incessant as to give quite a steady light.

[4] Between the years 1512-15 the whole island had been explored, and the aborigines had already disappeared. The poor, timid, harmless creatures offered no resistance to their conquerors. One chief alone, the Cacique Hatuei, tried to escape. He refused baptism lest it might lead to his being condemned to spend eternity in heaven, in the company of his pious persecutors, who consequently tormented him to death. This anecdote, related as it is by the Spaniards themselves, gives the measure of their conception of Christian charity. There are, however, two sides to every question, and I remember to have read in a very old Spanish work, on the West Indies, an assertion that the aborigines of Cuba were afflicted with a certain fell disease which rendered their disappearance imperative. This may account for the persistence with which their extermination was carried out, and also for the recorded fact that in 1554 a number of native families were brought to Havana, and isolated in a Lazaretto built for their reception near Guanabacoa.

[5] Statistics of Cuban population are very unreliable. The prolonged rebellion, frequent epidemics and other causes have considerably diminished the number of inhabitants, especially of late years. Probably, the actual population does not exceed 1,300,000. According to EliseA(C) Reclus, in his splendid _Universal Geography_ (admirably translated into English, and published by Messrs Virtue & Co.), "Despite revolutions, wars, and epidemics, the population of Cuba has increased at least sixfold since the beginning of the last century. Enforced immigration of whites, negroes, Chinese and Mayas has ceased, and free immigration is now encouraged by grants of land. But independently of this movement, there is considerable natural increase by the excess of births over deaths. In time of peace, the annual increase may be estimated at from 15,000 to 20,000, a rate according to which the whole population might be doubled in fifty years. It rose from 600,000 in 1811, and 1,000,000 in 1841, to 1,521,000 in 1887 (last census), and may now (1891) be estimated at 1,600,000." As to the coloured population, it is estimated as amounting to between 600,000 and 700,000 all told, but I very much doubt if it at present reaches anything like that figure, owing to the number of deaths from starvation, epidemic, etc., which have occurred during the last ten years, and the cessation of all coloured immigration into the country.

[6] Since the abolition of slavery, some few Galegos have emigrated from Spain, mainly to seek employment in the houses of the wealthy. It may interest the reader to know that the peasantry of Galicia have for many ages supplied Spain and Portugal with their best domestic servants. They are an honest and frugal race, faithful to their employers, and excellent cooks to boot. They are much sought after in Cuba, where they obtain higher wages than they can earn in the Peninsula.

[7] According to Las Casas and Herrera, the point first touched by Columbus was situated at the extreme east of the island, at Baracoa. Navarreto, on the other hand, declares that Columbus landed at the bay of Nipe; and Washington Irving is of opinion that it was at Nuevitas, the port of Puerto Principe. Cuba has been called Fernandina, Santiago, and Ave-Maria Alfa y Omego, but its original native name of Cubican or Cuba has alone been retained.

[8] Unfortunately, when we come to examine the matter closely, we soon discover that similar atrocities have always accompanied discoveries of new lands and peoples. The swarming native populations of North and South America have nearly all disappeared, and not precisely on account of an advancing civilization. The unhappy aborigines of Africa have suffered a similar fate.

[9] Perhaps it were as well if I here remind the reader that Cuba is ruled by a Governor or Captain-General, whose despotic authority is derived directly from the Crown. He is supreme head of the island's civil, military, and ecclesiastical jurisdiction, and is, surrounded by a crowd of dependents of every degree, beginning with thirty-four lieutenant-governors, who preside over as many cantons or divisions of the island, each of whom, in his turn has a host of underlings. Judicial affairs are in the hands of the "Real Audienca Pretorat or Superine Court." The judicial districts, of which there are twenty-six, are presided over by an Alcalde or Mayor, who has a numerous staff of salaried satellites. The Maritime division of Cuba is subject to a Commander-General, who is at the head of five stations with centres at Havana, Trinidad, San Juan de los Remedios, Matanzos, and Santiago de Cuba. As almost every member of this army of functionaries is Spanish born, and as the Yankees would express it, "on the mash," some idea may be conceived of the waste of public money in the way of salaries, paid to men who, more often than not, have no duties to perform. But it is quite untrue to assert that no Cubans "need apply" when a vacancy occurs in this multitudinous burocracy. Quite the contrary. Many Cubans are in the civil service of the island, but they are powerless to reform abuses, and frequently are even less scrupulous than the Spaniards.

[10] The price offered was AL40,000,000. The Yara rebellion, which broke out in 1868, cost Spain over 100,000 men, and certainly not less than AL40,000,000, the sum named for the purchase of the island by the United States.

[11] In an exceedingly interesting letter from the New York correspondent of the _Pall Mall Gazette_, dated May 24th, I found the following valuable statistics on the subject of epidemics in Cuba:--

"The dread of yellow fever might reasonably have discouraged the enlistment of volunteers, who could foresee that they would be needed in Cuba during the rainy season, but the offers and applications show that the Government could take into the service to-morrow 500,000 men, instead of the 125,000 already called, if it should consent to accept them. The mortality reports of the Spanish army are appalling, but yellow fever has not been the most deadly of the diseases with which the Spanish soldiers have contended. The number of deaths in the military hospitals on the island last year was 32,534, and of the 30,000 sick men sent back to Spain at least 10 per cent. must have died, for many of them were beyond cure. The reported deaths were distributed as follows, in round numbers: Typhoid fever and dysentery, 14,500; malarial fever, 7000; yellow fever, 6000; other diseases, 5000. And 2583 persons died of small-pox in Havana. But the resident inspector of our Marine Hospital Bureau (which is a kind of National Board of Health) reports that only one of the five large military hospitals in Havana is in good sanitary condition; the others are little better than pest-houses, and one of them is characterised by the inspector as 'the filthiest building in the city.' The Spanish soldiers have been sacrificed to the greed and corruption of their commanders and the prevailing mediaeval ignorance of sanitation.

In the recent official indictments of Spanish misrule in Cuba, scarcely anything has been said about the perpetual menace of yellow fever infection to which this country has been subjected, and to the enormous actual cost in the United States of fever epidemics, the seeds of which were introduced from the island. Of late years all our yellow fever epidemics have come from Cuba, and the infection has entered our Southern States in spite of the most elaborate precautions and defences. Many years ago the disease was sometimes brought from Vera Cruz; but Mexico, under the effective and progressive rule of Diaz, has cleansed her infected ports, and they are no longer to be feared. An epidemic of this fever on our southern seaboard, even if it be of short duration and attended by slight mortality, causes very great alarm--because the ravages of memorable visitations are recalled by the people--and paralyses commerce and industry throughout a wide area. The actual cost of such an epidemic may be 100,000,000 dols. The epidemic of last year entailed a loss of a third or a half of that sum. No relief can be expected so long as the island shall suffer under Spanish misrule. But now we may look forward with confidence to the time, not far distant, when this nuisance shall be abated."

[12] According to the best authorities, Diego Valasquez, the Conqueror of Cuba, founded the famous city of San Christobal de la Habana in 1519, and being immensely impressed by the width and depth of the harbour, and its generally favourable position for trade purposes, he called it _la llave del Nuevo Mondo_, the key to the New World.

[13] See on this subject the following works: (1) _Los restos de Colon_, per Don JosA(C) Manuel de Echeverry, Santander, 1878; (2) _Cristofero Colombo e San Domingo_, per L. T. Belgrano, Genova, 1879; (3) _Los Restos de Cristobal Colon_, by Tejera, Santo Domingo, 1879; (4) _Los restos de Colon_, Emiliano Tejera, Madrid, 1878.

[14] The Tacon Theatre was built in 1830 by a man who made his fortune selling fish. Having saved up a large sum, he invested it in land, and built the first market upon the site, and finally, as an act of gratitude to his fellow-citizens for having assisted him in making some millions of dollars, he built them their largest theatre.

[15] In a great many parts of the Eastern Province, cattle are used as horses.

[16] Literally God's Baby.

[17] Exhibited by the writer in the West Indian Court of the Colonial Exhibition.

[18] From notes made some years ago of the conversation in question.

[19] The two other important Cuban cities which I did not visit are Cardenas, which is known as the American city, and which is situated immediately on the seaboard, and has a population of about 20,000 inhabitants, and Villa Clara, which is situated on Jagua Bay, a noble expanse of water which could easily accommodate and shelter half the fleets of Europe. Both these cities are remarkably well drained and prosperous, and give evidence at every turn that they are in the hands of an enterprising and energetic people. Between the two towns there must be between five and ten thousand residents, all of whom are engaged in commerce.

[20] Those who wish to obtain a more perfect knowledge of tobacco and its cultivation will do well to read the two exhaustive chapters on the subject, in "Cuba with Pen and Pencil," by Samuel Hazzard, by far the best book ever written on Cuba.

[21] Then, in all probability, he witnessed the coronation of the Doge Paul of Novi, a dyer who certainly did business with his father, and lived in the same neighbourhood. The romantic and tragic history of this Doge recalls that of Marino Faliero. Deposed by the mob, he was decapitated.

[22] This Appendix and the following one respectively appeared in another and less elaborate form in the _National Review_ and the _Antiquary_, and are reproduced here, with additional matter, by the courteous consent of the editors of these reviews.--R. D.

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