LETTER XIII. CUBA. Providence, R. I. Seventh month (July) 1st, 1840. MY DEAR FRIEND, When we sailed away from Jamaica, as mentioned in a former letter, we soon found that we were in the midst of an agreeable and interesting company. It consisted of Samuel B. Parsons, a young friend of ours from New York, who had met us in Jamaica, twenty-two other Americans, including several amiable women, on their return from Santa Cruz to their native shores, and our Spanish friend Cabrera, who was well able to converse with us, both in French and English. He is a person of remarkable intelligence, courteous manners, and, as we have every reason to believe, sound moral and religious principle. During the awful conflicts by which Spain has of late years been so fearfully convulsed, he has been seven times condemned to death. Once, by the decree of a Carlist General, he was sitting, with the handkerchief bound about his eyes, on the point of being publicly shot, when the tables were suddenly turned, and his rescue was effected. Singular indeed are the providential circumstances, which from time to time, turned up for his deliverance, often through the intervention of intrepid women, and he is now one of the most respected and useful servants of the Queen Regent. Of the accomplished education, liberal views, and benevolent intentions of that royal lady, he gave us an excellent account.-Of course we did not fail to implore the exertion of his influence with her, for the actual suppression of their already legally abolished slave trade. Our voyage was one of nine days, and although of longer duration than it was reasonable to expect, was remarkably pleasant. One circumstance alone threw a gloom over the circle-the extreme illness of two of our passengers, in whom the genial climate of Santa Cruz had failed to arrest the progress of consumption. One of these individuals has since finished her mortal career, in the faith and hopes of the christian. Every morning after breakfast, we assembled on deck, for the audible reading of a portion of scripture, on which occasions no one was a more willing or attentive auditor than our friend the Spaniard. He is a Roman Catholic, as to his habits and connections, but of very liberal views. Our scripture reading was generally followed up by the Governor's school. Ignorant as we were, even of the right sounds of the letters, he kindly undertook to teach several of our party Spanish; and certainly, if he manifests in his political duties, the same orderly and perspicacious intellect which he then applied to the instruction of his pupils, he must be a valuable agent under any government. He so far succeeded that they presented to him, before we separated, a short address in his own language, which may serve as a memorandum of our pleasant intercourse. Gentil maestro humano Claro, benigno, sano, Solo es de arena un grano. Peligrò tu cabeza, Mientras horrible guerra Mas Dios te ha preservado Que el solo honor ha hecho Sobre tu ilustre pecho. Oh, muy felice fuera, Por tener un CABRERA! The weather was delightful; and the contemplation of the ever varying beauties of ocean scenery, occupied many an agreeable hour, as we gradually made progress on our voyage. One day a heron or crane, of speckled white and brown, found her rest on our rigging; at another time, a number of large birds of a bright scarlet hue, were seen flying in a row at some distance from the vessel. They were probably specimens of the scarlet ibis-or perhaps flamingos. Schools of porpoises were often seen from on board the ship, and never seen without amusement; the smooth agility of the leap with which they rise for a moment out of the water, and at the same time move rapidly onward on their journey, impresses one with the idea of perfect bodily enjoyment. I was in hopes that we should sail within sight of the Isle of Pines, near the southern coast of Cuba, which is said to be very beautiful-once the resort of pirates, and still probably of slavers-but we passed it at a distance of thirty miles, and saw nothing of it. Soon afterwards we came in sight of the low cape Antonio, which would have proved to Columbus, had he pursued his voyage a few leagues further, that Cuba was no part of his imagined continent. After doubling the cape, we had about one hundred miles to make to windward, before we could reach our port. Baffling winds and calms detained us for two or three days; our last pig and fowl had been eaten; we were beginning, somewhat seriously to long for the land-when, one delightful evening, a favorable breeze sprung up, and brought us, under flying colors and full sail, past the Moro castle and lighthouse, into the port of Havana. It was the 9th of the Fourth month (April.) The scene was very animating and beautiful. The Moro is built on a dark rock, on the left of the entrance; on a hill above it stand the Cabanas, a fort of prodigious dimensions, in which is stationed a large body of Spanish soldiers. Report makes the numbers of them in Cuba not less than fifteen thousand-a guard, be it observed, for the protection of the white inhabitants against their negroes in a state of slavery; but I have reason to believe that the number of troops is exaggerated. Before us lay the wide spreading old city, said to contain one hundred and twenty thousand inhabitants; a few green hills were seen in the distance; and when we had passed the Moro, the landlocked port full of shipping, including three British men-of war, and surmounted by some handsome public buildings, were suddenly opened to our view. It is a port of great resort and traffic, far exceeding, in this respect, any other in the dominions of Spain. With the exception of the Governor of Madrid, we continued on board for the night; and early the next morning received a notice, that we were all permitted to land without undergoing any of the usual formalities. The British Consul, Charles Tolme, came on board to pay his respects to some of our sister passengers. I found that he was an old friend of mine, whom I had not seen for some thirty years. He gave me a hearty welcome, and accompanied me on our landing, to the Government House, as I wished to pay my respects to the Prince of Anglona, the Captain. General of Cuba. Our friend Cabrera had already conveyed to him a letter of introduction which I had brought with me from the Governor of Jamaica; and I considered that an early call was due to him from a friend to the slaves, and a christian minister, whom he had so kindly permitted to land, at all hazards. The Prince, who is one of the old nobility of Spain, is a person of small stature, and by no means imposing in his appearance, but of good talents and liberal politics. He received us with great politeness, and even apologised to our consul for my having been refused a passport in Jamaica. He spoke French fluently, and talked to us for a few minutes in a friendly manner. No opportunity offered for conversation on important topics, and we soon retired. I was afterwards informed that it is the uniform practice of the slave traders, both in Porto Rico and Cuba, to fee the respective Governors, pretty largely, for every African |