Yankee travels through the island of Cuba; or, The men and government, the laws and customs of Cuba, as seen by American eyes

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Letter I

Arrival at Havana — Leave for landing — Precautionary measures of the Spanish government — Hotels — Medical advice for preventing and curing the yellow fever — Cuban idioms — Important observations relative to pronunciation, and other interesting facts — Necessity of concealing the names of persons concerned with the author Page 1

Letter II

Dresses — Carriages (volantes and quitrines) — Drivers (caleseros) — Their abusive conduct — A ridiculous journey — Best mode of paying the drivers — Advice to fashionable ladies as to the use of hackney coaches — Pedestrianism never exercised — Strong reasons for it — Useless attempts of the Captain-Generals' wives to avoid the perpetual employment of carriages 7

Letter III

A warm reception — Impossibility of publishing the Amphytryon's name — His family — A jealous mother — Curious anecdotes — Danger of being poisoned — Post mortem examinations — Vengeance of slaves — Frightful cases — Interest of masters in concealing the crimes of their negroes. — --- ---- »--. 12

Letter IV

Courting ladies at the windows — The young lady, (nifia) though she may be old — Specimens of amatory epistles — A witty answer — Sparking through the newspapers — Marriages — Object of the Spaniards in marrying — Dispensations from the Bishop or Pope to allow the marriage of near relations — Aristocracy — Easy mode of high ennoblement — Purchased titles — Fidelity of wive* — Virtue of the Cuban ladies — Antipathies bet wen Cubans and Spaniards.. -. — 16

Letter IX

Poverty of country people — Manner of dressing — Causes of poverty — The game of Monte, and cock-fighting — Idleness — Murder of Garro — Treachery and revenge — Death of Castafieda — Bad feeling against the Spanish government — Duels among guajiros — Quarrels — Highway robbers — No cruelty indicted — Interesting stories of highway-men — Padron, Arencibia 43

Letter X

Love of the guajiros — Their wives — Superstition — Lights — Anecdotes — Irreligion — Its causes — Opinions relative to index. iii

Spanish affairs not less enoneous than those of the Spaniards as to Cuban matters — Sugar makers — Their assistants — Their moral capacity and social condition. .. .50

Letter XI

Effects of Railroads — Common roads — Travelling- volardes and quitrines — Carts — Carmen (carreteros) — Their lives and hardships — Muleteers (arrieros) — Physical strength — Effects of

climate 55

Letter XII

Spanish Population — Drawbacks to Emigration — How Spanish Emigrants build their fortunes — Sketches of Count Lombillo and others — Revengeful act on Don Joaquin Gomez — Why Spaniards do not return to their country — Anecdote of a native of Lima — Innkeepers in the country — Advantages of Spaniards over natives — Lawyers — Physicians , 59

Letter XIII

Army — Chai'acter of the Spanish troops — Digressions on Spanish historians — Famous exploits of the children of Pelayo in Somosierra — Their bravery against an unarmed General — The Spanish navy — The heroic steamer Pizarro — How Spain treats its soldiers and mariners 67

Letter XIV

Chinamen — Their first and second introduction — Indians from Yucatan — Natives of the Canary Islands — Montes de Oca — Calisto Gonzalez — Olaneta 75

Letter XV

The recomendado's family — Just censure of the inaccuracies of travellers — Measures taken by the author to avoid mistakes — Good opportunities offered to him to make important rectifica-

IV INDEX.

tions — Sources of his information — Anti-annexionists, and concessionists — An anti-Spaniard — An adherent to the Cuban statu quo — A rabid filibuster and abolitionist — The aplatanado Spaniard — A programme of subsequent letters 80

Letter XVI

Spanish officers — Captain Generals — Their powers — Their abuses — Case of Larrazabal — Alderman Espelius — Arbitrary deportations — Ancient law of the Code of Indies — Bad consequences of their arbitrary acts — Captain Generals may adjudge concerning life or death — Details little known of the death of Crittenden and his companions — Concha's course in the affair of Pinto. 86

Letter XVII

Trials of Residencia, a humbug — Astonishing results of the accusations made against Tacon — General Ricafort — Sanchez Lima — Delgado — Spoliations of the ancient Viceroys — A double censure — Soler's escape — Don Jacobo de la Pezuela. 93

Letter XVIII

General Don Miguel Tacon and his administration — His partizans and adversaries — Satirical remark of a lady — Character of Tacon — His pernicious associates — An honorable exception — Anecdotes of the Commissioners Aldermen and several others — Banishments -- 97

Letter XIX

Ezpeleta — Anglona — Valdes — Judge Zaxco del Valle — Judicial intrigues — Judge Laguna 103

Letter XX

O'Donnell — Spoliations — His abusive conduct towards Don Ro sendo Fernandez — The poet Placido — Selling of bottles. 107

INDEX. V

Letter XXI

Roncali — His gloomy reception — His expeditious manner of deciding- law-suits — The compulsory agreements — An extraordinary invention to extort a dower — Roncali's mendacity — He falls from his horse — His policy — His fears as compared with Concha's — Canedo — The Marquis de la Pezuela 112

Letter XXII

General Commanders or Governors of the Departments — General Lorenzo's pronunciamiento — P. Valiente — Superintendent Pinillos, Count of Villanueva — His character — Large present made to him — His proteges — Colonel Romay — Pinillos' devotedness to Christina — Bishops — Espada — Fleix y Solans — Mendo — A new kind of piracy - 121

Letter XXIII

Judicial system — Legislative authority — Powerful motives the Judges have for arbitrary judicial despotism — A monstrous mixture of powers — A multiform jurisprudence — Enormous privileges of the Exchequer 128

Letter XXIV

Departure from Havana — The sentinel — C offee-house of Marte y Belona, where Castafieda was shot — The negroes at work — Calabazar ' — Tavern of No Pedro — A curious breakfast — The Captain de partido — A bad road 134

Letter XXV

Don Antonio's estate — The Creole woman Na Isabel — Blessings — The nightingale — Division of labor — The orange fields — Fishing — Don Calixto's plantation — The Patriarch — Excursion to his plantation — Another tavern — Quarrell — The Patriarch's estate — School for negro-boys — Negrophilism — Refaccionistaa - - • • 141

1 INDEX.

Letter XXVI

A wedding among- slaves — Huts — Drum-ball — Captains of the distinct — Vexations on poor farmers — Insolent abuses of soldiers — Despotism and Liberty 149

Letter XXVII

Improvement in the speaking of Spanish — The water-carrier negro — Resignation of slaves — The blind negro and his chickens — The fututo — Assault by the residents of the palenque — Feat accomplished by the dogs — Cruelty of the Captain — An American Engineer 154

Letter XXVIII

Excursion to the Vuelta de Abajo — Keepers of the large breeding farms (halero/t) — Their assistants for the grazing of the cattle on the plains (Sabaneros and Peones) — Customs — Tobacco fields — Tricks of the tobacco planters — The farmer of Las Pozas — Anecdotes about Enna's troops — Interview with Narciso Lopez — Cordillera de los Organos — San Diego Springs — The duck-race 159

LETTER XIX.

Return to Don Antonio's estate — Trip in a cart drawn by oxen — Cold bath in November — Ball with the tiple (small guitar) — Love in country people — A good law among many bad ones — Don Mateo Pedroso and Dona Mariana Barreto — Exaggerated wealth 168

Letter XXX

Excursion through the fields in the vicinity of Don Antonio's plantation — Cock-pit — The ball zapateo — Its probable origin — Breaking of a ball — Mercenary murders — Forswearing not punished 175 index. vii

Letter XXXI

Originality of the present Letters — Barreto, the wicked — His soul and body snatched by the devil — Hurricane called after him— Alms in Cuba — Some of Barreto's iniquities — Feudalism in the Island 181

Letter XXXII

Ladies shopping — Marked prices — Measuring the nails — Attack on the New-York ladies by those of Havana — Fashion of ladies combs — The groomsmen and bridesmaids (padrinos) — A present of forty thousand dollars — Speculation in making presents— The physician Romero - 189

Moral education — Causes of its corruption — The Count's young mulatto — « A Marquis — The father glutted and his family starving — Wicked influence of the government — Two great wants — Jesuits - 207

Letter XXXVI

The girls tired of being in the country — Don Tomas, the eccentric — A degraded personage — The accomplished Royalist — High price of sugar the sole want of this personage — True Nobility — Don Jose Entralgo — His honesty 212

V1U INDEX.

Letter XXXVII

Return to the Capital — A bad custom of New-York — The Catholic Churches of the Empire city — The Churches of Havana — Novenas — Calambucos — Papists — Procession of the Viaticum — ■ Misdemeanors at Church — Bad Preachers 218

Letter Xxxviii

Promenades in Havana — Interference of the government — Soldiers beating negroes — Expense of keeping a carriage — Fashionable visits — Smoking — Soirees — Balls — Asaltos — A chicken — A new Countess 225

Letter XXXIX

What is Aristocracy in Havana ? — Immorality not punished — Democratic movements — Exciting stories — Pater est quom nuptice demonstrant — Easy manner of ascertaining the truthfulness of these stories 231

LETTER XL. Cuban hospitality — Bad behavior of a Yankee — Sycophants — Modern

Pythagoras — Mariano Lassaleta — Eleven years of full board

for nothing — Fashionable dinner parties — Enna's knowledge

of Geography — O'DonneH's poverty — Breakfasts and din-

» ners 236

Letter XLI

Weddings — Dispensations — Prohibited marriages — Necessary licences — Curious Spanish laws on marriages — Recent device to abolish slavery and increase the white population of the Island — Rights of Parents — Two barbarous laws — Spanish anthropophagi 241

Letter XLII

Funerals — Detailed account of the ceremonies — Singularity of several customs — The velorio and feast — Brilliant funeral of

INDEX. iX

the Countess of La Reunion — Abuses and flatteries of obituary notices — A new Society having in view the publication of true and impartial biographies — Funerals of Marin, Bermudez and Enna 250

Canons (Canonigos.) — Friars — Their Property seized by the Spanish government — Nuns — Fanaticism — Anecdotes — Nuns, who became such by Repentance — Others who did it from a natural inclination....... ................................ ....278

Letter XLVI

Public Instruction — Primary Schools — The Female Teacher of the Crumb (Miga.) — Ituarte's and Navarro's Institutes — A learned Habanero — Want of Inducements for Learning — Spanish System of Stenography — Seminary of St. Charles — Royal University — Schools for Colored People — Great Puffing of Teachers — Anecdotes ....285

LETTER XL VII.

"Economical Society" — Its Seal — Object — Evil and good produced by the Institution — Apparent increase of the White Population — The Secretary — The four per cent. Tax — AnecdoU — -Dissem-

Index

bled Demonstrations — Charitable Institutions — Abuses— Don Mariano Arango — Jail — Dungeons, (Bartolinas).... ....297

LETTER XL VIII.

Cuban Literature — Regulations of the Press — Their Defects — Censorship — Abuses committed by the Censors — Cuban Apathy — Bimonthly Review — Other Publications — Poets — Cuban Academy of Literature — Obstacles — Written Legal Reports — Anecdotes 306

LETTER XLIX.

Hatred of Spaniards towards Americans — Their mutual contempt of each other — Young Inchaustegui — Court for the Examination of Accounts— Don Ramon Gonzalez — Abuses by the Managers of the Government Revenues — Lottei-y Tickets — Creole Mulattoes — Spaniards of African descent — Laws which are enforced without having been ever published...- ... ......315

LETTER L .

Commencement of the Cuban Scenes — The ceremony of watching and carrying the Seal — The laws violated at the moment of their birth — Incredible blunders — A crazy magistrate — The Judge Avis Phamix 322

LETTER LI.

A scene in the Halls of Injustice — Polite manner of the Judges — Wonderful syntax — The lawyer vexed — Motives for the deed — The one-eyed Oidor 331

LETTER LII.

Milk-Punch battle — Preliminaries of the war — Marti's conflict with Escauriza — Scene in the Palace — Appearance of the invading army — Frightful attack — Exploits of O'Donnell and his troops — An African heroine 335

INDEX. XI

LETTER LIII.

The Departures — Don Joaquin Gomez again — Rumors as to the behavior of Tacon — His fears — His hasty departure or rather his flight — Probable effects of a shot — Conspiracy of the Catalonians — Plots of the Creoles — Their extreme thankfulness — Last act of Roncali — First enormity of Concha. 341

LETTER LIV.

First expedition of Narciso Lopez — Rumors — Surprise — Falgueras' Telescope — Disquisition — Casaseca — Ceruti vanquished by a match — Exploits of the renowned Carrasco — His Mausoleum in a filthy place — Reembarcation of Lopez — The Cholera 349

LETTER LV.

Second landing of Lopez — A prediction — Lopez before O'Donnell — Appearance of the Pampero — Smuggling merchants — Attack of Las Pozas — Panic of Catalonians on seeing Enna's corpse — Rejoicing of the Creoles — Treachery — Breakfast of Anthropophagi — Rumors — Newspapers 357

LETT E R L VI .

Beginning of the Political Questions — Principles professed by an honest Spaniard — Hatred between Creoles and Peninsulars — Extraordinary assertion — Historical facts of the Cuban revolution — Revolutionary Committee of Havana — New- York Junta - --- ^66

LETTER LVII.

Efforts of some Cuban Patriots — Their motives — Strange reasonings — American Sympathies — General unconcern among tho Creoles — Its causes — Misfortune — Patriotism of the Cuban ladies — Death of Patriots 375

Ell INDEX.

LETTER LVIII.

Advocates of the Cuban statu quo — Condition of the Spanish American Republics — Disadvantages of the Cuban people for self-government — Details of what Creoles require for a liberating expedition — Their hopes in the Spanish Cabinet — Parties in Cuba — Annexationists — Partizans of Independence.- ---.382

LETTER LTX.

Abolition party in Cuba — Expediency of abolishing slavery — Slavery in the United States — Arguments against it refuted — Imaginary freedom of Sparta — Wrong principles of the Cuban revolutionists — Discord among the Creoles --.389

LETTER LX.

Advocates of a new political regime under the Spanish rule — Advantages which Spain would derive from this system — Principles on which the new regime might be founded — True freedom of the Press — Golden dream ----.394

LETTER LXI.

Don Placido's System — Passion does not allow Spain to see the justice of the claims of Cuba — Revolution is unavoidable — • The political problem — Weakness of the Spanish government — Chances in favor of the triumph of the Republicans 402

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

(From Demoticus Philalethes to Charles * # *).

Havana,

My dear Charles :

It has been a source of no small gratification to me that you consider the publication of my Letters as likely to prove useful to our country ; and I therefore grant with pleasure my consent to the proposal you have kindly made. Although the faults of style, which you cannot fail to have noticed in them, may wound my amourpropre as a writer; still I am satisfied to have them published just as they are, for my highest ambition will be gratified if some good may thereby be accomplished.

It is, however, necessary to say a few words by way of apology for these inaccuracies. I first wrote the Let' ters in Spanish, and my friend Joseito, then translated them into English. In this manner we respectively improved our knowledge of each other's language ; yet though we mutually corrected our exercises, some grammatical errors unavoidably escaped our notice, and that want of fluency, so natural topersons who do not write in the language in which they have been accustomed to think, is perceptible in all my Letters.

The fear of incurring the charge of plagiarism has considerably reduced the boundaries of the field which

II INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

I have surveyed. The course of independent investigation which I have pursued, has multiplied the difficulties of my task ; but I have thereby been enabled to impart entirely new data and reliable information, instead of merely copying from books already known. My work will be therefore a supplement, as you have properly remarked, to those heretofore written on the same subject; and that such a supplement is necessary, can be very easily demonstrated.

Cuba, the largest, wealthiest and most advantageously situated of the Antilles; Cuba, which for her fruitful soil, delightful climate and valuable products, has been justly called "The Pearl of the Seas;" the beautiful Cuba, distant only a £ew miles from our shores, is very imperfectly known by our people. And yet no foreign country, old England excepted, deserves more o£ our attention ; not only because it is inevitably bound to become one of the States of our Confederacy, and therefore an intimate knowledge of its value and probable growth is of the greatest importance, but also because the ties that unite the two countries are already so close that we must necessarily feel in some degree the effects of all the vicissitudes of our neighbor, both political and social.

Unfortunately those who have the best opportunity to become fully acquainted with this country, and who are qualified to impart to us the most reliable information, viz. : the native Cubans themselves, cannot do this in a proper manner, because the press is not free; and the works published here on the subject cannot but betray the influence exerted on their authors, by a jealous and narrow minded governmental policy. One work of this kind partly published, some years ago, by Don Ramon de la Sagra, and not yet finished, with the title of " Natural, Physical and Political History of the Island of

INTRODUCTORY LETTER. Ill

Cuba," contains but little recent information respecting her ; and little reliance can be placed upon it, in view of the fact that it was dedicated to Queen Christina, and published under the patronage of the Spanish Government. The political portion of this book is nothing but a confused accumulation of ill-arranged abstracts, selected with bad taste, and without any literary merit. Its author is the Professor of whom I spoke in my XLVI Letter who without any knowledge of Botany, came to Havana to teach it.

The works heretofore published on Cuba, in our country, generally deserve our praise. " Neque enim aut aliena vituperare, aut nostra jactantius prsedieare, animus est," but having a due regard to truth, we must acknowledge that the information respecting the Island they convey, is scanty and meagre, even when they do not inculcate falsehoods and errors. This must needs have been the case^ and I will adduce the grounds on which my opinions rest.

In the first place, a government like this, which does not aim to promote the general good, but to benefit itself and increase its own power, does not allow the mode of its administration to be freely examined, nor the true causes of the prosperity or decay of the country to be openly discussed, together with those abuses, which especially contribute to the wealth of its creatures.

It has a lively interest in covering every thing with a veil of mystery, in order to prevent any light from shining on its procedures, and laying open the enormities it daily commits ; and instead of facilitating the inquiries of a traveller, they endeavor by all means, especially if he is foreigner, to throw obstacles on his way, and if his purpose is ascertained to be the study of the country, in order to write upon it, no efforts are spared to thwart his design.

IV

INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

Besides, none of the writers who have presented us with works on Cuba, have so far as 1 know, visited this Island for the especial purpose of describing it after due study and observation ; this has been in all cases, a secondary object. Their main design in coming has been the transaction of private business, commonly some mercantile speculation ; whereas in order to succeed in any good degree in the difficult undertaking of making Cuba and its affairs known to the world, it is necessary that this should be not only the chief, but the only object of one's visit. It seems to me that even a hasty perusal of my Letters will at once show how much labor and trouble must be spent in discovering, understanding and explaining habits and customs which nobody had heretofore noticed, and enigmas that former travellers had not even observed. It will also be easily seen, how difficult, if not impossible it would be, even for those who possess all necessary qualifications to learn and -explain them, if all their endeavors are not directed to this end, and every available means of investigation employed.

The "Essay on Cuba" by Baron Humboldt may be quoted as an exception, but the fact that nearly half a century has passed since Its illustrious author visited the Island, warrants us in thinking that a wide difference must exist between its present condition and that described by the Baron; for such is the case with all countries, and especially with young ones. Those who may read that work and compare it to my Letters, will at'once perceive the difference of views of their respective authors. The writer of the former has considered the Island in its relations with other countries, but without any regard to its political condition, a task to which the great Prussian savant could not come without prejudice: the author of the latter, on the contrary, it will be seen, has thoroughly

INTRODUCTORY LETTER. V

examined Cuba in all its lights, and set forth its form of government, in its true character, without that high coloring which private and interested views are apt to occasion. He has also taken pains to unfold, even the most minute particulars of the social fabric, which in spite of their apparent insignificance, are often the causes of the most important events.

It is usually the case that travellers arriving in a foreign land confine themselves in their social intercourse to the circle of their own countrymen. These, however, are unable to impart any information, except what may be gained by very superficial and imperfect observations, as their investigations cannot have been so deep or thorough as those of the natives. And even among well-informed citizens, multitudes are unprepared to describe their own institutions for want of analytical habits, or from not noticing many existing abuses, on account of their very prevalence.

Wishing to avoid these liabilities, I applied to natives who besides an intimate knowledge of affairs in general, possessed a sound judgment and an investigating disposition. It has been indeed a very happy incident to have found them, and I do not claim any praise for it, though I may be entitled to some credit if I have succeeded in deriving all possible benefit from their information and discussions. The impartial public, who shall read my Letters, will be able to ascertain to what extent I have profited by the facilities afforded me.

Another great obstacle in the way of strangers desiring to become acquainted with the real character and condition of Cuba, is the language spoken in it. A German, a Russian, etc., who can speak English or French, will travel through Great Britain or France without any difficulty from the language; but those who have made them-

VI INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

selves masters of the Castilian tongue, though they will be understood by the greater part of the Creoles, will nevertheless find it difficult to understand the dialect of the populace, especially with the accuracy and ease necessary to become well acquainted with their feelings and habits. My readers will also notice that very few travellers, indeed, would have related many highiy interesting facts and occurrences which are scattered through my Letters. But besides these there are other obstacles still to overcome. It would not be sufficient to understand the Creole language if, by long practice and continued observations, the traveller had not learned how to bring down to the proper level the grand hyperboles so prevalent among the people. It is necessary either to spend many years of continual observation in Cuba, or to receive the careful explanations of some intelligent native before we can arrive at the true meaning of numberless phrases in common use by the people.

There is also prevalent among the Islanders, an almost incredible facility in using the phrase •■ me consta" and thus vouching for reported occurrences which they have neither witnessed, nor learned from reliable sources. If the narrators believe them, they do not hesitate to guarantee their accuracy, and become responsible for them, with a boldness truly astounding. My own experience taught me to scrutinize with great care all the statements made to me ; and hence I can affirm with confidence that no person will dare to contradict any assertion which I classify as true in my Letters.

The diversity of political opinions prevailing in Cuba, on account of the late revolutionary movements, and springing from the opposite views of the several parties is another powerful obstacle to a foreigner in acquiring accurate information. For the very reason that the press

INTRODUCTORY LETTER. VII

is not free, and that no one is allowed to gainsay what is published in the newspapers, nobody places any reliance on what appears in them, even when emanating from the government itself ; hence several different versions of correct news may seem equally weJl founded, and are promulgated even by those who are not inclined in the least to alter the truth. Moreover, the people being accustomed to see the government making the most incredible blunders, do not consider the most astounding nonsense, with which it may be charged, as improbable.

Great carefulness and continued circumspection are therefore necessary to avoid accusing the Spanish officers unjustly, or on the other hand failing to give them all the credit they really deserve. On this point the reader may be sure that the greatest impartiality will be found in my Letters, as may very easily be tested by inquiring of any competent and well informed person as to the accuracy of the facts narrated.

No anecdote of the many related in the course of my writings, has been obtained from any doubtful source, but the truth of each has been fully proved, and many persons have wondered how certain details could have come to light, which were only obtained by continued and difficult researches.

That part of my work which treats on judicial matters and the secrets of the management of the tribunals, will especially attract the attention of my readers. It will easily be seen that there is no misrepresentation here, when I assert that I owe this information to an old lawyer, intimately acquainted with all the mysteries of that complicated and defective piece of social machinery. It is, indeed, necessary not only to be a learned jurist, but to be endowed with an uncommon spirit of investigation, and with an extraordinary sagacity, in order to discover

VIII INTRODUCTORY LETTER.

the true origin of the abuses, and the corrupt sources of the blunders committed in this important branch of the administration. I believe that I have clearly demonstrated several facts, which may heretofore have seemed doubtful ; and one of the most important is that nothing good can be expected from rulers while they do not feel an interest in the welfare of the people over whom they rule. The increasing prosperity of the Island, is therefore effected in spite of the government, and by means of its advantageous location, and the prosperity of the neighboring countries ; an assertion with which the opinions of the most learned political economists agree.

One of the philosophers of olden times said that "truth is bitter;" and on this account, both the Spaniards of Cuba, who are strongly opposed to the independence of the country, and the Creoles, who have manifested themselves anxious to obtain it, will raise an out-cry against my Letters, and will argue that the defects which I impute to them do not exist, or are sketched in too dark colors. They will represent me as desirous of favoring one or another of the political parties ; and others will perhaps think that I have published facts, the knowledge of which can be of no use, for the sole purpose of criticizing and censuring, or to make my Letters interesting, and afford amusement to my readers.

Far from fearing this censure, however, I desire it, for the very arguments which my opposers may use will serve to demonstrate the accuracy of my assertions and the impartiality of my opinions ; and numerous witnesses will thus present themselves to produce unwittingly an effect precisely opposite to that which they intended.

Some may question the expediency of publishing the whole truth ; but I believe that this ought to be done whenever mankind will be benefitted thereby. I am well

INTRODUTORY LETTER. IX

aware that as there are flatterers of princes, so flatterers of nations are often found ; I am also well satisfied that in order to prosper it is almost necessary to be a flatterer, but in spite of these facts I do not wish to be such : I am anxious to do whatever good my efforts may accomplish, and no good can be accomplished through bad means. To enable a physician to cure a disease it is necessary to lay before him the whole malady. The Spanish as well as the Cuban race, like all others, have faults which they should endeavor to amend; both will, perhaps, look upon me as an enemy, but no stronger proofs of my friendship towards them can be given, than the labor I have spent and risk I have incurred of displeasing them.