Naki<.\ti\}-: of 1>aii.\m.\ Km'j:i)itk)N. 67 



Belen," a cathedral founded in 1704. The museum is in a 

 large room openinjjf from the library, and contains collections 

 illustrating" the products of the West Indies. partictilar]\- the 

 island of Cuba. There is a limited nvunber of specimens of 

 birds, mammals and reptiles. One of the most conspicuotis 

 objects is a centre piece of two large sharks, one of which is a 

 '• hammer-head." There is also a large collection of labeled 

 mollusks. and a small collection of insects, most of which are 

 without labels and in a poor state of preservation. ha\'ing suf- 

 fered greatl}" from the ra\'ages of moths. The librar\- con- 

 nected with the museum is quite extensive, containing many 

 rare old works, among them Ramon de la Sagra's •• Histor\' 

 of Cuba." containing descriptions by specialists of the time, of 

 all the known animals of the island. 



The cathedral which has been supposed to contain the 

 bones of Columbus was erected by the Jesuits in 1724. It is 

 sombre and massive, built in the conventional stvle of all 

 Spanish cathedrals, with two towers at the front containing 

 numerous bells. Here we were accorded scant courtesy by a 

 rotund and surly Padre who seemed to be in charge of this 

 building. 



Opposite the municipal palace is a white marble chapel of 

 plain but classic design, built to commemorate the celebration 

 of the first mass held at Havana by Christopher Columbus. 



The most striking feature of the city to an American is the 

 omnipresence of soldiery. The militia are the policemen, and 

 besides there are thousands of regular troops quartered in the 

 cit3\ Men in uniform are everywhere conspicuous, in com- 

 panies, squads, and singly, and the impression conveyed is that 

 of a city in the grasp of a military despotism. Many of the 

 police wear sensible straw hats, and the almost universal uni- 

 form is made of a neatly fitting suit of blue cotton cloth, cool 

 and adapted to the climate. x\t the time of our visit there 

 were rumors of a rebellion, and it may be that a greater num- 

 ber of soldiers w^ere on duty than is usually the case. 



In the poorer quarters of the city the garbage is thrown into 

 the gutters, and the smells are horrible. Half, indeed almost 



