A Sojourn in Cuba 



I found to be well watered, well cared for, well 

 planted, and full of exceedingly showy and in- 

 teresting plants, rare even amid the exhaustless 

 luxuriance of Cuba. These squares also con- 

 tained fine marble statuary and were furnished 

 with seats in the shadiest places. Many of the 

 walks were paved instead of graveled. 



The streets of Havana are crooked, laby- 

 rinthic, and exceedingly narrow. The sidewalks 

 are only about a foot wide. A traveler experi- 

 ences delightful relief when, heated and wearied 

 by raids through the breadth of the dingy yellow 

 town, dodging a way through crowds of men 

 and mules and lumbering carts and carriages, 

 he at length finds shelter in the spacious, dust- 

 less, cool, flowery squares; still more when, 

 emerging from all the din and darkness of these 

 lanelike streets, he suddenly finds himself out 

 in the middle of the harbor, inhaling full- 

 drawn breaths of the sea breezes. 



The interior of the better houses which came 

 under my observation struck me with the pro- 

 fusion of dumpy, ill-proportioned pillars at the 

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