1 82 SUNSHINE AND SPORT IN 



because there is a fat monopoly of lighterage that 

 even the Americans have been unable to combat. 

 Thus it is that Havana, one of the grandest 

 harbours in the West Indies, has no more berthing 

 accommodation than a Cornish tidal port. 



The brief but pregnant halt at the Machina 

 (Customs) enables an official of subordinate station 

 to detain alike my rifle and my alligators. The 

 living contraband was immediately released by his 

 superior officer, but the rifle was firmly but gently 

 detained. The comic-opera Government installed 

 in Cuba by the Americans is, as events have shown 

 since I was in the island, unable to run the risk of 

 imported rifles, and all such weapons are in con- 

 sequence strictly detained at the port of entry. 

 Only thanks to the help of Mr Griffith, H.B.M. 

 Vice-Consul at Havana, who gave me an intro- 

 duction to the head of the Customs, a charming 

 man, who spoke French, understood English, and 

 finally took my word that I was proceeding direct 

 to Jamaica, via Santiago was I able three days 

 later to effect its release. As I explained to the 

 official in question, the rifle ? only an inexpensive 

 sporting Winchester at best, had been in my 

 possession for ten years, so that its intrinsic value 

 was not worth a moment's thought ; only, having 

 never, in the whole course of our acquaintance, hit 

 anything with it, I particularly desired to retain it 

 on the chance of eventually putting it to its 

 legitimate use. He suggested grimly that there 

 were many uses for rifles in his country, and the 

 newspapers have since thrown new light on his 

 meaning. He also hinted that many people in 

 Havana would be happy to relieve me of it, and 



