THE ISTHMUS OF PANAMA. 125 



party started out for an outside view of Havana and 

 its environs. 



It may be doubtful whether there are any who 

 have not heard enough of Havana ; of its gaily-co- 

 lored and splendid palaces, of its public and pri- 

 vate gardens, and the many beautiful drives or pasios, 

 and other peculiarities of this oldest of the Columbian 

 cities. 



Havana and its suburbs contains, at the present 

 time, about 180,000 inhabitants. It is built princi- 

 pally of brick, in the most substantial manner, the 

 walls being very thick, and heavily stuccoed, and, 

 lastly, colored in the most fanciful manner, usually 

 either red, blue, or yellow, and sometimes the va- 

 rious colors combined, although the whitewash is 

 the most common, many buildings being simply 

 trimmed with colors. I can conceive of no language, 

 other than the vernacular, capable of conveying 

 any just idea of the style of architecture. The 

 principal hotels and private residences are en- 

 tered by apasio, or court pass, which leads to a cen- 

 tre court ; the lower story is occupied for carriage- 

 room, stable, and servants' apartments ; and from 

 this centre court, or from the pasio, a broad flight 

 of steps leads to the apartments above, or rather to 

 a broad paved walk, open one side, looking into the 

 court, and from this, through wide doorways, into 

 the various rooms of the household, varying, of 

 course, with the different uses and extent of the 

 edifice. 



The shops usually have one broad entrance, with 



