58 



humboldt's cuba. 



"These small, dark, unventilated houses are fre- 

 quently over-crowded, especially at night; within 

 the small space of a few square feet, perhaps on the 

 bare ground, or may be on a mattress or mat, or in 

 some cases on a bed, with a whole family of eight or 

 nine persons of all ages, and of both sexes, huddled 

 together, with the door and so-called window closed; 

 all clad in the same clothes which they wore through 

 the day, with children sleeping on mattresses often 

 soaked and half rotted with urine and other secre- 

 tions; should there accidentally be a hole or crevice, 

 this is immediately closed up by means of rags or 

 something of the kind. The rush of odors on 

 opening such a place must be experienced to be 

 understood." — Page 102. 



"As regards water for domestic purposes, it is 

 very much to be feared that a large portion of our 

 poor population seldom think of that. Their persons 

 are never abluted save in crossing a river, or being 

 exposed to a heavy shower of rain."— Page 103. 



"Among the lower classes, great errors occur in 

 relation to food, both as to quantity, quality, and the 

 period of taking their meals. * * * At night, how- 

 ever, they take what they term their pot; this con- 

 sists of a sort of soup, composed of salt beef or pork, 

 (if rancid or high, it is preferred), with vegetables of 

 all kinds, highly seasoned, or of salt fish* or corned 



