TnE FOETiriCATIOlfS. 
Iu7 
basin communicates ■vrit’n tliree creelcs, tliose of Eegla, 
Guanavacoa, and Atares; in tliis last there are some springs 
of fresh water. The town of the Ilavannah, surrounded by 
"’alls, forms a promontory bounded on tlie south by the 
arsenal, and on the nortli by tlie fort of La Piinta. After 
passing beyond some wrecks of vessels sunic in the shoals of 
La Luz, wo no longer find eiglit or ten, but five or sis fathoms 
of Water. The castles of Santo Domingo de Atares and San 
Carlos del Principe, defend the town on the westward ; they 
^re distant from the interior wall, on the land side, the one 
fifiO toiscs, the other 1210. The intermediate space is filled 
by the suburbs (arrabales or barrios extra inuros) of the Ilor- 
oon, Jesu-Maria, Guadaloupc, and Senor de la Salud, « hich 
from year to year encroach on the Field of INfars (Campo 
de Marte). The great edifices of the Ilavannah, the cathe- 
dral, the Casa del Govieruo, the house of the eoinmandanc of 
the marine, the Correo or General Post Office, and the 
F actory of Tobacco, arc less remarkable for beauty than for 
solidity of structure. The streets are for tire most part 
narrow and unpaved. Stones being brought from A^era 
Cruz, and very difficult of transport, the idea was conceived 
'r short time before my voyage, of joining great trunks of 
trees together, as is done in Germany and liussia, when 
dykes are constructed across marshy places. This project 
" as soon abandoned, and travellers newly arrived beheld with 
j'O’prise fine trunks of mahogany sunk in the mud of the 
'favannah. At the time of iny sojourn there, few towns of 
‘Spanish America presented, owing to the want of a good 
police, a more unpleasant aspect. People walked in mud up 
to the knee ; and the multitude of caleches or volantcs (the 
'^baracteristic equipage of the Ilavannah), of carts loaded 
"dth casks of sugar, and porters elbowing passengers, ren- 
dered walking most disagreeable. The smell of (asajo often 
poisons the houses and the winding streets. But it appears 
that of late the police has interposed, and that a manifest 
"oprovement has taken place in the cleanliness of the streets ; 
that the houses are more airy, and that the Calle de los 
"fercadores presents a fine appearance. Here, as in the 
*^tdeBt towns of Furojje an ill-traoed plan of streets can 
only bo amended by slow degrees. 
There are two fine public walks ; one called the Alameda. 
