124 
THE STANDARD GUIDE. 
After this, the Spaniards built all their houses of stone, and a fort at the mouth 
of the Harbor, yet nevertheless the City lay open on the land side; of which the 
English fleet, cruising about in those seas, being informed, landed not far from 
Havana and entered the City before day-break; the Spaniards this suddenly surprised, 
fled into the woods, while the English plundered and ransacked the City without any 
resistance. But this was not the last blow which Havana received, for during the 
wars between the Emperor Charles the Fifth and the French King, Henry the 
Second, a ship set sail with ninety soldiers from Diep to Cuba, where they made 
themselves masters of St. Jago, and carried great treasures away with them; thus 
enriched, they set in the night on Havana, but found their expectations frustrated, for 
all the houses were empty, the Spaniards, (being so often plundered) having re¬ 
moved all their goods to their country houses, which lay scattering about the 
Island. VVhile’st the French were searching the houses, two Spaniards came under 
pretence of agreeing with them, but their design was chiefly to take an account of 
their enemies force. The French demanded five thousand Ducats of them: to which 
the two Spaniards replied, that all their goods would not raise so much: whereupon 
consulting some judged it best to comply with a forced necessity, and if they could 
not get anything abated, to pay the demanded sum; but most of them were of 
another opinion, alleging, that the number of the French was not equivalent to their 
demands, and that it would not be for their credit, to yield up their estates so 
tamely, without trying their title by the sword; this being judged fittest, they 
marched to engage them with a hundred and fifty-nine, which about midnight fell on 
the French, and at the first onset slew four of them; but upon the firing of the gun 
they were all alarmed, and after a small skirmish, put the Spaniards to flight. The 
conquerors, enraged at this treacherous plot of the Spaniards, set fire on Havana, in 
which at that time was a good quantity of pitch and tar; with which the gates, win¬ 
dows, roofs and Pent-houses being all bedaubed over, were in a few hours all in a 
light flame; after which the churches in order for their firing, were also going to be 
overlaid with the same combustible matter; at which a Spaniard boldly desired, that 
the temples erected for Gods Service might be spared; To which he was answered, 
that people who keep not their promise, nor had any faith, had no need of churches 
to profess their faith in. The French, not satisfied with burning, pulled down the 
walls, and utterly demolished the fort. 
HI.—The Key of the New World. 
Baracoa was the first capital of Cuba, and Santiago the second. In 
1552 the capital was transferred to Havana. As the Spanish posses¬ 
sions in America developed in wealth, and the mines of Mexico and 
Peru yielded their precious ores, the citv assumed ever-increasing im- 
poitance as a strategic point commanding the Gulf, and as a rendez¬ 
vous where the galleons came together to proceed in company con¬ 
voyed by warships to Spain. Year after year saw the harbor filled 
with the plate fleets laden with gold and silver for the mother country. 
Extraordinary efforts were put forth, by the construction of fortifi¬ 
cations, to render the city’s defenses impregnable. La Fuerza, built 
at an early date, was repeatedly enlarged and strengthened; the 
Morro and the Punta fortifications were added; and when an es¬ 
cutcheon was given to the city, the device typified this character of the 
place is a Spanish stronghold. The Arms of the City, granted by 
