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Show 154 CUBA. pleasant. One circumstance alone threw n gloom_ ovor the circle-the extreme illness of two of our passengers, m whom tl 1egcm· 1a c!t"mLa te of Santa Cruz ha.d fail.ed to. arre.st th e pro-gress of consumption. One of these mdtvtduals has sntce fin-ished her mortal career, in the faith, and hopes, of the Chnst-ian. Every morning after breakfast, we assembled on deck, for the audible reading of a portion of Scripture, on which occasions no one was a more willing or attentive auditor than our friend the Spaniard. He is a Roman Catholic, as to his habits and c01mections, but free from the superstitions of popery. Our Scripture reading was generally followed up by the Governor's school. Ignorant as we were, even of the right sounds of the letters, he kindly tmdertook to teach several of our party, Spanish; and certainly, if he manifests, in his political duties, the same orderly and perspicacious intellect, which he then applied to the instruction of his pupils, he must be a valuable agent, under any Government. He so far succeeded that they presented to him, before we separated, a short address in his own language, which may serve as a memornndum of our pleasant intercourse. Gentil maestro humano Claro, benigno, sana, Tu sabes que Ia vano, Solo es de arena un grana. Par tu noble entereza, PeligrO tu cnbeza, Mientras horrible guerra Agitaba Ia tierra ; Mas Dios te ha preservo.do Dal enemigo bado, Y I• gmn Reyn• bella, QuisO poner la estrella Que el solo honor ha hecho Sabre tu ilustre pccho. Oh, muy felice fueru, Par toner un CADUERA! CUD.-\. 155 The w~ather was delightful; and the contemplation of the ever varymg beauties of ocean scenery, occupied many an agreeable hour, as we gradually made progress on our voyage. One day a heron or crane, of speckled white and brown, found her rest on our nggmg ; at another time, a number of large birds of ::t bnght scarlet hue, were seen flying, in a row, at some distance from the vessel. They were probably specimens of the scarlet Ibts--or perhaps flamingos. Schools of porpoises were often 'Seen from on board the ship, and never seen without amusement. lhe smooth agility of the leap with which they rise for a momen; out of the water, and at the same time move rapidly onward on their JOurney, .'mpresses one with the idea of perfect bodily enjoyment. I was m hopes that we should sail within sight of the Isle of Pmes, near the southren coast of Cuba, which is said to be very beautiful-once the resort of pirates, and still probably, of ·slavers-but we passed it at a distance of thirty miles, and saw nothing of it. Soon afterwards we came in sight of the low ·cape Antonio, which would have proved to Columbus, had he pursued his voyage a few leagues further, that Cuba was no part of his imagined continent. After doubling the cape, we had about one hundred miles to make to windward, before we could reach our port. Ballling winds and calms detained us for two or three days ; our last pig and fowl had been eaten ; we were beginning, somewhat seriously to long for the land-when one delightful evening, a favorable breeze sprung up and brought us, under flying colors and full sail, past the Moro castle and lighthouse, into the port of Havana. It was the 9th of the Fourth-month (April.) 'I'he scene was very animating and beautiful. The Moro is built on a dark rock, on the left of the entrance ; on a hill above it, stand the Cabanas, a fort of prodigious di~ensions, in which is stationed a large body of Spanish soldiers. Report makes the numbers of them in Cuba, not less than fifteen thousand- a guard, be it observed, for the protection of the white inhabitants, against their negroes, in a state of slavery; but I have reason to believe that the number of troops is exaggerated. |