USA > Texas > Harris County > Houston > Texas and the Gulf of Mexico ; or, Yachting in the New World, volume 2 > Part 11
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A few days after our arrival, our kind friends Mr. and Mrs. Crawford and their
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party, besides Captain Barnett of the Thunder, and a Spaniard or two, dined on board the yacht. Our table was spread (as usual with us in hot weather) on deck, under the shade of the awning. The Illus- trious, seventy-two, bearing the flag of the Admiral of the station, Sir Charles Adam, was hourly expected ; indeed, to my great satisfaction, as I had had very little expe- rience in naval matters, and looked forward quite as a treat to seeing a vessel of so large a size manœuvring her way through the narrow channel. The approach of the ex- pected ship was telegraphed during dinner, and shortly afterwards we saw her tall masts rounding the Moro Castle. The entrance to the harbour is not more than about three hundred yards, and there being hardly any wind, the entrance of such a ship, her tack- ing, &c. did not seem by any means an easy
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affair. Every thing else was forgotten in the interest of the sight, and in the antici- pated pleasure of seeing more English faces in a foreign land. In spite of difficulties, the flag-ship came in beautifully, and came to an anchor close to the yacht. After dinner we went on shore to drive, and to shop. I went in quest of sweetmeats, which are excellent here, but expensive as all ar- ticles of food are. To us, so lately accus- tomed to the cheapness of living in Texas, the high prices of necessaries seemed still more remarkable. The price of a very small fowl was half a dollar, and beef was ten pence a pound; the mutton was better flavoured than the beef, which was dry and tasteless ; the vegetables were ex- cellent, and in great variety. We had young potatoes, french beans, peas, as- paragus, cauliflower, in short every summer
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vegetable which Europe produces, besides others peculiar to the country. The oranges and pines were delicious and the water melons were not to be despised. The Zapote Mamme I did not think a bad fruit, but the natives eat some kinds which are really detestable. The guava, which makes so good a preserve, is I think quite unpleasant in a raw state, both as to taste and smell ; and I am far from approv- ing the mango, though it looks so tempt- ing ; there is also a purple fruit, the name of which I forgot, but it is anything but deli- cious, and another equally bad, of an ugly brown colour, resembling in appearance a potatoe half baked with its skin on. In my opinion, none of the fruits here are to be com- pared to those we eat in England, as I con- fess I prefer an apricot greatly to a banana, and a good pear to a custard apple ; indeed,
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many of the fruits, which are considered good in Havana, would be given only to the pigs in our country. Wearing apparel costs more here than it does in any place I ever was in ; the price of long white kid gloves are two dollars, more than eight shillings a pair. It will be seen that the expences of living in this city are not small, and I must wind up my items with mentioning the rent of houses - one of even tolerable size, cannot be hired at less than from four to five hun- dred pounds a year. The washing of clothes costs three dollars a dozen.
The following day we paid a visit to the Admiral, on board the Illustrious. I was conducted over the ship, and, it being my first time of undergoing the like ceremony, I was much surprised at all I saw. I thought the heat, when I arrived at the midshipmen's quarters something fearful, but I suppose
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they soon become accustomed to it. We dined on board the flag-ship, and afterwards accompanied the Admiral on shore to a soirée at the Captain-General's. From the morning of the Thursday before Good Fri- day, till the evening of the Saturday follow- ing, the most perfect stillness reigned in the streets ; not a carriage was allowed to pass through any part of the town, and we were consequently obliged to go on foot to the vice-regal residence. The distance from the landing is not considerable, but in this climate all exertion is disagreeable, and I felt inclined to quarrel with any thing that forced me to take exercise, let it be in what shape it would. The military band was playing in the square, and mournful, and tiresome airs, seemed the order of the day. The square was crowded with people, but principally by
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negroes, to whom it appeared to be a sort of fête day. They were all dressed in white, and the contrast it afforded to their black hands and faces was very striking. The Spanish ladies, however, are dressed in the gayest colours, as if they wished to make themselves amends for the deep mourning, in which it was de rigueur to clothe them- selves on the morrow. As we left the pa- lace, the city watchmen, who are reckoned particularly good and efficient, told the hour from time to time, but with the exception of their warning voices, not a sound was heard to break the stillness of the night.
During all this time, I spent my mornings on deck under the awning; my sofa being spread where I could obtain the most of the refreshing breezes, of which, however, you feel but little in the harbour. I occa- sionally, in the course of the day, received
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visits from my neighbours, and thus, in a most indolent, enervating mode of life, the scorching hours passed by.
Good Friday arrived ; the guns were fired, with a dull heavy sound, and muffled drums with all sorts and signs of gloom and lamen- tation, were in full display. Every one was in black, and the churches were thronged by penitential visitants.
About mid-day Sir Charles Adam gave us much pleasure by paying the Dolphin a visit, and I greatly regretted, that owing to its being Good Friday, we were prevented from receiving him with a salute and all due honours.
In the evening we witnessed a grand re- ligious procession from the balcony of the Captain-General's residence. As we arrived early, before the entrance of most of the lady guests, I had a good opportunity of judg-
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ing of the manner and appearance of each, as she entered the apartment. They wore black crape dresses, with fans and gloves of the same sombre hue, indeed there was not a speck of white to relieve the dismal mourning appearance they uniformly pre- sented. As usual in this part of the world, the greeting between female acquaintances was a kiss on each side of the face ; and after going through this preliminary ceremony all the ladies sit down in a large half circle, and without saying a word, begin flicking about their fans with great perseverance. I thought I never saw any thing so dull as the party was at this stage of its perform- ances, and I was beginning to feel almost ashamed of my own desire for greater liveli- ness, when discovering by accident that my neighbour could talk a little French, I began a conversation with her. By the VOL II. P
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help of incessant questions on her part, and patient answers on mine, we kept up a considerable amount of talk, and thus whiled away the time till the procession begun.
No sooner was the first distant sound of military music heard, than the company ge- nerally displayed something approaching to animation, every one rushing to the balcony, and placing themselves on their knees ; though I must say, with not a very devo- tional air. After the soldiers, with their bands of music, came rows of children bear- ing torches and incense : then there were negroes marching two and two together, and priests in various costumes according to their rank and the religious order to which they belonged. Last of all, there appeared a large canopy, carried by six or eight persons, under which was to be seen
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the figure of the Virgin covered with tinsel, besides other figures, the representation of which appeared to me to be rank blas- phemy : the whole ceremony, indeed, was poor and absurd, and was calculated to raise any feeling in the mind rather than that of devotion. Directly the pro- cession had passed, the ladies with one accord rose from their knees, and com- menced discussing the merits of the per- formance ; this however occupied but a short space of time, and the amuse- ments of the evening soon began in good earnest. These consisted of making little parties to promenade to the churches, whence, after a few genuflexions and a prayer or two suited to the occasion, they returned with renewed spirit to their fans and flirtations, their ices, and their scandal. The ladies at Havana are not permitted
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to enter the churches with their heads co- vered : the silk mantilla is the only pre- tence of covering, which shades the head and shoulders of these fair devotees. Bigo- try and intolerance reign here with tyranni- cal sway, the effect of which is to render a large portion of the people averse to the subject of religion altogether. A great enmity is felt, and expressed towards the Protestant faith, and the exercise of its outward ordinances is strictly prohibited by the government.
Many strict rules, in regard to the regula- tion of moral conduct, are laid down by society here, and a great outcry is raised if any unfortunate individual is so rash or so misguided as to break through them. As an instance of this - no lady is permitted by the rules of decorum to drive in her vo- lante on the Passeo, without being protected
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either by a female companion, or by her own husband, and even her brother is not considered a proper chaperon. I suspect that there is more of outward show, than of real decorum, in all this vigorous straining after gnatlike trivialities, and I have often heard it remarked that neither the educa tion of the young Spanish women, nor their habitual conversation, were in keeping with this overstrained prudery. Mothers and elder sisters are, it is said, in the habit of paying far too little attention to the moral education of the more juvenile, and female branches of their families; and it not un- frequently happens, that topics of scandal are discussed, and reputations canvassed be- fore them, the details of which are sufficient to blunt their moral perceptions. When it is remembered that in this country become wives, and the mothers of families
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at an age when in England they would be still in the school-room, the evil of this fatal system of education will be seen in all its magnitude.
Saturday. We took a drive on the rail- road through shrubberies of coffee bushes. The rate at which we travelled, was not greater than ten miles an hour, and I could not help rejoicing that we went no faster, as otherwise we should have seen much less of the country, which is extremely pic- turesque.
There is a height above the town, which it is well worth taking the trouble to ascend. The hill, which is very steep, is crowned by a fort, and the view from it, looking down on the city, and the surrounding country, is panoramic, and very striking. The race- course is within a couple of miles of the town; in the course of our late drive we
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paid a visit to this spot, dedicated to the gambling propensities of the " gentlemen sportsmen " of Havana. It is a good and convenient course, and we saw several fine looking American horses in training. The Bishop's garden, which we next visited, is well worth seeing. It is crowded with oleanders, roses, verbenas, convolvuluses, and every sort of beautiful flowers, growing in wild and tangled disorder, and all in full and luxuriant blossom ; the fire-flies at night were brilliant. The road to this paradise of flowers is thickly planted on both sides with guava and sour-sop trees, besides cocoa- nut trees, and palms, many of them loaded with green fruit. In addition to the trees I have mentioned, there are ebony, cedar, mahogany, and lignum vitæ; Indian corn too is much cultivated, and adds not a little to the beauty of the country.
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I noticed a great number of very beautiful goats feeding about, many of which were te- thered under the trees, and regularly milked. Goats' milk is in great request here. Talk- ing of goats, our poor New Orleans " Nanny" had caused us during the last few days a great deal of uneasiness. She had been in great and evident suffering, and we supposed that her illness was owing to her having pick- ed up and eaten some large pieces of cotton, with which the sailors were cleaning the guns. Her groans were really melancholy to hear. In the evening we dined with the British Consul, and met the Admiral, and a large party of naval officers. I ought not to omit to mention that the individual of the party who made the greatest impression on me, was one of the prettiest English girls I ever saw ; her roses had not yet paled under the influence of a tropical sun, and she was
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a pleasing contrast to the sallow beauties of the island. We remained late on shore, and on our return on board, not being able to endure the heart rending groans of poor Nanny ; we condemned her to a watery grave. She had a piece of ballast attached to her feet, and was com- mitted to the deep by torch-light, much to our regret.
The following day being Sunday, we had hoped to have heard divine service performed on board the flag-ship and most of the English, and Protestant in- habitants of Havana had assembled on board with the same expectation; the Chaplain, however, was too unwell to officiate. Most of the party remained on board till the evening, when we again paid the Passeo a moonlight visit. This was the grand night for theatrical perform-
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ances at Havana, and we went with a large party to the pretty theatre of Tacon. The house was crowded, and the performance, which, however, I thought tedious enough, was much applauded. There was a great deal of pantomimic acting, and the sce- nery, was remarkably good. The two boxes which had been secured for us would scarcely hold our party, and we should have been rejoiced, and so I doubt not would many others of his ac- quaintance, to have taken possession of the Captain-General's empty box. It is not etiquette for ladies to be seen in it, which seemed to me very strange, nor do I understand the motives for keeping this poor man so apart from the common enjoy- ments of life.
Monday. I and the Doctor were rowed about the harbour in the gig, while waiting
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for Mr. Houstoun, who had appointed us to meet him at the landing place. As we came near the steps, our boat's crew were very nearly provoked into a fight by some sailors, in a boat belonging to a Spanish man-of-war. Their object was to cut in, and land before us, which our yacht sailors, whose boat had touched the stairs first, would not of course allow. Oars were raised, and violent menaces exchanged, while the officer on board the Spanish boat, as wretched a looking man as themselves, seemed to have neither the power nor the inclination to make them behave properly. I must say, I found it very painful to my esprit de corps, not to allow the English sailors to obtain their right, but a contention would not have been agreeable, and might have caused trouble with the authorities, so the men were reluctantly ordered to fall
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back ; an order, which they obeyed, sulkily enough. There exists here a great jealousy of the English, among naval men, and as I have before remarked, none of our officers are allowed on board Spanish ships, which are certainly too ill-equipped, dirty, and ill- conditioned to bear inspection. On the evening of this day we had a delightful dance on board the flag-ship. There was a great deal of beauty present, particularly among the English. The Misses M -- , who are half Spanish, unite in their own persons the charms of both countries, the dark brilliant eyes, betraying their Spanish descent, while the soft, clear complexion reminds us of our countrywomen.
It seems a strange thing to assert, that cigars are as difficult to procure, really good, in Havana, as in any part of the world. The state of the case is this, -it is
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impossible to have good cigars unless you order them, and that also at a considerable period of time before they are required for use. It is well known how much time im- proves their flavour, and no smoker here uses them as fresh as they do in Europe. It is notorious, also, that the slaves steal the best tobacco, and make it into cigars, un- known to their employers; the cigars, thus manufactured, are excellent, but high priced and extremely difficult to procure.
On the Wednesday previous to our de- parture we accepted an invitation to the house of the " belles of Havana," whom I have before mentioned ; it was a pleasant " tertullia ;" the windows opening into a de- lightful garden full of jessamine and the perfumed dhatura. Dancing was going on for those who liked it, while others, who in this fervid climate, preferred a state of qui-
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escence, were at liberty to enjoy sweet sounds and perhaps sweeter thoughts, in indolent repose.
It was our last evening at Havana, and a last evening is always more or less painful and trying to one's feelings. We had to bid adieu to friends most kind, though lately found, and to leave a happy spot, which it was more than probable, we should never see again; I do not like saying " good bye; " it "sets me on eend like," as Sam Slick says.
On our return from this scene of brilliant gaiety, I noticed, as our volante drove slowly through the suburbs, a house, the front of which was brightly lighted up ; the lower windows, which were so large that they in point of fact formed the front of the house, were wide open, and afforded a per- fect and distinct view of the objects within.
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My curiosity was excited by seeing a raised platform within the room, at the lower end of which sat two men, in mute silence. To my surprise, for who would have sup- posed that the remains of the dead would be thus exposed to view, I saw on the plat- form the pale face of a corpse ; the stiffened limbs were stretched beneath a thin white covering, and in the next hour, the form, which in the morning was endued with life, was to be lowered into the earth. I cannot describe the effect that this spectacle had upon me, and how much I was struck by the contrast it afforded to the scene of dancing and merriment I had so lately quitted ; verily in the midst of life we are in death ! I went on board, and tried to forget it all, -the whirling dance and the blank face of the dead ! - but they haunted me all night, and I was glad when the morning came,
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when I was to change this place of varied recollections for our own wild changing element once more.
CHAPTER XVIII.
DEPARTURE FROM HAVANA. "MOTHER CAREY'S CHICK- ENS." CUPID, PSYCHE AND PEDRO. BERMUDA. ST. GEORGE'S HARBOUR. HAMILTON. BERMUDIAN PO-
PULATION. STAPLE COMMODITIES. WHALE FISHING.
DELIGHTFUL GARDENS. VISIT TO THE BISHOP OF
NEWFOUNDLAND. THE SEA GRAPE. " THE PRIDE
OF INDIA." IRELAND HARBOUR. THE LAST HOME
OF "THE UNITED SERVICE."
DEPARTURE FOR ENG- LAND.
But bless the little fairy isle ! How sweetly, after all our ills, We saw the sunny morning smile Serenely o'er its fragrant hills.
MOORE. And now the fairy pathway seem'd To lead us through enchanted ground. IDEM.
FRIDAY, 20th April ; light breeze from the eastward. We left Havana harbour and passed Moro Castle at nine o'clock
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in the morning; the flag-ship weighed an- chor at the same time, and we promised ourselves her company on the voyage. The sea breeze at Havana begins about ten in the morning and dies away about three or four P. M .; it is, therefore, im- possible for vessels to leave the harbour in the intermediate time. For two days and a night we went on well together, though in order to do so, we were frequently obliged to shorten sail. We amused our- selves during these two days by talking, unintelligibly enough I must confess, by signals, and we frequently found ourselves within hailing distance. On the third mor- ning I looked in vain for our " tall friend ;" we had burnt a blue light, during the night, which had been duly answered, but now not a vestige of her towering masts were to be seen, and we had to go on our way alone.
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The wind soon after lulled to a dead calm, and we made no progress ; during this calm the stormy Petrels were hovering about the ship, close under our bows. I cannot ima- gine why they are called by such a turbulent name, as they are much more frequently seen when the wind is light than in rough weather. The sailors, as it is well known, think it unlucky to kill them, imagining that evils of every kind will be the portion of the Jonah, who has been so reckless as to kill one of " Mother Carey's chickens." I have a sort of fellow feeling for these old respectable superstitions, and was quite distressed when the doctor knocked one down with a stick. Happily the little crea- ture recovered, and I anxiously watched his progress towards perfect convalescence. I forgot to mention that we had on board three of the prettiest little poodles that can be
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imagined, called by the several names of Cupid, Psyche and Pedro. The latter, who was then a puppy in its first infancy, was not much larger than a good sized dormouse ; indeed the average length of the creatures, when full grown, is not more than twelve inches. The poor little beasts were very chilly, and did not seem to like the change in the temperature ; though it was very little colder than their native place, they were al- ready crouching and shivering, and looking very unhappy. As for Pedro, I feared he would never be " reared," with all the care we could take of him. Old Rake, the setter, who had so long been used to the good things of the galley, was quite jealous, and kept walking up and down the deck in a state of continual agitation, and casting ma- licious glances at my tiny favourites.
April 28th. We had some "strong
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breezes, " - reefing, especially during the afternoon, when the whirling and tumul- tuous state of the sea gave us some idea of the dangers of the coast.
29th. Sighted Bermuda, and "vexed " enough was the sea that surrounds her hun- dreds of islands. After making pilot signals for a long time, a black man at length put off from the shore in one of the beautiful 'Mudian boats, and told us he was a Queen's pilot. It was, however, so late in the afternoon that he refused to take us into the harbour till the next morning, and accordingly we kept him on board, tacking about all night. At five o'clock the next morning he took us in, and we anchored off the admiral's house : our first enquiry was for the flag-ship ; she had not ar- rived, and I rather triumphed, I acknow- ledge, at our having won the race, particu- larly in the stormy weather we had encoun-
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tered, and having latterly been running be- fore the wind. We found ourselves very much exposed in St. George's Harbour to the force of the wind, and as we intended to remain some days at the Bermudas, we shifted our quarters, almost immediately, to Hamilton, the principal town. The naviga- tion, through hundreds of rocks and islands, is difficult, but very beautiful; it really seemed like some dream of beauty, the water being so clear that you could see the pebbly bottom, and then the coral rocks and the cedar groves ! it was indeed a bright and fairy scene, and when I think of it now, in this cold climate and matter-of-fact coun- try, how I long to be there with those I love about me, again to realize the visions of the past, and spend my existence in that bright land of poetry and romance.
Hamilton is a pretty clean town, situated
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close to the water; the houses are all white, and there are hills rising behind them, dotted with villas, and interspersed with cedar trees. The water at Hamilton has the appearance of a large lake ; the entrance is narrow, I should imagine, not much more than a mile across. There is a drive, ex- cept at one end, all round this beautiful na- tural basin ; the cedar-crowned hills, and the white houses, were to be seen in all directions, while lovely little islands orna- mented the surface of the water. All was quiet ; no harsh sounds disturbed the air, there was a gentle ripple on the wave, but nothing more. The graceful 'Mudian boats darted by, and from the shore was wafted a perfume of sweet flowers.
We went on shore almost immediately after our arrival, and hired a carriage to take us up to the admiral's house, in order
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to acquaint Lady Adam of our having so recently parted company with the flag- ship. There is a very pretty view from the house, and the garden, which is kept with great care, is full of flowers.
During our visit, the Illustrious came in sight ; it was Sunday, and in the course of our drive, we had a good opportunity of forming our opinion of the appearance of the Bermudian population. The churches are very numerous, and every one we met, was on his or her way to some place of worship. The blacks are, in general, quite as well dressed as the whites, and are particularly civil and well conducted, touching their hats in a courteous way, which reminded one of old England. The supply of fresh water is very limited, and I was told that the reason for painting the houses white was that the rain water, of which every drop is
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