CONTENTS

CHAPTER I.

PAGE Voyage from new orleans to havana.—description of the capital of cuba, 21

Introductory remarks, 21 Departure from New Orleans, 23 Compagnons de Voyage, 24 Grumblers and grumbling, 24 Arrival at Havana, 25 Passports.—Harbor of Havana, 26 Fortifications.—Moro Castle, 27 The city, its houses, &c., 28 An American Sailor, 29 Society in Havana, 30 Barriers to social intercourse, 31 Individual hospitality, 32 Love of show, 33 Neatness of the Habañeros, 34

CHAPTER II.

Public buildings of havana.—the tomb of columbus, 35

The Tacon Theatre, 35 The Fish Market, 36 The Cathedral 36 Its architecture—paintings—shrines, 37 Decline of Romanism, 38 The Tomb of Columbus, 39 The Inscription, 40 Reflections, 40 Burial, and removal of his remains, 41 Ceremonies of his last burial, 41 Reception of remains at Havana, 42 The funeral procession, 43 The Pantheon, 43 Mr. Irving's reflections, 44 Plaza de Armas, 44 A misplaced monument, 45 Statue of Ferdinand VII., 45 Regla—business done there, 46 Going to decay, 47 Material for novelists, 48

CHAPTER III.

The suburbs of havana, and the interior of the island, 49

Gardens.—Paseo de Tacon, 49 Guiness, an inviting resort for invalids, 50 Scenery on the route.—Farms—hedges—orange groves, 51 Luxuriance of the soil, 52 Sugar and Coffee plantations, 52 Forests and birds, 53 Arrival at Guiness.—The town, 53 Valley of Guiness, 54 Buena Esperanza, 54 Limonar—Madruga—Cardenas—Villa Clara, 55 Hints to invalids, 55 Dr. Barton, 56 Splendors of a tropical sky, 57 The Southern Cross, 58

CHAPTER IV.

General view of the island of cuba, its cities, towns, resources, government, &c. 59

Political importance of Cuba, 59 Coveted by the nations, 60 Climate and forests, 61 Productions and Population, 62 Extent—principal cities, 63 Matanzas.—Cardenas, 64 Principe.—Santiago 65 Bayamo—Trinidad.—Espiritu Santo, 66 Government of Cuba, 66 Don Leopold O'Donnell.—Count Villa Nueva, 67 General Tacon, his services, 67 State of Cuba when appointed governor, 68 Change affected by his administration, 69 His retirement, 70 Commerce of Cuba with the United States, 70 Our causes of complaint, 71 The true interests of Cuba, 71 State of education, 72 Low condition of the people, 73 Discovery of Cuba, 73 Early History.—Velasquez.—Narvaez, 74 Story of the Cacique Hatuey, 75 The island depopulated, 76 Rapidly colonized by Spaniards, 77 Seven cities founded in four years, 77 Havana removed.—The Gibraltar of America, 77 Possibility of a successful attack, 78

CHAPTER V.

Departure from havana.—the gulf of mexico.—arrival at vera cruz, 79

The British mail steamer Dee, 79 Running down the coast, 80 Beautiful scenery—associations, 81 Discoveries of Columbus.—The island groups, 82 The shores of the continent, 83 The Columbian sea, 84 The common lot of genius, 85 Sufferings of the great.—Cervantes,—Hylander, &c., 86 Associations, historical and romantic, 87 Shores of the Columbian sea, 88 Wonderful changes wrought by time, 89 Peculiar characteristics of this sea, 90 Arrival at Vera Cruz.—Peak of Orizaba 90 Castle of St. Juan de Ulloa, 91 The harbor and the city 92 Best view from the water—houses—churches, 93 Suburbs—population, 94 Health—early history, 95 The old and new towns of Vera Cruz, 96

CHAPTER VI.

Santa anna de tamaulipas and its vicinity, 97

The old and new towns of Tampico, 97 The French Hotel, 98 Early history of Tampico.—Grijalva, 98 Situation of the new town—health, 99 Commerce of the place—smuggling, 100 Foreign letters—mails, 101 Buildings—wages—rents—tone of morals, 102 Gambling almost universal, 103 The army.—The Cargadores, 104 The Market Place—monument to Santa Anna, 105 A national dilemma, 106 "The Bluff"—Pueblo Viejo, 107 Visit to Pueblo Viejo, 108 Its desolate appearance.—"La Fuente," 109 Return at sunset.—Beautiful scenery, 110 The Rancheros of Mexico, 110 The Arrieros, 111 A home comparison, 111

CHAPTER VII.

Canoe voyage up the river panuco.—rambles among the ruins of ancient cities, 113

An independent mode of travelling, 113 The river Panuco—its luxuriant banks, 114 A Yankee Brick Yard, 115 Indians—their position in society, 116 An Indian man and woman, 117 Topila Creek.—"The Lady's Room," 118 Fellow lodgers, 119 An aged Indian, 120 Ancient ruins—site of an aboriginal town, 121 Rancho de las Piedras 122 The Topila hills—mounds, 122 An ancient well, 123 A wild fig tree—mounds, 124 An incident—civil bandoleros, 125

CHAPTER VIII.

Further explorations or the ruins in the vicinity of the rancho de las piedras, 127

Situation of the ruins, 127 Discoveries—a female head 128 Description—transportation to New York, 129 Colossal head, 130 The American Sphinx, 132 Conjectures, 134 Curiously ornamented head, 136 A mythological suggestion, 137 Deserted by my Indian allies, 138 A thrilling adventure, 139 The escape, 140 A road side view, 140

CHAPTER IX.

Visit to the ancient town of panuco.—ruins, curious relics found there, 141

Route along the banks of the river, 141 Scenery—rare and curious trees, 142 Panuco and its inhabitants, 143 Language—antiquarian researches—Mr. Gallatin, 144 Extensive ruins in the vicinity of Panuco, 145 Sepulchral effigy, 145 Custom of the ancient Americans.—A conjecture, 147 An inference, and a conclusion, 148 Ruins on every side—Cerro Chacuaco, &c. 149 A pair of vases, 150

CHAPTER X.

Discovery of talismanic penates.—return by night to tampico, 151

Two curious ugly looking images, 151 Speculations, 152 Humbugs, 153 The blending of idolatries, 154 Far-fetched theories, 155 Similarity in forms of worship evidence of a common origin, 156 Ugliness deified—Ugnee—Gan—Miroku, 157 The problem settled, 158 The Chinese—Tartars—Japanese, 159 Return to the "Lady's Room," 160 Travelling by night—arrival at Tampico, 161 Rumor of war—attitude of the French, 161 Mexicans check-mated, 162 Backing out, 163 Dii Penates, 164

CHAPTER XI.

Excursion on the tamissee river.—chapoté, its appearance in the lakes and the gulf of mexico, 165

Once more in a canoe, 165 The Tamissee—its fertile banks, 166 Wages of labor—a promising speculation, 167 The Banyan.—The Royal Palm, 168 Extensive ruins.—Mounds on Carmelote creek, 169 A Yankee house.—The native Mexicans, 170 The chapoté in the lakes of Mexico, 171 The chapoté in the gulf of Mexico, 172 New Theory of the Gulf Stream, 172 Comparative temperature of the Gulf Stream and the Ocean, 174 Objections to this new Theory, 175 Another Theory, not a new one, 177 Tampico in mourning, 178

CHAPTER XII.

General view of mexico, past and present.—sketch of the career of santa anna. 179

Ancient Mexico—its extent—its capital, 180 Its imperial government—its sovereigns, 181 Its ancient glory.—The last of a series of monarchies, 182 Extent and antiquity of its ruins, 183 Present condition of Mexico, 184 Population—government—transfer of power, 185 The Revolution—Iturbide, 186 Internal commotions—Factions, 187 Santa Anna, his origin and success 188 Victoria.—Santa Anna in retirement, 189 Pedraza,—Santa Anna in arms again, 189 Guerrero—Barradas defeated by Santa Anna, 190 Bustamente President.—Pedraza again, 190 Santa Anna President.—Taken prisoner at San Jacinto, 191 Returns to Mexico, and goes into retirement, 191 In favor again.—Dictator—President, 192 Paredes—Herrera—Santa Anna banished, 193 Literature in Mexico—Veytia—Clavigero, 194 Antonio Gama,—The inflated character of the Press, 195 Preparing to depart—annoyances, 196 Detained by illness,—Kindness of the American Consul, 197 Departure—at home, 198

CHAPTER XIII.

The two american riddles, 199

Baron Humboldt's caution, 199 Enigmas of the Old World but recently solved, 200 The two extremes of theorists, 201 A medium course, 202 Previous opinions of the author confirmed, 203 Absence of tradition respecting American buildings, 203 Nature and importance of tradition, 204 The Aztecs an imaginative people, 205 Supposed effect of the conquest upon them, 206 The Aztecs not the only builders,—The Toltecs 207 Extensive remains of Toltec architecture,—A dilemma, 208 Character and condition of these ruins, 208 Evidently erected in different ages, 209 Origin of the builders—sceptical philosophies, 210 The solitary tradition, 211 Imaginary difficulties—tropical animals, 212 A new Giant's Causeway, 212 The Aborigines were not one, but many races, 213 No head of the American type found among their sculptural remains, 213 Art an imitation of nature—copies only from life, 214 Inference from the absence of the Indian type, 214 American ruins of Asiatic origin, 215 Migratory habits of the early races of men, 215 Overflowings of the populous north, 215 Conclusion, 216