Rambles by Land and Water; or, Notes of Travel in Cuba and Mexico

by Benjamin Moore Norman

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]

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