But who shall undertake the arduous achievement? Who shall be responsible for its faithful execution? If the difficulties are too great for individual enterprise, could it not be accomplished by a concert of action between the numerous respectable Historical and Antiquarian Societies of our country? What more interesting field for their united labors? Which of them will take the hint, and set the ball in motion?
It is only required, that when it is done, it should be well done—not a mere experiment in book-making, a catch-penny picture book, without plan, or argument, or conclusion, leaving all the questions it proposed to discuss and solve, more deeply involved in the mist than before—but a substantial standard work, complete, thorough and conclusive, such as all our libraries would be proud to possess, and posterity would be satisfied to rely upon. There are men among us of the right kind, with the taste, the courage, the zeal, and the skill both literary and artistic, to do the work as it should be done. But they have not the means to go on their own account. They must be sent duly commissioned and provided, prepared and resolved to abide in the field, till they have traversed it in all its length and breadth and investigated and decyphered so far as it can now be done, every trace that remains of its ancient occupants and rulers—and the country, and the world, will reap the advantage of their labors.
The author does not presume to flatter himself, that he has done any thing, in his present or any other humble offering, towards the accomplishment of such a work as the above suggestion proposes. He is fully conscious of his incompetence to such an undertaking. His main desire, and his highest aim, has been to present the matter in such a light, as to awaken the attention, and stimulate the interest of those who have the means, the influence, and the capacity to do it ample justice. And yet, he would not be true to himself, if he did not declare, that, in the effort to secure this end, he has used his utmost endeavor to afford, to the reader of his notes, a just equivalent for that favorable regard, which is found in that wholesome impulse which ought invariably and naturally to precede the perusal of any book.
New Orleans, October, 1845.
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]