Havana Aristocracy--"Lucia de Lammermoor"--La Rossi and Montresor--Brig-
of-war--Countess de V---a--Dinner at H---a's--Southerly Winds--View from
the Balcony--_Quinta_ of Count V---a--San Cristobal--Mass at San Felipe--
Erard Harp--Dinner at General M---o's--A Dessert at Havana--Queen of
Spain's Birthday--Dinner at the Yntendencia--La Pantanelli--Theatre of
Tacon--Railroad--Cure by Lightning--Shops--Ball at the Countess F---a's--
Last Visit--Souvenirs.
15th.--We expected hospitality and a good reception, but certainly all our
expectations have been surpassed, and the last few days have been spent in
such a round of festivity, that not a moment has been left for writing. At
home we have held a levee to all that is most distinguished in Havana.
Counts, marquesses, and generals, with stars and crosses, have poured in
and poured out ever since our arrival. I do not pretend to form any
judgment of Havana. We have seen it too much _en beau_.
Last evening we found time to go to the theatre. The opera was "Lucia de
Lammermoor." The _prima donna_, La Rossi, has a voice of much sweetness,
sings correctly and with taste, is graceful in her movements, but sadly
deficient in strength. Still she suits the character represented, and comes
exactly up to my idea of poor Lucy, devoted and broken-hearted, physically
and morally weak. Though the story is altered, and the interest weakened,
how graceful the music is! how lovely and full of melody! The orchestra is
good, and composed of blacks and whites, like the notes of a piano, mingled
in harmonious confusion.
The theatre is remarkably pretty and airy, and the pit struck us as being
particularly clean and respectable. All the seats are red leather
arm-chairs, and all occupied by well-dressed people.
At the end of the first act, we went round to the Countess F---a's box, to
return a visit which she had made me in the morning. We found her extremely
agreeable and full of intelligence, also with a very decided air of
fashion. She was dressed in fawn-coloured satin, with large pearls. At the
end of the second act, Lucia was taken ill, her last aria missed out, and
her monument driven on the stage without further ceremony. Montresor, the
Ravenswood of the piece, came in, sung, and stabbed himself with immense
enthusiasm. It is a pity that his voice is deserting him, while his taste
and feeling remain. The house has altogether a French look. The boxes are
private--that is, the property of individuals, but are not shut in, which
in this climate would be suffocating. We passed out through a long file of
soldiers. The sudden transition from Yankee land to this military Spanish
negro-land is _dreamy_.
The General de la Marina (_Anglice_, admiral of the station) called some
days ago, and informed us that there is a brig of war destined to convey us
to Vera Cruz.
Amongst the ladies who have called on me, I find none more charming than
the Countess de V---a. Her voice is agreeable, her manners cordial and
easy, her expression beautiful from goodness, with animated eyes and fine
teeth, her dress quiet and rich. She is universally beloved here. I
received from her, nearly every morning, a bouquet of the loveliest flowers
from her quinta--roses, carnations, heliotrope, etc. The dinner at H---a's
to-day was a perfect feast. I sat between the Count de F---a and the Count
de S---- V----, a millionaire. Everything was served in French white and
gold porcelain, which looks particularly cool and pretty in this climate.
The Count de P---r was there and his brother; the latter a gentlemanly and
intelligent man, with a great taste for music, and whose daughter is a
first-rate singer and a charming person. After dinner we rose, according to
custom, and went into an adjoining room while they arranged the dessert,
consisting of every imaginable and unimaginable sweetmeat, with fruit,
ices, etc. The fruits I have not yet learned to like. They are certainly
wonderful and delicious productions of nature; but to eat eggs and custards
and butter off the trees, seems unnatural.
The heat to-day is terrible; with a suffocating south wind blowing, and
were the houses not built as they are, would be unbearable. The dinner is
served in the gallery, which is spacious and cool.
After dinner, Señor Don P---o H---a rose, and, addressing C---n, pronounced
a poetical impromptu, commemorating the late victory of Espartero, and
congratulating C---n on his mission to the Mexican republic. We then
adjourned to the balcony, where the air was delightful, a cool evening
breeze having suddenly sprung up. A large ship, full sail, and various
barks, passed the View From the Balcony Morro. There were negroes with bare
legs walking on the wall, carrying parcels, etc.; volantes passing by with
their black-eyed occupants, in full dress, short sleeves, and flowers in
their hair; well-dressed, martial-looking Spanish soldiers marching by, and
making tolerably free remarks on the ladies in the volantes.... We had a
visit from the Captain-General.
In the evening we went out to see the Countess de V---a, at her pretty
quinta, a short way out of town, and walked in the garden by moonlight,
amongst flowers and fountains. The little count is already one of the
chamberlains to the Queen, and a diamond key has been sent him by Queen
Christina in token of her approbation of his father's services. These
country retreats are delightful after the narrow streets and impure air of
the city.... We saw there a good engraving of Queen Victoria, with the
Duchess of Sutherland and Lady Normanby.
17th.--Yesterday we went to see the procession of the patron saint, San
Cristobal, from the balconies of the Yntendencia. It is a fine spacious
building, and, together with the Captain-General's palace, stands in the
Plaza de Armas, which was crowded with negroes and negresses, all dressed
in white, with white muslin and blonde mantillas, framing and showing off
their dusky physiognomies.
Two regiments, with excellent bands of music, conducted the procession,
composed of monks and priests. San Cristobal, a large figure with thick
gold legs, surrounded by gold angels with gold wings, was carried by to the
music of "_Suoni la tromba_," to which were adapted the words of a hymn in
praise of Liberty.
We attended mass in the morning in the church of San Felipe, and entered,
preceded, according to custom, by a little negro footman carrying a piece
of carpet. There were few people in church, but the grouping was
picturesque. The black faces of the negresses, with their white mantillas
and white satin shoes; the black silk dresses and black lace mantillas of
the Havana ladies, with their white faces and black eyes, and little
liveried negroes standing behind them; the officers, music, and
long-bearded priests--all were very effective.
Found, on my return, an excellent Erard harp, sent me by the Marquesa de
A---s, a pretty woman and female Croesus.
A splendid entertainment was given us to-day by General M---o. His house is
large and cool; the dinner, as usual, in the gallery; and although there
were ninety-seven guests, and as many negroes in waiting, the heat was not
oppressive. The jewels of the ladies were superb, especially the diamonds
of the M---- family; sprays, necklaces, earrings, really beautiful. The
Marquesa de A---- wore a set of emeralds the size of small eggs. She had a
pretty, graceful-looking daughter with her, with beautiful eyes. Even the
men were well sprinkled with diamonds and rubies.
The dessert, from variety and quantity, was a real curiosity. Immense vases
and candelabras of alabaster were placed at different distances on the
table, and hundreds of porcelain dishes were filled with sweetmeats and
fruits-sweetmeats of every description, from the little meringue called
"mouthful for a queen," to the blancmanger made of supreme de volaille and
milk.
After dinner our health was drank, and another poetical address pronounced.
The evening concluded with music and the Havana country-dances.
20th.--Yesterday being the Queen of Spain's birthday, a dinner was given to
us at the Yntendencia. The house in size is a palace, and the apartments
innumerable. The dinner very elegant, and the dessert arranged in another
room, a curiosity as usual for profusion and variety. Her Majesty's health
was proposed by Don B---o H---a, and so well-timed, that all the guns of
the forts fired a salute, it being sunset, just as the toast was concluded,
which was drank with real enthusiasm and hearty goodwill. According to
Spanish custom, the aristocracy generally _se tutoient_, and call each
other by their Christian names; indeed, they are almost all connected by
inter-marriages. You may guess at an inferior in rank, only by their
increased respect towards him.
We stood on the balcony in the evening. The scene was beautiful, the
temperature rather warm, yet delicious from the softness of the breeze. The
moon rose so bright that she seemed like the sun shining through a silvery
veil. Groups of figures were sauntering about in the square, under the
trees, and two bands having stationed themselves with lamps and music,
played alternately pieces from Mozart and Bellini. We regretted leaving so
delightful a scene for the theatre, where we arrived in time to hear La
Pantanelli sing an aria, dressed in helmet and Theatre of Tacon tunic, and
to see La Jota Arragonesa danced by two handsome Spanish girls in good
style.
One evening we went to the theatre of Tacon, to the Captain-General's box.
It is certainly a splendid house, large, airy, and handsome. The play was
the "Campanero de San Pablo," which, though generally liked, appears to me
a complicated and unnatural composition, with one or two interesting
scenes. The best actor was he who represented the blind man. The chief
actress is an overgrown dame, all fat and dimples, who kept up a constant
sobbing and heaving of her chest, yet never getting rid of an eternal smirk
upon her face. A bolero, danced afterwards by two Spanish damsels in black
and silver, was very refreshing.
23rd.--To-morrow we sail in the Jason, should the wind not prove contrary.
Visits, dinners, and parties have so occupied our time, that to write has
been next to impossible. Of the country we have, from the same reason, seen
little, and the people we are only acquainted with in full dress, which is
not the way to judge of them truly. One morning, indeed, we dedicated to
viewing the works of the Yntendente, the railroad, and the water-filterers.
He and the Countess, and a party of friends, accompanied us.
The country through which the railroad passes is flat and rather
monotonous; nevertheless, the quantity of wild flowers, which appeared for
the most part of the convolvulus species, as we glanced past them--the
orange-trees, the clumps of palm and cocoa, the plantain with its gigantic
leaves, the fresh green coffee-plant, the fields of sugar-cane of a still
brighter green, the half-naked negroes, the low wooden huts, and, still
more, the scorching sun in the month of November,--all was new to us, and
sufficient to remind us of the leagues of ocean we had traversed, though
this is but a halt on our voyage.
At the village where the cars stopped, we listened with much amusement to
the story of a fat, comfortable-looking individual, who was cured by
lightning in the following manner:--He was in the last stage of a decline,
when, one hot July morning, he was knocked down by a thunderbolt, a ball of
fire, which entered his side, ran all through his body, and came out at his
arm. At the place where the ball made its exit, a large ulcer was formed,
and when it dispersed he found himself in perfect health, in which he has
continued ever since! In such cases the "bottled lightning," demanded by
Mrs. Nickleby's admirer, might be a valuable remedy.
Of course I could not leave Havana without devoting one morning to
shopping. The shops have most seducing names--Hope, Wonder, Desire, etc.
The French modistes seem to be wisely improving their time, by charging
respectable prices for their work. The shop-keepers bring their goods out
to the volante, it not being the fashion for ladies to enter the shops,
though I took the privilege of a foreigner to infringe this rule
occasionally. Silks and satins very dear--lace and muslin very reasonable,
was, upon the whole, the result of my investigation; but as it only lasted
two hours, and that my sole purchases of any consequence, were an
indispensable mantilla, and a pair of earrings, I give my opinion for the
present with due diffidence.
I can speak with more decision on the subject of a great ball given us by
the Countess F---a, last evening, which was really superb. The whole house
was thrown open--there was a splendid supper, quantities of refreshment,
and the whole select aristocracy of Havana. Diamonds on all the women,
jewels and orders on all the men, magnificent lustres and mirrors, and a
capital band of music in the gallery.
The Captain-General was the only individual in a plain dress. He made
himself very agreeable, in good French. About one hundred couple stood up
in each country-dance, but the rooms are so large and so judiciously
lighted, that we did not feel at all warm. Waltzes, quadrilles, and these
long Spanish dances, succeeded each other. Almost all the girls have fine
eyes and beautiful figures, but without colour, or much animation. The
finest diamonds were those of the Countess F---a, particularly her
necklace, which was _undeniable_.
Walking through the rooms after supper, we were amused to see the negroes
and negresses helping them-selves plentifully to the sweetmeats, uncorking
and drinking fresh bottles of Champagne, and devouring everything on the
supper tables, without the slightest concern for the presence either of
their master or mistress; in fact, behaving like a multitude of spoilt
children, who are sure of meeting with indulgence, and presume upon it.
Towards morning we were led downstairs to a large Souvenirs suite of rooms,
containing a library of several thousand volumes; where coffee, cakes,
etc., were prepared in beautiful Sevres porcelain and gold plate. We left
the house at last to the music of the national hymn of Spain, which struck
up as we past through the gallery.
Should the north wind, the dreaded _Norte_, not blow, we sail to-morrow,
and have spent the day in receiving farewell visits. We also went to the
theatre, where every one predicts we shall not get off to-morrow. The play
was "Le Gamin de Paris," translated. After our return, I paid a very late
visit to the P---r family, who live close by us, and now, at two in the
morning, I finish my letter sleepily. Many beautiful _souvenirs_ have been
sent us, and amongst others, the Count de S---- V---- has just sent C---n a
model of the palace of Madrid, one of the most beautiful and ingenious
pieces of workmanship possible. It is carved in wood, with astonishing
accuracy and delicacy.
My next letter will be dated on board the Jason.