DEAR M.,--A dance was given at the Captain-General's, where all the
officers of the German and Spanish men of war were present. It was a very
brilliant sight, and we made many delightful acquaintances. Commodore
Werner of the German _Friedrich Wilhelm,_ Commodore Livonius of the
_Elizabeth,_ besides many other charming officers, as well as many
Spanish officers from the _Gerona._ The Germans danced with more energy
than the Cubans are accustomed to, and they stared at the unusual vigor
displayed, and accounted for it, saying it was because they were new-
comers. In fact, the officers, in their trim uniforms, looked very hot
and wilted at the end of the evening. Commodore Werner was a most gallant
gentleman, and as we did not dance, he had the leisure to tell me all
about his family, his literary tastes, and his admiration for pretty
ladies; and he finished by asking if we would do him the honor to lunch on
his ship the next day. A handsome young lieutenant (Tirpitz) came to ask
me to dance, but Commodore Werner gave him what in other less tropical
countries might be called a freezing look, remarking that no one ought to
dance in such heat as this. The young lieutenant left us quite subdued;
but the heat did not prevent his dancing with many ladies, if not with me.
The next day we went to lunch on the _Friedrich Wilhelm,_ and it was
with delight that we sat on the awning-covered deck. The Commodore asked
me to give him an idea for some occupation for the sailors, who had so
much time on their hands, and, as I happened to know how to plait straw, I
proposed showing them how to do it.
The Commodore sent a launch to Havana to get the straw, and we passed the
afternoon dividing the time between listening to the music of the ship's
band and tasting different beverages and eating German pretzels and
teaching the sailors how to plait.
At five o'clock we were rowed ashore, and welcomed a little fresh breeze
which had sprung up.
The following morning the inmates of the hotel were awakened at an early
hour by the solemn hymn which belongs to a German serenade. The kind
Commodore had sent his band to play for me, and it filled the whole hall.
The early breakfasters were dreadfully put out about it; the brass
instruments sounded like a double orchestra, and resounded in these marble
halls like volleys of musketry; and as for the hotel-keeper, he has not
got over his surprise yet.
We had many pleasant days after this. Each one, we said, would be the
last; still we stayed on. One of the German men-of-war gave a ball, the
Spanish gave another; each vied with the other to give the finest
entertainment. It was a pleasure to go on board the German boats,
everything was so spick and span, the sailors so neat and trim, the deck
so beautifully kept, and the brasses glistened red-hot in the sun.
I cannot tell you all we did these last days. I was glad to hear that the
German sailors had profited by my lessons, and had in a short time plaited
straw enough to make some hats for themselves. I shall always feel proud
when I see a German sailor with a straw hat, for I shall feel that I laid
the foundation of this industry.
One of the afternoons we spent on the Commodore's boat. I sang for the
officers in the cabin, and then, when I was on deck, I sang some of the
songs from "Pinafore" for the sailors, whom the Commodore called together
to hear me. They grinned from ear to ear when I sang "What, never?"
"Hardly ever," and "Never used a big, big D," in the captain's song in
"Pinafore." This was the last time we visited our amiable German host.
I shall post this letter in New York. It will probably reach you before we
do.
Our departure was a triumphal procession. The Captain of the Port, devoted
to the last, took us in his official steam-launch to our steamer. Flowers,
fruit, and souvenirs of all kinds filled our cabin to overflowing, and
when we passed the German boats, hats and handkerchiefs were waved aloft,
and the bands on the decks played with all their Teutonic might until we
were out of hearing distance.
We noticed our tall, handsome lieutenant standing alone on the fore part
of the deck. He made a fine naval salute, while the good Commodore waved
his handkerchief frantically.
The Captain of the Port accompanied us down the harbor as far as Morro
Castle in his steam-launch.
Adieu, dear Havana!