THE MORRO FORTRESS--THE UNIVERSITY OF HAVANA--THE BENEFICENZA.
The Spanish government experiences an unwillingness to admit foreigners
into the Morro, their great stronghold, the causes of which may not be
altogether mysterious. Americans have been of late especially excluded
from it, and it was only by a fortunate chance that we were allowed to
visit it. A friend of a friend of ours happened to have a friend in the
garrison, and, after some delays and negotiations, an early morning hour
was fixed upon for the expedition.
The Fort is finely placed at the entrance of the harbor, and is in
itself a picturesque object. It is built of a light, yellowish stone,
which is seen, as you draw near, in strong contrast with the vivid green
of the tropical waters. We approached it by water, taking a row-boat
from the Alameda. As we passed, we had a good view of a daily Havana
spectacle, the washing of the horses. This being by far the easiest and
most expeditious way of cleaning the animals, they are driven daily to
the sea in great numbers, those of one party being tied together; they
disport themselves in the surge and their wet backs glisten in the sun.
Their drivers, nearly naked, plunge in with them, and bring them safely
back to the shore.
But for the Morro. We entered without difficulty, and began at once a
somewhat steep ascent, which the heat, even at that early hour, made
laborious. After some climbing, we reached the top of the parapet, and
looked out from the back of the Fortress. On this side, if ever on any,
it will be taken,--for, standing with one's back to the harbor, one
sees, nearly on the right hand, a point where trenches could be opened
with advantage. The Fort is heavily gunned and garrisoned, and seems to
be in fighting order. The outer wall is separated from the inner by a
paved space some forty feet in width. The height of both walls makes
this point a formidable one; but scaling-ladders could be thrown across,
if one had possession of the outer wall. The material is the coralline
rock common in this part of the island. It is a soft stone, and would
prove, it is feared, something like the cotton-bag defence of New
Orleans memory,--as the balls thrown from without would sink in, and not
splinter the stone, which for the murderous work were to be wished. A
little perseverance, with much perspiration, brought us to a high point
called the Lantern, which is merely a small room, where the telescope,
signal-books, and signals are kept. Here we were received by an official
in blue spectacles and with a hole in his boot, but still with that air
of being the chiefest thing on God's earth common to all Spaniards. The
best of all was that we had brought a sack of oranges with us, and that
the time was now come for their employment. With no other artillery than
these did we take the very heart of the Morro citadel,--for on offering
them to the official with the hole, he surrendered at once, smiled, gave
us seats, and sitting down with us, indeed, was soon in the midst of
his half-dozenth orange. Having refreshed ourselves, examined the flags
of all nations, and made all the remarks which our limited Spanish
allowed, we took leave, redescended, and reëmbarked. One of our party,
an old soldier, had meanwhile been busily scanning the points and angles
of the fortress, pacing off distances, etc., etc. The result of his
observations would, no doubt, be valuable to men of military minds. But
the writer of this, to be candid, was especially engaged with the heat,
the prospect, the oranges, and the soldiers' wives and children, who
peeped out from windows here and there. Such trifling creatures do come
into such massive surroundings, and trifle still!
Our ladies, being still in a furious mood of sight-seeing, desired to
visit the University of Havana, and, having made appointment with an
accomplished Cuban, betook themselves to the College buildings with all
proper escort. Their arrival in the peristyle occasioned some
excitement. One of the students came up, and said in good English, "What
do you want?" Others, not so polite, stared and whispered in corners. A
message to one of the professors was attended with some delay, and our
Cuban friend, having gone to consult with him, returned to say, with
some embarrassment, that the professor would be happy to show the
establishment to the ladies on Sunday, at two P. M., when every male
creature but himself would be out of it; but as for their going through
the rooms while the undergraduates were about, that was not to be
thought of. "Why not?" asked the ladies. "For your own sake," said the
messenger, and proceeded to explain that the appearance of the _skirted_
in these halls of learning would be followed by such ill-conduct and
indignity of impertinence on the part of the _shirted_ as might be
intolerable to the one and disadvantageous to the other. Now there be
women, we know, whose horrid fronts could have awed these saucy little
Cubans into decency and good behavior, and some that we wot of, whether
possessing that power or not, would have delighted in the fancied
exercise of it. What strong-minded company, under these circumstances,
would have turned back? What bolting, tramping, and rushing would they
not have made through the ranks of the astonished professors and
students? The Anniversary set, for example, who sweep the pews of men,
or, coming upon one forlorn, crush him as a boa does a sheep. Our silly
little flock only laughed, colored, and retreated to the _volantes_,
where they held a council of war, and decided to go visit some
establishment where possibly better manners might prevail.
Returning on the Sunday at the hour appointed, they walked through the
deserted building, and found spacious rooms, the pulpits of the
professors, the benches of the students, the Queen's portrait, a very
limited library, and for all consolation, some pleasant Latin sentences
over the doors of the various departments, celebrating the solace and
delights of learning. This was seeing the College, literally; but it was
a good deal like seeing the Lion's den, the Lion himself being absent on
leave,--or like visiting the Hippopotamus in Regent's Park on those days
in which he remains steadfastly buried in his tank, and will show only
the tip of a nostril for your entrance-fee. Still, it was a pleasure to
know that learning was so handsomely housed; and as for the little
rabble who could not be trusted in the presence of the sex, we forgave
them heartily, knowing that soberer manners would one day come upon them
as inevitably as baldness and paternity.
Let me here say that a few days in Havana make clear to one the
seclusion of women in the East, and its causes. Wherever the animal
vigor of men is so large in proportion to their moral power as in those
countries, women must be glad to forego their liberties for the
protection of the strong arm. One master is better for them than many.
Whatever tyranny may grow out of such barbarous manners, the institution
springs from a veritable necessity and an original good intention. The
Christian religion should change this, which is justifiable only in a
Mohammedan country. But where that religion is so loosely administered
as in Cuba, where its teachers themselves frequent the cockpit and the
gaming-table, one must not look for too much of its power in the
manners and morals of men.
The Beneficenza was our next station. It is, as its name signifies, an
institution with a benevolent purpose, an orphan asylum and foundling
hospital in one. The State here charitably considers that infants who
are abandoned by their parents are as much orphaned as they can become
by the interposition of death,--nay, more. The death of parents oftenest
leaves a child with some friend or relative; but the foundling is cut
off from all human relationship,--he belongs only to the hand that takes
him up, where he has been left to die. Despite the kind cruelty of
modern theories, which will not allow of suitable provision for the
sufferer, for fear of increasing the frequency of the crime by which he
suffers, our hearts revolt at the miserable condition of these little
creatures in our great cities, confounded with hopeless pauperism in its
desolate asylums, or farmed out to starve and die. They belong to the
State, and the State should nobly retrieve the world's offence against
them. Their broken galaxy shows many a bright star here and there. Such
a little wailing creature has been found who has commanded great actions
and done good service among men. Let us then cherish the race of
foundlings, of whom Moses was the first and the greatest. The princess
who reared him saw not the glorious destiny which lay hid, as a
birth-jewel, in his little basket of reeds. She saw only, as some of us
have seen, a helpless, friendless babe. When he dedicated to her his
first edition of the Pentateuch---- But nay, he did not; for neither
gratitude nor dedications were in fashion among the Jews.
We found the Beneficenza spacious, well-ventilated, and administered
with great order. It stands near the sea, with a fine prospect in view,
and must command a cool breeze, if there be any. The children enjoy
sea-bathing in summer. The Superintendent received us most kindly, and
presented us to the Sisters who have charge of the children, who were
good specimens of their class. We walked with them through the neat
dormitories, and observed that they were much more airy than those of
the Jesuit College, lately described. They all slept on the sackings of
cots, beds being provided only in the infirmary. In the latter place we
found but two inmates,--one suffering from ordinary Cuban fever, the
other from ophthalmia.--N. B. Disease of the eyes does not seem to be
common in Cuba, in spite of the tropical glare of the sun; nor do people
nurse and complain of their eyes there, as with us. We found a separate
small kitchen for the sick, which was neat and convenient. The larger
kitchen too was handsomely endowed with apparatus, and the
Superintendent told us, with a twinkle in his eye, that the children
lived well. Coffee at six, a good breakfast at nine, dinner at the usual
hour, bread and coffee before bed-time;--this seemed very suitable as to
quantity, though differing from our ideas of children's food; but it
must be remembered that the nervous stimulus of coffee is not found to
be excessive in hot climates; it seems to be only what Nature
demands,--no more. The kind Nun who accompanied us now showed us, with
some pride, various large presses set in the wall, and piled to the top
with clean and comfortable children's clothing. We came presently to
where the boys were reciting their catechism. An Ecclesiastic was
hearing them;--they seemed ready enough with their answers, but were
allowed to gabble off the holy words in a manner almost unintelligible,
and quite indecorous. They were bright, healthy-looking little fellows,
ranging apparently from eight to twelve years of age. They had good
play-ground set off for them, and shady galleries to walk up and down
in. Coming from their quarter, the girls' department seemed quiet
enough. Here was going on the eternal task of needle-work, to which the
sex has been condemned ever since Adam's discovery of his want of
wardrobe. Oh, ye wretched, foolish women! why will ye forever sew? "We
must not only sew, but be thankful to sew; _that little needle_ being,
as the sentimental Curtis has said, the only thing between us and the
worst that may befall."
These incipient women were engaged in various forms of sewing,--the most
skilful in a sort of embroidery, like that which forms the border of
_piña_ handkerchiefs. A few were reading and spelling. One poor blind
girl sat amongst them, with melancholy arms folded, and learned
nothing,--they told us, nothing; for the instruction of the blind is not
thought of in these parts. This seemed piteous to us, and made us
reflect how happy are _our_ Blinds, to say nothing of our Deafs and
Dumbs. Idiocy is not uncommon here, and is the result of continual
intermarriage between near relations; but it will be long before they
will provide it with a separate asylum and suitable instruction.
But now came the saddest part of the whole exhibition,--a sight common
enough in Europe, but by some accident hitherto unseen by us. Here is a
sort of receptacle, with three or four compartments, which turns on a
pivot. One side of it is open to the street, and in it the wretched
parent lays the more wretched baby,--ringing a small bell at the same
time, for the new admittance. The parent vanishes, the receptacle turns
on its pivot,--the baby is within, and, we are willing to believe, in
merciful hands.
The sight of this made, for the first time, the crime real to me. I saw
at a flash the whole tragedy of desertion,--the cautious approach, the
frightened countenance, the furtive act, and the great avenging pang of
Nature after its consummation. What was Hester Prynne's pillory,
compared to the heart of any of these mothers? I thought too of
Rousseau, bringing to such a place as this children who had the right to
inherit divine genius, and deserting them for the sordid reason that he
did not choose to earn their bread;--the helpless mother weeping at
home, and begging, through long years, to be allowed to seek and reclaim
them.
Well, here were the little creatures kindly cared for; yet what a
piteous place was their nursery! Some of the recent arrivals looked as
if ill-usage had been exhausted upon them before they were brought
hither. Blows and drugs and starvation had been tried upon them, but,
with the tenacity of infancy, they clung to life. They would not
die;--well then, they should live to regret it. Some of them lay on the
floor, deformed and helpless; the older ones formed a little class, and
were going through some elementary exercise when we passed. The babies
had a large room allotted to them, and I found the wet-nurses
apportioned one to each child. This appeared a very generous provision,
as in such establishments elsewhere, three and even four children are
given to one nurse. They had comfortable cribs, on each of which was
pinned the name of its little inmate, and the date of its
entrance;--generally, the name and age of the child are found written on
a slip of paper attached to its clothing, when it is left in the
receptacle. I saw on one, "Cecilio, three weeks old." He had been but a
few days in the establishment.
Of course, I lingered longest in the babies' room, and longest of all
near the crib of the little Cecilio. He was a pretty baby, and seemed to
me the most ill-used of all, because the youngest. "Could they not bear
with you three weeks, little fellow?" I said. "I know those at whose
firesides such as you would have been welcome guests. That New York
woman whom I met lately, young, rich, and childless,--I could commend
you to her in place of the snarling little spaniel fiend who was her
constant care and companion."
But here the Superintendent made a polite bow, saying,--"And now your
Worships have seen all; for the chapel is undergoing repairs, and cannot
be visited." And so we thanked, and departed.