But when there is music under the laurels or palms the senoritas, in their light draperies, and wearing nothing on their heads save the picturesque mantilla of Old Spain, assemble on the paths, the seats, the sidewalks and in their carriages, and there the masculine element repairs and is very gallant, indeed.

Here you will listen to the dreamy melody of these latitudes, Spanish love songs and Cuban waltzes so softly pretty that you wonder all the world does not sing and play them.  On other nights the walk or drive along the Prado is very interesting.  You pass some of the most elegant of the houses, and notice that they are two stories high, and that the family apartments are on the upper stories, so that you miss the furtive views of the families at meals and of the ladies reclining in the broad-tiled window sills that you have in the older one-story sections of the city.

CHAPTER X.

The cities of Cuba.

The Harbor of Matanzas—­Sports of the Carnival—­Santiago de Cuba and Its Beautiful Bay—­Cardinas, the Commercial Center—­Enormous Exports of Sugar—­The Beauties of Trinidad—­Other Cities of Importance.

The city of Havana may be said to stand in the same relation to Cuba that Paris does to France, for in it are centered the culture, the refinement, and the wealth of the island, but there are several other towns of considerable importance, and many of them have become places of interest since the struggle for liberty has attracted the attention of the civilized world.

Chief among these is Matanzas.  This city, with a normal population of about 60,000, is situated fifty miles east of Havana, with which it is connected by rail and water.  Its shipping interests are second only to those of the capital, as it is the outlet of many of the richest agricultural districts of the island.

The city is situated on the flats on both sides of the San Juan river, which brings down large quantities of mud and greatly impedes inland navigation.  As an offset the bay is spacious, easy of access and sheltered from the violent gulf storms which prevail at some seasons.  This makes the port a favorite with marine men.  A large amount of money has been spent by the government to fortify and protect the city, and it has been connected by rail with all the principal towns and producing centers of the provinces.  Thus it is a particularly favorite port of entry for all the supplies required in the plantations—­food staples and machinery.  Its exports consist principally of sugar, coffee, molasses, tobacco, honey, wax and fruits.

The city is built principally of masonry and in a most substantial manner, though little effort has been made to secure architectural beauty.  The pride of the city is the new theater, which is pointed out as the handsomest building in Cuba, The Empresa Academy also takes rank equal with any for the excellence of its educational facilities.