The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in
Cuba, by Walter Goodman

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: The Pearl of the Antilles, or An Artist in Cuba

Author: Walter Goodman

Release Date: August 1, 2009 [EBook #29564]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE PEARL OF THE ANTILLES ***

Produced by Chuck Greif and the Online Distributed
Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This book was
produced from scanned images of public domain material
from the Google Print project.)

[Aside from obvious typographical errors, the spelling of the original
book has been preserved. The spelling and accentuation of Spanish and
French words have not been modernized or corrected.
(note of transcriber)]

THE PEARL OF THE

ANTILLES

OR

_AN ARTIST IN CUBA_

BY

WALTER GOODMAN

HENRY S. KING & CO. 65 CORNHILL & 12 PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON 1873

(_All rights reserved_)

TO

MY TRAVELLING-COMPANION AND BROTHER-ARTIST

SENOR DON JOAQUIN CUADRAS

OF CUBA

_THIS VOLUME IS INSCRIBED_

IN REMEMBRANCE OF OUR LONG AND UNINTERRUPTED FRIENDSHIP

AT HOME AND ABROAD

PREFACE.

Cuba having lately become a prominent object of attention, both to
Europe and America, I venture to think that any trustworthy information
that can be given respecting it, may prove acceptable to the reader. I
approach my task with no great pretensions, but yet with an experience
acquired by many years' residence in the Island, and an intimate
intercourse with its inhabitants. I arrived there in 1864, when Cuba was
enjoying uninterrupted peace and prosperity, and my departure took place
in the first year of her adversity. Having thus viewed society in the
Island under the most opposite conditions, I have had various and ample
opportunities of studying its institutions, its races and its
government; and in availing myself of these opportunities I have
endeavoured, as far as possible, to avoid those matters which are alike
common to life in Spain and in Cuba.

As I write, Cuba is passing through a great crisis in her history. For
this reason my experiences may prove more interesting than they migh