in the bar-rooms, every marble table being in requisition for the
purpose of the games on Sundays. Having noticed the sparse attendance
at the cathedral, we remarked to Jane that the church was quite
empty, whereupon she replied with a significant leer, "True, Senor,
but the jail is full." More than once an underlying vein of sarcasm
was observed in the very pertinent remarks of which Jane was so
happily delivered.

There are comparatively few slaves to be found on the plantations or
elsewhere in the vicinity of Cienfuegos: in fact, slavery is rapidly
disappearing from the island. "Slave labor is more costly than any
other, all things considered," said a sugar planter to us. "I do not
own one to-day, but I have owned and worked six hundred at a time," he
added. "We pay no tax on the laborers we hire, but on slaves we pay a
heavy head-tax annually." An edict has been promulgated by the home
government, which went into force last year, and which frees one slave
in every four annually, so that on January 1, 1888, all will have
become free. In the mean time the commercial value of slaves has so
decreased in view of their near emancipation that they are not
appraised on an average at over fifty or sixty dollars each. The law
has for a period of many years provided that any slave who pays to his
master his appraised value shall at once receive his free papers. Many
purchase their liberty under this law, and then hire themselves to the
same master or to some other, as they may choose,--at low wages, to be
sure, but including food and shelter. Slaves have always been entitled
by law in Cuba to hold individual property independent of their
masters, and there are few smart ones who have not accumulated more or
less pecuniary means during their servitude. They have had no expenses
to meet in the way of supporting themselves. That has devolved upon
their owners, so that whatever money they have realized by the several
ways open to them has been clear profit. Many slaves have anticipated
the period of their legal release from servitude, and more will do so
during the present year. We also heard of planters who, realizing the
inevitable, have manumitted the few slaves whom they still held in
bondage, and hiring them at merely nominal wages, believed they saved
money by the operation.

It will be seen, therefore, that slavery as an institution here is
virtually at an end. Low wages will prevail, and this is necessary to
enable the p