"Yes, they had a sad time of it indeed," her father went on. "Theythought at first the white men were angels and the boats they sailedin were beautiful birds that had brought the visitors straight fromheaven. But they soon changed their minds.
"Columbus was greatly excited when he looked upon the plants and treesso different from any he had ever seen. He said: 'I will call thisplace the "Pearl of the Antilles,"' and so it has been called to thisday. He also wrote of it, 'It is as much more grand and beautiful thanany other land as the day is brighter than the night.'
"I suppose you know, Maria, that Columbus visited Cuba four times, andyet he never discovered that it was an island."
"I wish you would tell me more about the savages he found here," Mariasaid. "Of course, I know there is not a trace of them left in the land.Their hard work in the mines and the cruel treatment of the Spaniardssoon killed them off. Oh, it is a wicked, wicked shame!"
"Their skins were bronze in colour, like the Indians of North America;but they did not know where their own people came from. Once they wereasked this question by one of the white strangers. They only answeredby pointing their hands upward. It was as much as to say, 'From heaven!'
"The women had long and beautiful hair, but the men had no beardswhatever. They painted their bodies with the red earth so common onthe island, and adorned their heads with the feathers of brilliantbirds.
"They lived mostly in the open air, and slept in hammocks under thetrees. They made their hammocks out of the wild cotton you have seengrowing in the fields. The women spun and wove this into the only cloththey ever used.
"They had no gardens. They had no need to plough and plant, for naturegave them all they needed. There were many fruits growing wild then,as now. They picked the delicious mangoes, bananas, and custard-appleswhich were so plentiful. They gathered the yams and maize which alsogrew wild all over the island. What more could they wish?"
"I should think they would have liked a little meat once in awhile,"said Maria, who had been very much interested in everything her fathersaid.
"'IT IS LIKE A BIG LIZARD'"]
"Certainly," he replied, "these savages liked hunting, and oftenbrought home game to be roasted. They were very fond of the meat of theiguana. You have often seen this reptile, Maria."
"Oh, I know," she replied; "Ramon shot one only the other day. It islike a big lizard."
"Yes, that is true. The Indians also hunted the voiceless dog, as wesometimes call the creature even now. I hardly know why the Spaniardsgave it such a name. It is more like a rabbit than any other animal.There were great numbers on the island in the old times."
"You said the Indians slept mostly in hammocks," said Maria. "Didn'tthey have any houses?"
"Oh, yes, but they stayed in them very little, except during therains. They built them of wood and palm leaves. They were clusteredtogether in villages. Sometimes there were two or three hundred housesin one settlement, while several families used one house in common."
"How did they defend themselves?" Maria asked, as her father stoppedspeaking.
"They had lances pointed with sea shells, and wooden swords," hereplied. "These were more for show than for use, for you know theywere a sober, peaceful people. Such weapons would have been of littleuse if they had tried to fight with the Spaniards. The easiest thingwould have been for them to leave the island and seek a new home. Butthey were not wise enough for that, although they had large canoes inwhich they might have travelled to some distance. They dug them out ofthe trunks of trees. Some of them were large enough to hold fifty men.Their oars were well shaped, but they used them only as paddles. Theyhad no row-locks.
"They were a happy people, although quiet and serious in most of theirways. They used to dance and sing at their merry-makings, and theirmusic was quite sweet."
"Papa dear, if you are not too tired, won't you tell me again about thegreat Spaniard who was entertained by the Indians? It was before theylearned to fear the white strangers, and they still believed they werefriends."
"Let me see, little daughter. Oh, yes, now I know whom you mean. I toldyou that story long ago. I am surprised you should remember it.
"It was Bartholomew Columbus, who was sent to act as governor duringthe admiral's absence. He passed from one place to another on theisland to collect tribute from the chiefs. These chiefs had alreadylearned how eager the Spaniards were for gold; so they gave it to thegovernor freely and cheerfully. That is, of course, those who had it.But if they could not give this they presented the white man withquantities of the wild cotton.
"There was one chief who prepared a grand entertainment in honour ofhis visitors. A procession of women came out to meet them, each onebearing a branch of the palm-tree. This was a sign of submission. Afterthe women, came a train of young girls with their long hair hangingover their graceful shoulders.
"A great feast was spread in the chief's palace and the visitors wereentertained with music and dancing. When night came, a cotton hammockwas given to each to sleep in.
"For four days the feasting and games and dancing were kept up. Thenthe visitors were loaded with presents and their dark-coloured hostskept them company for quite a distance as they journeyed onward to thenext stopping-place.
"Could any people do more to show themselves friendly than these poor,gentle savages? Ah! how sadly they were repaid for their trust in thewhite men!
"But come, we have thought enough about the past. Let us return to thepresent and the great things that are daily happening around us."
CHAPTER X.
THE MERRIMAC.
EVERY day now was full of excitement for the Diaz family. Letters wereoften brought to the house by some secret messenger. Each time theytold of some new and surprising event.
The insurgents were braver than ever before. They dared more becausethey knew of the good friends coming to help them. Yes, the UnitedStates was getting troops ready to meet the Spaniards on Cuban soil.And our great war-ships were gathering also. They, too, were coming tohelp Cuba.
The great battle-ship _Oregon_ was speeding through two oceans thatshe, also, might take part. The eyes of the whole world were watchingher voyage, and millions of people were praying for her safety. How welove the _Oregon_ to-day and the brave captain and sailors who broughther safely through her long journey!
One little American boy, only nine years old, felt so sorry for thesuffering children of Cuba that he wrote these words:
"War, war, war on Spain, Who blew up our beautiful, beautiful _Maine_. Think of the poor little Cuban dears, Think of their hardships, their sorrows, their tears, Who die every day for the want of some food; Wouldn't you be in a fighting mood? Then hurrah! for the soldiers who nobly do fight In the cause of the weak and for Nature's great right."
This is not very good poetry, but it shows the deep feeling of ourchildren for their little Cuban cousins.
Maria, in her pretty little home under the palm-trees, was spared, yet,as she and we knew, there were thousands of children no older thanherself who suffered and died before Cuba was free. Our little cousinwas delighted when she knew that the American fleet was actually closeto the shores of her land.
But the Spanish war-vessels were here too. They were lying in theharbour of Santiago. It was at the other end of the island, but newspassed from one to another very quickly among the insurgents. Ramondrew pictures of the two fleets as he imagined they looked. He madenew pictures every day. How he longed to see them with his own eyes! Ireally fear that he would have run away from home and joined the armyat this exciting time, if he had not loved his parents so dearly.
Why did the Spanish fleet stay in the harbour of Santiago? Why didthey not go out and meet the American war-ships? Were they afraid? Itcertainly seemed so. They believed they were in a very safe place.There was only a narrow entrance to the harbour. It was defended ateach side of this opening, for on the left were new batteries which hadlately been set up, and on the right was the grand old M
orro Castlewhich had stood there for hundreds of years. In the olden times it haddefended Cuba against her enemies more than once.
"Morro" means hill, and the fortress at Santiago was well named, forit is built on a rocky promontory several hundred feet high, at thejunction of the open sea and the San Juan River.
Mines were sunk in the narrow entrance to the harbour so that, if theAmerican ships should dare to enter, they would explode these mines andbe destroyed like the _Maine_. It was no wonder the Spanish admiralthought they were safe in staying where they were.
Then it happened that a young American thought of a plan by which theSpaniards might be caught in a trap. His name was Lieutenant Hobson.It was a very daring plan, but he was a wonderfully brave man.
He said to Admiral Sampson, who commanded the American fleet:
"Let me take the _Merrimac_. It is a coaling vessel and very heavy.It has six hundred tons of coal on board. We can place torpedoes indifferent parts of the ship. A few men can help me sail her into thechannel. When the narrowest part is reached we will fire off thetorpedoes and escape from her before she sinks. That is, we will do soif we can. But the _Merrimac_ will be across the narrow channel and theSpanish ships cannot get out. Our own ships will then be free to attackanother part of the island. The Spanish seamen will have to remainwhere they are till they are glad to surrender."
Admiral Sampson had thought of many plans, but he liked this one ofLieutenant Hobson's best of all.
But who should be chosen to go with the brave man on this dangerouserrand? Chosen! Why, there were hundreds who asked to share his danger,and only six could go with him. You would have thought it was somegreat festival they longed to take part in, if you could have seen howdisappointed the men were, who had begged to go and were refused.
But no, it was a fight with death. To begin with, the _Merrimac_ mustpass the batteries and Morro Castle. She and those on board mighteasily be destroyed before she reached the place where the work wasto be done. And then, when her own torpedoes should be fired off, howcould Hobson and his men expect to escape from the sinking ship?
But they were risking their lives in the cause of those who neededtheir help. You and I know now that they were brought safely throughall the dangers which surrounded them.
The _Merrimac_ passed the guns of the Morro unharmed, for the Spaniardswere poor marksmen. She reached the narrow channel where Hobson meantto do his great work. But a shot from the batteries knocked away herrudder, so they could not steer her across the narrow channel. Thena great mine exploded under her and tore a big hole in her side. Shebegan to sink.
Hobson and his men lay flat upon the deck. Shells and bullets camewhizzing about them. They dared not rise, even though the ship wasbreaking apart as the shells crashed through her sides.
At length the _Merrimac_ had sunk so low that the water was up to herdeck. A raft floated close to the men. It was one they had brought withthem to help in escaping. They caught hold of the edges and kept theirheads above water.
Just then a Spanish launch drew near. The men on board were about tofire when Hobson cried out and asked if an officer were in the boat, ashe wished to surrender. Admiral Cervera, the commander of the Spanishfleet, had himself sent the boat. He ordered the firing to cease andaccepted Hobson and his men as prisoners of war.
When the news of Hobson's brave deed reached Maria, she could think ofnothing else for days afterward. She would picture him in his cell atMorro Castle, looking out to sea where the American fleet were stillcruising.
"How proud of him they must all be!" she cried to Ramon.
"They can't be any prouder of him than we are to have such friends ashe," the boy replied. "Why, he will be looked upon now as one of thegreatest heroes the world ever knew. I shall always be proud of MorroCastle because of his having been confined there.
"You know, we went all over the place when we were little, Maria. Ibelieve he is kept prisoner in that part of the castle which is builtover the water cave. You know we heard that he can look far out on thesea from his windows.
"Think of the dungeons underneath, where people were locked up yearsago. We peeked into one of them that day we visited the fortress and Iremember how dark and damp they were. I do hope Hobson is treated welland won't have to stay at Morro very long."
CHAPTER XI.
VICTORY.
IT was only a few mornings after the news of Hobson's brave venture.The children were out in the garden, where Ramon had discovered achameleon on a grass plot. It was a sunny day, so perhaps that was thereason the chameleon's skin was such a bright green.
"You know how gray they look on dull days," said Ramon. "Perhaps ifI should put him on the branch of that tree, now, he would change toa brownish tint, to look as much as possible like it. He's a stupidlittle thing, though. If he does change colour, I don't believe heknows it himself. Mother Nature takes care of him, you know, andmakes him change as a kind of protection. He has no way of defendinghimself, but if he is of the same colour as the substance around him,it is hard for his enemies to find him.
"Oh, dear! it makes me laugh when I think of a battle I once sawbetween two chameleons. They stood facing each other. Their smalleyes glared as they slowly opened and shut their jaws like pairs ofscissors. They moved about once a minute. I did not have time to seewhich won the battle; it took too long a time for them to do anything."
As the children stood watching the lizard they heard the sound of hoofsdown the road. Then there was a cloud of dust as a horseman came ridingrapidly along. He turned in at the driveway.
"What news? What news?" cried Ramon, who rushed to meet him.
It was an old friend of the family who had given secret help to theCuban soldiers throughout their struggle for freedom.
"Of course, you knew the American troops had landed, didn't you? Well,run in and ask your father to come out. I can only stop a moment and Ihave much to tell him."
The gentleman had hardly stopped speaking before Senor Diaz appeared onthe veranda. He was told about the position of the Americans not farfrom Santiago. They had met General Garcia, the brave leader of theinsurgents. The Cuban and American armies were now working together.Battles had already been fought with the common enemy.
But that which interested the children most was the story of the RoughRiders and their daring charges at El Caney and San Juan Hill. Manyof these Rough Riders were men who had led a wild life on the plainsin America. Some of them had no book-learning; they were not what oneusually calls "gentlemen;" but they were great horsemen and bravesoldiers. They feared nothing in the world.
They were commanded by Colonel Wood, and had been recruited byLieutenant-Colonel Roosevelt, who had been out on the plains among themwhen a young man. He admired their spirit and was glad to be theircommander now. He knew their ways. He led them up the San Juan heightswhen the enemy was protected by forts and shooting right and left atthe Americans. But the Rough Riders charged onward with great courageand gained the summit. They took possession of the blockhouse at thetop, and killed most of the Spaniards and drove the rest away. It was aglorious fight and a glorious victory.
"A few more deeds like that, and war and trouble will be ended for us,"said the gentleman as he rode away to carry the good news to others.
"Hurrah for Lawton and Roosevelt!" shouted Ramon as he danced aboutthe garden. "Santiago will soon be out of the hands of the Spaniards,and they will be clearing out of Cuba altogether. It seems as though Icould not rest without shaking hands with our American friends."
The dear boy did not have long to wait, for the very next day came thenews that the Spanish fleet had been destroyed. It had tried to escapeout of the harbour, but had been discovered by the watchful Yankees. Ina few hours all of Spain's war-ships had been sunk or driven ashore.
What was now left for Cuba's tyrants? The battle-ships of the GreatRepublic were ranged along her shores unharmed and strong as ever.The Spanish troops were shut up in the city without hope of escape.Surrender was the only thi
ng possible to ward off great loss of life onboth sides.
The Spanish commander made a formal surrender to General Shafter, andSpain's empire in the West Indies came to an end almost on the veryspot where it had begun four hundred years before.
And now the mines were taken out of the harbour and our battle-shipscould enter in safety. As our vessels glided inside one after anotherthey made a wonderful picture. The harbour seemed alive with boats, andit looked like a floating city.
Still grander was the sight on land when thousands gathered around thegovernor's beautiful palace at Havana to see the stars and stripes ofAmerica unfurled. As the flag spread its folds to the breeze, the bandstruck up the air we love so well. It was the "Star Spangled Banner."Boom! boom! went the cannon, and thousands of American and Cuban heartswere filled with joy.
"Victory! Victory!" shouted Ramon, when the good news reached him thatnight. And "Victory!" cried little Isabella, who added with all herchildish might, "Long live Cuba." Even the parrot echoed the words ofthe children. He seemed to feel that something very great must havehappened, for his voice was shriller than usual.
In fact, the family could have no peace in the house, even if therewere peace all over Cuba, till Master Poll's cage had been covered witha thick, dark cloth, and he was made to believe that night had suddenlyfallen upon his home.
CHAPTER XII.
HAVANA.
"CHILDREN, would you like to go to Havana and visit our good friendSenor Alvarez for a week? He has invited us all to come and talk overthe good fortune that has come to our land. You can have a good timeseeing the sights."
Our Little Cuban Cousin Page 4
