The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and (14598335028)

Identifier: worldsinhabitant00bett (find matches)
Title: The world's inhabitants; or, Mankind, animals, and plants; being a popular account of the races and nations of mankind, past and present, and the animals and plants inhabiting the great continents and principal islands
Year: 1888 (1880s)
Authors: Bettany, G. T. (George Thomas), 1850-1891
Subjects: Civilization Culture
Publisher: London Ward, Lock
Contributing Library: Robarts - University of Toronto
Digitizing Sponsor: University of Toronto



Text Appearing Before Image:
a small proportion of the island is reclaimed or cultivated. Sugar is the staple crop, as in most of the West Indian Islands, while tobacco takes the second place. It shares, however, with Virginia the affections of lovers of the weed, for it was there that the natives invented cigars, which they called tabacos, and there the best are still made. Havana, the capital of Cuba, is a remarkably fine city, but in many ways European, although its church towers do not conform to old-world architectural ideas. Its boulevards, theatres, cafes, gardens,and fine houses are the result of its many sugar warehouses and cigar factories. The massive houses are rarely of two stories; andthe tropical influence is felt so much, that instead of glass, the greatwindows are filled with gaily-coloured iron gratings. The brightness is confined to the better quarters, for a great part of the city is overloaded with filth in the streets, and the harbour is pestiferous when the wind isfrom the south. THE WEST INDIANS. 11
Text Appearing After Image:
(Image: Cuban Serenaders. 778 THE INHABITANTS OF AMERICA. Street noises are exceptionally vigorous in Havana. Mr, Gallenga in The Pearl of the Antilles, says, Where you have not the railway^you have the ferries, and trams, and steamers, and mail-boats starting at every hour. Blending with the racket of the traffic you have the never-ending peal of church bells—morning bells, evening bells, mid-night bells. Add to this the rolling of the 6,000 victorias, the tramwaycars, the omnibuses, the heavy waggons of every description, the clatter of the cafes and billiard rooms, making night hideous, the jabber, the Babel of voices, the twang of guitars, the squeak of fiddles, the morning gun from the guardship at daybreak, the slmll trumpets of the volunteers at drill,and, to crown all, the thumping at your door by some stupid waiter. Women are very scarce in Havana, among the whites at least, there being something like three males to one female; few but negresses are Women in to be seen. Respectable wome