the printing office presents each lady member of our party
with a piece of Cuban dance music, upon the cover of which is printed a
few words of dedication, accompanied by the lady's own name in full.
Whilst wondering at the magic by which this mark of attention has been
quietly accomplished, we descend to the ground floor, and are again met
by the courteous proprietor, who presents each gentleman visitor with a
newly-made packet of cigarettes upon which, lo! and behold! are our
names. It is pleasing to see one's name in print, and when it is
witnessed on an ordinary Havana cigarette packet, the charm is greatly
augmented.

Before taking leave of our civil host, we are invited to comment upon
what we have seen, in the visitors' book, and you may be sure that our
observations are not unfavourable to the courteous proprietor and his
interesting exhibition. Susini & Son have published a thick pamphlet
containing a list of names and remarks of distinguished visitors to his
establishment. It is a curious work in its way, for the epigrammatic
effusions are varied, amusing, and composed in at least half a dozen
languages. Some of the authors have chosen a poetic style of commentary,
while others content themselves with matter-of-fact prose. A well-known
signature is here and there recognisable among these cosmopolitan
productions. A famous Italian opera star has rhymed in her native lingo;
a popular French acrobat--possibly one of a company of strolling
equestrians--has immortalised himself in Parisian heroics. M.
Pianatowsky, the Polish fiddler, has scrawled something incomprehensible
in Russian or Arabic--no matter which; while Mein Herr Van Trinkenfeld
comes out strong in double Dutch. Need I add that the immortal Smith of
London is in great force in the book, or that his Queen's English is
worthy of his world-wide reputation?

We are in the act of quitting the Honradez establishment, when it
suddenly occurs to one of us that, after all that has been said and
seen, we have failed to watch a cigarette in actual process of
manufacture. What! have we presided at a performance of 'Hamlet' with
the hero omitted; or are the component parts of cigarettes planted in
the ground to sprout out ready-made like radishes?

I return and ask for information on this subject.

'Perdonen, ustedes,' says our hospitable friend, 'I had forgotten to
tell you that our cigarrillos are rolled by the presidiarios.'

What's a 'presidiario'? A 'pr