her than sheep.

Glass is scarcely known in Cuban windows; the glazier has yet to make
his debut in Havana. The most pretentious as well as the humblest of
the town-houses have the broad, high, projecting window, reaching from
floor to ceiling, secured only by heavy horizontal iron bars,
prison-like in effect, through which, as one passes along the narrow
streets, it is nearly impossible to avoid glancing in upon domestic
scenes that frequently exhibit the female portion of the family en
deshabille. Sometimes a loose lace curtain intervenes, but even this
is unusual, the freest circulation of fresh air being quite necessary.
The eye penetrates the whole interior of domestic life, as at Yokohama
or Tokio. Indeed, the manners of the female occupants seem to court
this attention from without, coming freely as they do to the windows
to chat with passers-by. Once inside of these dwelling-houses there
are no doors, curtains alone shutting off the communication between
chambers, sitting-rooms, and corridors. These curtains, when not
looped up, are sufficient to keep out persons of the household or
strangers, it being the custom always to speak, in place of knocking,
before passing a curtain; but the little naked negro children, male
and female, creep under these curtains without restraint, while
parrots, pigeons, and fowls generally make common use of all nooks and
corners of the house. Doors might keep these out of one's room, but
curtains do not. The division walls between the apartments in private
houses, like those in the hotels, often reach but two thirds of the
way up to the walls, thus affording free circulation of air, but
rendering privacy impossible. One reason why the Cubans all possess
such broad expanded chests is doubtless owing to the fact that their
lungs find free action at all times. They live, as it were, in the
open air. The effect of this upon strangers is seen and felt,
producing a sense of physical exhilaration, fine spirits, and a good
appetite. It would be impossible to live in a dwelling-house built in
our close, secure style, if it were placed in the city of Havana. The
laundress takes possession of the roof of the house during the day,
but it is the place of social gathering at night, when the family and
their guests enjoy the sea-breeze which sweeps in from the Gulf of
Mexico. On a clear, bright moonlight night the effect is very striking
as one looks across the house-tops, nearly all being upon a