herent vice only resulted in transferring the
gambling-tables of the private houses devoted to the purpose into the
public restaurants, which was not much of an improvement.

In one important matter he was more successful; namely, in instituting
a system of police, and rendering the streets of Havana, which were
formerly infested with robbers, as secure as those of most of our
American cities. But his reforms were all consummated with a rude,
arbitrary arm, and in a military fashion. Life or property were
counted by him of little value, if either required to be sacrificed
for his purpose. Many people fell before his relentless orders. There
was undoubtedly much of right mingled with his wrongs, but if he left
lasting monuments of energy and skill behind him, he also left many
tombs filled by his victims. Notwithstanding all, there seemed to be
throughout his notable career a sort of romantic spirit of
justice--wild justice--prompting him. Some of the stories still
current relating to him go far to show this to have been the case,
while others exhibit the possibilities of arbitrary power, as
exercised in the contract with Captain Marti.

On January 6th, the day of Epiphany, the negroes of Havana, as well as
in the other cities of the island, make a grand public demonstration;
indeed, the occasion may be said to be given up to them as a holiday
for their race. They march about the principal streets in bands, each
with its leader got up like a tambour major, and accompanied by rude
African drum notes and songs. They are dressed in the most fantastic
and barbarous disguises, some wearing cow's horns, others masks
representing the heads of wild beasts, and some are seen prancing on
dummy horses. All wear the most gorgeous colors, and go from point to
point on the plazas and paseos, asking for donations from every one
they meet. It is customary to respond to these demands in a moderate
way, and the greatest reasonable latitude is given to the blacks on
the occasion; reminding one of a well-manned ship at sea in a dead
calm, before the days of steam, when all hands were piped to mischief.
But what it all means except improving a special occasion for
wholesale noise, grotesque parading, and organized begging, it will
puzzle the stranger to make out. Among the colored performers there is
but a small proportion of native Africans, that is, negroes actually
imported into Cuba; most of them are direct descendants, however,
from p