n enormous extent of public buildings,
cathedrals, antique and venerable churches and convents, with the
palaces of nobles and private gentlemen of wealth, all render this
capital of Cuba probably the richest place for its number of square rods
in the world.

Beside the Royal University of Havana, a medical and law school, and
chairs on all the natural sciences, it contains many other institutions
of learning. It is true that, in spite of their liberal purpose and
capability, there is a blight, as it were, hanging over them all. Pupils
enlist cautiously, suffer undue restraint, and in spite of themselves
seem to feel that there is an unseen influence at work against the
spirit of these advantages. Among the schools are a Royal Seminary for
girls, a free school of sculpture and painting, a mercantile school,
also free, with many private institutions of learning, of course not to
be compared in ability or general advantages to like institutions with
us. There is a fine museum of Natural History, and just outside the city
walls a very extensive botanical garden. No one, even among the
islanders, who would be supposed to feel the most pride in the subject,
will for a moment deny, however, that the means for education are very
limited in Cuba. An evidence of this is perceptibly evinced by the fact
that the sons of the planters are almost universally sent abroad, mostly
to this country, for educational purposes. An order was not long since
promulgated, by direction of the home government, in which the
inhabitants are forbidden to send their children to the United States,
for the purpose of education. A bold, decided order.

Of course the reason for this is quite apparent, and is openly
acknowledged in Havana, viz:--that these youths, during their residence
here, adopt liberal ideas and views of our republican policy, which
become fixed principles with them; nor is there any doubt of this being
the case, for such students as have thus returned, unhesitatingly
(among friends) avow their sentiments, and most ardently express a hope
for Cuban independence; and this class, too, upon the island are far
more numerous than might at first be supposed. Those who have been
educated in France, Germany, and England, seem at once to imbibe the
spirit of those youths who have returned from the United States, and
long before there was any open demonstration relative to the first Lopez
expedition, these sons of the planters had formed themse