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guayaba sweet, corn, bananas and mangoes: ‘There is no monotony in the land-
scape and the magnificent view is always different ...’
He went to the so-called Bellamar caves and admired the crystalline formations of
the rocks and the beauty of the nature underground. ‘The caves were discovered
three years ago accidentally and now his owner makes a lot of money: $15,000
yearly. They are 360 feet under the ground . At guide was in front of us lighting
the gas lamps and we have to go down a long stair. I paid $1 for the entrance and
$2 for some remarkable crystals I wanted to keep ...’
He travelled to the sugar mill ‘La Flor de Cuba’, where he describes all the build-
ings as well as the process of the sugar production: ‘After the cane is cut it is car-
ried and pile up in a two-wheel cart moved by oxen (fig. 2). It is very hard work.
The owner Francisco Arrieta showed me the whole place, which is huge, and very
beautiful, all the buildings are like little castles. The slaves look miserable because
they are badly treated, just a little better than animals. They eat only twice a day,
at 12 o’clock and at six. There are 354 African slaves (fig. 3) and 226 Chinese
workers. They need the Chinese in order to substitute the Africans little by little.
The poor Chinese have to work 10 hours a day during 8 years and earn only $4
monthly....’
Fig. 2 – Slaves packing sugar cane in oxen cart