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CONTENTS.
| PAGE | |
| NOTES OF A PIANIST. | |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| First visit to Cuba—Havana—Forts Morro and Cabaña—Customhouse officers—Incident on the steamer from New Orleans—Counts M. de Cassato and Malaperta—Meeting of the counts in Spain—Singular coincidence—First evening in Havana—English travellers in Spain—Requisites for travelling—Southerner at Saratoga—Imbecility or bad faith of travellers in their accounts of slavery in Cuba—Illness and concert—Invited to palace by Marshal Serrano—Opera of 'Fête Champêtre Cubaine'—Grand concert of nearly nine hundred performers—Immense labour in getting it up—Opera troupes expected at Havana—Triumph of Traviata—Effect of Traviata on the ladies—Enthusiasm for La Gazzaniga—Parties of Frezzolini and Gazzaniga—La Cartesi—Strife renewed between the parties—Interference of authorities—Trip to Cardenas—Exports and trade with United States—Necessities of a Spanish city—Church and theatre; of a Yankee city, hotel, church, newspaper office, and concert hall—Concert at Cardenas—Return to Havana—Difficulties of the road | 89 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Country of the Antilles—Interior of Cuba—Sugar plantations—Treatment of slaves—Life at Caymito—Bats—Books—Le Sage—What renders the Spaniards unhappy—Embark for St. Thomas—St. Domingo and its associations—Tales at the fireside—Bras Coupé—Assassination in St. Domingo—Justification of the negroes—Escape of family to New Orleans—St. Thomas—Invitation from governor-general—Three concerts—Event of the evening—Chevalier de L—Frederick Barbaroussa—Buccaneers—Barbaroussa's tower and fortress—Negro traditions—St. Thomas a free port—The exchange of the two continents—A naval station of great importance—Yellow fever—Town of St. Thomas—Picturesque fêtes at the Port of France on the inauguration of the statue of the Empress Josephine—Concert—Visit to Mr. R. at Plazuela—Reception at Ponce—Concerts, ladies—Barcelona (la Côte ferme)—Escape of the Busati family—Hospitality of the Creoles—Madam Busati—Opera troupe wanted at St. Pierre—Professor of piano wanted—Regret on leaving Martinique—Piano made by Henri Herz—Reports of my death—Funeral homage to the bard of the tropics—Description of superb coloured engraving | 99 |
