Travels in the United States, etc.,: during 1849 and 1850./ By the Lady Emmeline Stuart Wortley.

THIE MORRO CASTLE.
The Morro Castle is exceedingly striking and imposing. This
strong and formidable fortress is built on the solid rock, and almost
appears to form a part of it, so steadfast and enduring seem its
massive towers and walls and battlements; looking stern and gloomy
as an old northern feudal fortress, notwithstanding a few light,
plumy cocoa-nut palmns cast their delicate shadows on the grasscovered banks near the stately castle.
The harbor is one of the very finest in the world, sufficiently
deep for the largest vessels, and capacious enough to accommodate
a fleet of a thousand ships, or more. There is a narrow entrance
to this splendid harbor (fiom whose magnificence the city received
the name of" La Havana"-as the harbor, par excellence, I believe
-and vet I think the present Spanish word for harbor and haven
is "puerto"). This entrance, indeed, is so narrow that only a
single ship can enter at once, and it is fortified the whole length
with strong works, platforms, and artillery. Opposite to the Morro
Castle there is another fort, called the Puntal. This is connected
with the city to the north. The Morro is built in a triangular
form: it is fortified strongly with bastions, and mounted with many
pieces of cannon, which are almost aftezir d'ead. The city itself
stands on the western side of its noble harbor, and is extensively
surrounded by ramparts, bastions, and trenches. In addition to
the fortifications already enumerated, it is surmounted with works,
which are all of them supplied with a vast profusion of artillery.
I hear that they have been lately strengthening and improving the
various formidable fortifications, in anticipation of a threatened
visit firom the Americans. The large fortress, called the Cabainas,
stands near the Morro Castle, and covers a great deal of ground;
numbers of soldiers were seen clambering up, or half-sliding down
its steep sides.
We found the British steamer, bound for Jamaica, waiting for
the "Thames." It was nearly evening before we landed, and
found ourselves in a very comfortable American hotel, kept by
Mr. Fulton, of New Orleans. WTe found Mr. Kennedy, who is
flow acting as consul in the absence of Mr. Crawford, obligingly
waiting to see us. He told us Lord Durham was here, and very
ill, having caught a fever at Jamaica; but Havana itself appears
to be quite healthy just now. The heat, however, is very great
and oppressive, though we are in one of the coolest and fieshest
houses within the city. We are very near the entrance to the
harbor, and constantly a delightful refreshing breeze blows on our
broad balcony, and through the enormous window-gates that opeo
251