To Cuba and Back · Chapters

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Chapter companions for To Cuba and Back by Richard Henry Dana Jr..

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the narrative of his short absence to the Gentlemen of the Saturday Club.
Chapter 2
To Cuba and Back
The narrator recounts the initial departure from New York, the journey across the Gulf Stream, and the first impressions of Cuba, including the arrival in Havana and early observations of the landscape, people, and colonial atmosphere.
Chapter 3
I
The narrator departs from New York on the steamship Cahawba on February 12, 1859, describing the bustling pier, the diverse passengers, and the quiet efficiency of the ship's departure. The voyage begins with a snowy, cold night at sea, and the narrator walks the deck with the young captain, discussing the captain's regrets about leaving the navy due to limited promotion prospects. The narrator then moves to a quieter stateroom for better rest.
Chapter 4
II
The narrator describes the routine and discipline aboard the steamer Cahawba, the crossing of the Gulf Stream, and the sighting of the Florida coast. Observations are made on the effects of slavery and despotism on Cuban children, and the beauty of tropical nights at sea is contrasted with the harsh realities of shipwrecks and the Gulf Stream's dangers.
Chapter 5
III
The narrator describes a warm day at sea approaching Cuba, observing the diverse passengers aboard, including Northern and Cuban children. They sight the coast of Cuba, the Pan of Matanzas, and eventually Havana from the sea, but arrive after dark and cannot enter the harbor. The ship spends the night off Havana, with the narrator enchanted by the moonlit sea and the Morro Lighthouse.

Dedication

To Cuba and Back

I

II

III