The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1894-04-19
PRIVATE BOX ArA BATTLE.
A Bright Girls Description of the En-.
gagement in Rio Harbor.

PRIVATE BOX AT A BATTLE.
A Bright Girls Description of the En-
gagement in Rio Harbor.
A. Old. Taylor, says the New
port, r. l., Meas, has received a
letter from his daughter, Miss Tay-
lor, who touched at Rio de Janeiro
on January goth, while on her way
on an English steamer to Buen os
Ayres. Miss Taylor was right i'll
the midst of the bombardment at
Rio, and following are extracts
from the letter:
Steamer Thames, Rio Harbor,
Jan. 20, 1901 must send you a
few lines to tell you OF the exciting
scenes going on around us at pre-
sent. We got outside Rio about
S P. NJ. yesterday evening and after
much whistling and signaling we
slowly proceeded inside the harbor,
passing between forts from which
cannon were being fired necessarily
at other forts, some reduced to ruins
and not worthy of more powder
and shot, but still flying the rebel
flag. 1t was and is exciting.
Sometimes we can hear the whist
ling screams made by the balls as
they pass by, but, of course, both
sides will take very good care not
to hit us, so it is like having. a
private box at a battle. A rebel
tug came alongside, without sim
gle light, looking very mysterious
and pirate-like, but am sorry to
say the Captain would not let any
of the crew on board. He went
down to the gangway and inter
viewed them there, which we CON
sidered mean, for we all wanted to
interview real live rebels.
"All night long the search-lights
were working round the harbor,
which is crowded with shipping.
Now, at 9 A. NJ, they have been
firing again ever since 4 o'clock,
and the New York is quite'near us,
masts shipped, guns out and all
ready for action. For it appears
that one side-I am not certain
which-says the merchantmen may
not land their cargoes. The other
says, Yes, they may, and all the
powers here have united to support
the latter There are five Ameri-
can gunboats, two English, some
French and Austrian and one TIA
liam. We have just heard that the
first merchant ship is going up,
protected by the New York, and
that if there is any trouble made
the latter would fire and all the
other ships support her. Of course
there will not be any fuss, but it is
exciting all the same.
Il have not said word about
the place itself. 1t is absolutely
lovely, the most exquisite blue
mountains surrounding a basin
ninety miles in circumference, the
lower hills completely built over,
and the hills in the distance having
the strangest and most picturesque
forms. But l shall write all about
it to you later on, and will also give
an account of the most charming
day we spent in Bahia, day to be
marked with white stone.
1.-THE heat is awful. l am sure
it was at least 90 deg. in my cabin
this morning, and during the night
sleep was simply out of the ques-
ton. All the pitch on deck in the
seams between the boards has been
boiling and bubbling in the sun,
and of conrse in here, surrounded
by the hills, we have no breeze at
all. l am perfectly well, however,
and you know there is not the
slightest danger in our position,
only thought it might interest you
to have letter written from the
midst of real bombardment.
1t is difficult to believe, after
all, that it is real. Those great,
solemn mountains and the wide
stretch of sea dwarf it all so, and it
seems like a lot Of naughty children
playing at war and firing off pop
guns.
How you both would have
enjoyed seeing the firing last night
1t was more effective in the dark
than in the morning. You saw the
fash long before you heard the
boom or saw the cloud of white
smoke. Then a cloud of sand,
smoke or debris showed that the
shell had struck; but, on the whole,
considering that they have been at
this work for five months, l do not
think much Of the accuracy of their
aim. Any decent marksman would
have blown the whole place to bits
long ago"