The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-01-26

steam In the bay ready 20 leave Cor Ceuta
me Spanish penal settlement In Africa
santiago II the ancient capital Of Cuba
AZ stands CT slopsng ground ~ the head CT
magnificent land-iocked harbor, ard ell
GROUND. IN an araphithea:er, are mountains
snd Ioress-a lovely place. but fatal ere
Tor tns spanish soldiers. The iowa itself In
whited sspulcher. The streets are mar
row and the place Hi.hy beyond all words;
the neat 10 only varied by tropical showers,
winch fau every afternoon through the
summer and autumn nonths-rzsn 50 heavy
tnat IN few minutes the streets sloping
down TO the bay are like muddy mount
an streams, carrying with them ali
KINDS OF rubbish and refuse Everywhere
the yellow fever Is abroad. but it IL par
tlcuiarly deadly among the Spanish TROOPS
tow many de Sc never made known The
DEAD are carried away and buried by night
and az one hospital q hole was cut IN The
wan facing the burial ground that the SOL
ofers outside might not see the nightly pro-
cessions. The Spanish soldiers stalk aoou.
the streets in their dirty white linen mi
forms and big straw hats, locking pale ard
thin; they are badly fed. and suffer every
Kind Of prtvation. Boys, for the most part
unde- -, they are unaccustoned 10 the ell
mate and By exposure are made unit TO
battle with IL
How He Joined the Insurgents.
For more than q week stayed at Santi-
ago, trying 70 devise some scheme for get
ting through the lines. and day BY day. an
TIE various plans rniscarried, the chances of
success seemed 10 grow smaller. The east
est course would have been to visit one OF
the plantations which lay outside the lines:
so on landing I professed the greatest In
teresf IN sugar cane. and importuned the
governor for the all-necesary pass. From
the first, however, l fell under SUSPICION
" fsU cEa nh
watched what did and TO whom I spoke.
One cu.oan was warned by a friend Of his
N the government that he had better Eot
be seen IN my company. and those who
might have helped me began 10 fight shy OF
me.
Everywhere the talk was OF the reyoiu-
ton From hour TO hour new rumors took
shape and grew, and there was the incss-
SAINT story OF skirmishes and heavy fight
ing. Everything was rumored, but nothing
was known for certain. and IL was impos-
sible TO learn where the insurgent forces
were. or how TO reach them had only a
very few weeks to spare: my time was
passing, and nothing whatever had been
done, every one had some plan which had
TO be arranged. and at the last moment
would declare that he found Il impossible.
The spirit Of the place the word which vas
IN every ones mouth was tomorrow" To-
day one had TO sit idly in yeranda smok-
Ing innumerable cigars, knowing that moth
Ing Was being done, and that the morrow
would probably be the same.
One good fellow-an American-was
bound Tor point along the coast In
small fishing boat He was willing 10 take
me, but as had no pass, and ii was as inn
possible 10 leave without one by sea as by
land, together We brioed the padrone Of the
boat 10 hide me under some sacks in the
bows. he was persuaded, though much
-
sight over night, and first thing in the
morning we were to sail. The plan was well
laid, but Ike dozen others. fell through 81
the very last. and I had to stay behind,
The sailor who worked the boat with the
padrone was of a tImid disposition, and alb
solutely declined to risk transportation for
a Few pieces Of money! sensible view as
1t turned out, for just as the boat was pre-
pairing 10 sail the port officers came and
searched her from top to bottom
To be shut up in the town was insuffar-
able. and i saw that IL wanted TO get out
would have to go out alone and the hest
way could. My plan was in some way or
other to reach my friend who had vanished
In the boat. and who would be able to help
me In Joining some rebel force. To get
there. however, IL would be necessary TO
take 70 the mountains, since there were
Spanish troops between him and the town
IL was awkward. not understanding Span
ish, but ! learned the phrase. 'I desire to
avoid the Spanish troops" ana started che
evening just as i stood. save for pockets
heavily loaded with cigars. Next day I
was with the insurgents. came success
fully 10 some Iron mines on the coast and
there learned that party OF insurgents
were coming down from the mountains that
night TO fetch dispatches. and TO them at
tsched myself.
The eastern end OF Cuba is mountainous
al viii .rsrc
The vegetation Is semi-tropical. and the
creepers and underground present SO for
midahe an obstacle 10 progress that when.
as was very frequently the case. it proved
necessary to pass round some particularly
impossible bit OF the road. the man riding in
front had 10 open out way with his ma
chete-the large knife OF the country,
which IN times OF peace serves TO cut the
cane. ana In times OF war is carried as a
side arm
The first ride had with the insurgents
shera were two OF them. a captain and a
trooper-was through the most wonderful
scenery have ever seen. All night we sNods
through forest. and always in an upward
direction; there was a fun moon. and now
ana again we could look down on the sea
which lay below and up at the wooded peaks
ahove.
In the Camp OF tho Patriots.
For two hours we slept beside our horses
while they rested. and were pressing on
again tefore daylight. we wished 10 get
70 one Of the camps b. the following even
ing. and the nearest was st.u long way tn.
The tracks were exceedingly bad soma
times deep in mud, and AT others prscipit-
Gus and covered with loose rocks. over
which the horses climbed like monkeys.
All day we pressed on. always AZ a slow
walk and IN single fils. now and again pull
ing Up 70 give a challenge, for We were near
the Spanish forces snd did not know whom
we might fell IN with. It had been a long
ride and the horses were dead tired. They
had been going almost incesantly through
the whole day ard the greater part OF the
night. II had been terribly hot. and only
once in the early morning had We had any
thing to eat. We we're worn out; and when
after sunset we found we had lost our way
and were wandering no and down wooded
valleys which all locked exactly alike. we
became thoroughly dispirited. Late that
evening we came 70 the insurgent outpost
and heard the challenge given from the
darkness above US: and as We rode through
the guard we saw through the trees the fires
OF the rebel camp. IL vas situated on a tri-
angular spur Of land; behind aud above
were the mountains. end Far below was the
level coast land, ard beyond II again the
sea
Col. yaileriano. u'ulatto. had occupied
thi. position for many weeks with few
Cuban officers and force OF 10 men, most
OF whom were negroes. Down below on the
coast. about ten miles on. were encampsi
thu spaniarts. some ? 90 Or 5000 strong.
The insurgents lay IN their way. n handful
81 men IN a strong position. and the Span
iards had made no move against them
The Standards moved out from their camp
the morning after my arrival. TIE insu--