San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1896-06-07
PRIMITIVE FARE.
The Native Soldiers OF Cuba Can
Live on Plants.
They Have Thorough knowledge of
the Woods and Can Find Those
Growths which VIII Sus-
tain Life.

One of the most disappointed men in
town is Capt. Bueneo, of the Cuban
army. The captain, who is member of
the largest banking house in San Diego,
Cuba, came TO New York last July on a
special mission. He soon finished his
business and has been trying ever since
to get back to fight with his company.
Twice he has attempted to get away,
once, it is said, on the Hawkins, and
again on the Bermuda. The second fail
ure, which resulted in his being held
in $4,000 bail to appear before the grand
jury, prevented him from going on the
vessel when she again weighed anchor
last Sunday morning.
81 was all through with my business
on July 90" said the captain, land here
am still, held by this bail until don't
know when. Every time I've tried to
get away something has happened. If
the people in charge of the Bermuda had
labeled their boxes, the government
would not have stopped the steamer and
Ishould have been back with my friends
by this time, with a chance to help them.
Here I can do nothing. 1 am useless.
"Look at Col. Perez there. He and
I began together. We were old school
mates, you know. He stayed and fought,
and now he is colonel. fl could have
gotten back I'd be a colonel, too, or
dead. Oh, well, the rainy season is COM
ing on, and after that the fever. That
will make the Spaniards sick. In the
last war 50 per cent. of them died of
fever-to say nothing of those we put
out of the way with our machetes and
bullets.
"Of course, they cannot ride at all.
Perez has told you about that; but
we can outmareh them, too. One night,
about year ago, VIC broke camp and
started TO meet Maceo and Marti. We
knew that they were to land about 40
leagues away. By noon the next day
we had marched IS leagues, but we were
not too tired to attack Spanish column
that came down on our flank, little to
the rear. We had lively fight until
five o'clock, when Maceo and Marti came
up. Then, together, we drove the enemy
out of sight.
eve ought to have been pretty tired
by that time. Don't you think so?
Well, we were not very fresh, but orders
were given to return by the route we
came, and, after hunting up something
to eat from what the Spaniards had
abandoned in their flight, we marched
back the whole IS leagues, reaching our
starting place the next afternoon. You
don't find any Spaniards to do that.
We couldn't If we weren't used to the
food and to the climate and hadn'tlived
out of doors all our lives.
Another thing in our favor, es-
pecially in the billy country, where the
woods are dense, is that we know what
plants and roots are good for food and
which poisonous. Almost anywhere in
Cuba there is enough stuff growing wild
to keep man alive, If he knows how
TO get it. We do; so we can go about
without q oommissary department. |
When we halt for breakfast or supper, |
there Is bugle call as signal to prepare |
to hunt-get our sacks ready, etc. Then
second call, meaning to disperse to the
woods. In a half-hour, perhaps, you
will see all the men back in camp, each |
with some fruit or vegetable that he
has plucked or dug out of the ground.
We eat these things and they agree with |
us. If the Spanish eat them much they |
have a pain in the stomach.
"All we need to drive the Spaniards out |
is supplies. We've more men than we |
can arm. So it is no use for anyone to !
come to us looking for job, unless
he knows something about artillery. |
Then we might use him, but 1 do not |
know certainly."-N Y. Press.