The times., 1898-11-14
A TROPICAL SUNSET.

ship Butuan. among the Philippine ISL
ands. writer in the New York Sun says:
Formal notice was served on the cap
tain of the port that the Butuan would
leave Manila for Iloilo at o'clock yester-
day afternoon. But this was because the
ship was owned by Englishmen. The real
hour Of departure was o'clock this morn
ing, and by that time the natives and
Spaniards who began to prepare for a
start at the advertised time were ready
and aboard. We got word in the middle
OF the afternoon contidentially that the
ship would not leave>her berth until this
morning. So we didn't board until mid
night
AT half past there was a fearful
racket on deck. Seven or eight ancient
Spaniards in steel armor were bein,
dragged up and down by the heels. Moth
ing else could make such a row. We
rolled out and found that they were only
heaving anchor. It's a process which re-
quires an extensive knowledge of rracti-
cal mechanics and higher mathematics,
to say nothing of astronomy, navigation,
astrology and ethnolosy. to describe. The
amazing thing about ii was that 1t work
ed, and. after the dreadful hammering
and humping had proceeded for three
quarters of an hour or more, the anchor
was weighed and we were on down the
Pasig.
You lie in your big chair and fitfully
read, doze and gaze at the far lines of
blue-green hills that climb up out of the
sea on each side. As the vessel rounds
down along the Batangas coast, bell
rings and some one says breakfast is
f- In.pn
twenty passengers in the cabin. and they
all crowd into the twelve by twelve sa-
loon and find places about the two tables.
AT the end of one is the captain, a sharp
faced young Spaniard. who spreads his
elbows clear across the table and gives
marvellous example of sword swallow
ing. The meal begins with wine and ends
with boiled custard and guava jelly-and
they call it breakfast. But you'd better
eat IL. There'n be no more until D
o'clock
The hills of Batangas fade out in
purple mist and disappear. Over the star
board bow rise out of the shining sea the
green wooded uplands of Mindoro Dark
clouds hang over them. occasionally veil
ing them in mist. So all the afternoon
bright sunshine in Luzon. gloom over Min
doro. and the sea alternately green and
flashing under the unclouded sun, or sui
len and lashed into foam by a yeering
squall. And the sunset over Mindoro. a
sunset that filled all the world with glory
and died away in a last sanguinary stroke
only when the moon tInged with silver
the bloodstains on the cloudbanks. II be-
gan far away in the east. where a single
plllar or white. fieecy cloud suddenly set
us danger signal of flame along its length
Inc little spots of white that had sur
rounded 1t at respectful distance huddIed
together as if in fright or dismay. A
careless wanderer in the south blushed to
the eyes at the sight. Athwart the north
mashed lance of cleaning scarlet. Then
down behind the high. dark hills the sun
uhmasked his batteries for the last on
siauGht of the day.
Charge after charge of molten fire he
hurried up into the solid cloudbanks gath
cred above the hilltops Streaked and
SCATTERED with flame and blood the,
stood to their work. but their ranks wera
broken and scattered by the fierce at
tack. Their dull gray uniform took on
the hues of battle. and in detachments
tney were purple and b,ue and black and
bronze and deep violet. The warning
signals that had flashed round the
heavens brought re-enforcements from
every quarter. From the cold north
long column OF Royal Lalcers in brilliant
apple green supported the charge of the
duh red heavy dragons. In the east the
beacon fires famed up in a last desp rate
call for help. In the south the first reck-
less wanderer was gathering a violet
host
Over Mindoro the conflict ragged and the
glory of it filled the heavens Half way
up a blue-black hill a solid column of
steel-gray stopped and threw a brigade
nraatnffatc
black hill beyond The fiame-coated war
riors of the sun, advancing from Their in
trenchments on the eastern slopes. gained
the heights and tipped the peaks with
fire. For an instant the contest held an
equal balance. then back on their sup
ports on the blue-black hills fell the hosts
of purple and gray. Across the hiut ps
the flame soldiers threw brilliant BAN
ner of yellow. that fiecked with the my
Rad red stains of conflict stretched from
the cold green north far over the cohorts
of violet gathering in reserve in the
south. From blue hill to blue hill the
steel-gray re-enforcements swarmed
across this bridge to renew the attack,
The violet squadrOns of the south moved
up in solid column. Slowly the flame
coats gave way. Back over the ground
they had won they went Their ri,liant
banner OF NetloN came uoNh liplA IAAS
peaks The green lancers from the cold
north streamed after them. The gray
hosts climbed higher and higher, and
massed in triumph on the hilltops.
But the fame coats were not beaten.
Down through the precipitous valley they
marched, and, fianking the gray-clad
armies on the peaks. attacked the bridge.
Little detachments of flame scouts and
skirmishers ran along its timbers and
arches and beams and turned them into
fire. The glare of the confiagration shot
up to the hilltops and warned the green
lancers and their gray and purple allies.
For a moment there was commotion and
uncertainty \ great rose-pink courier
leaped off the highest peak and dashed
down TO the bridge. But it was the last
rally of the flame coats The violet
squadrons from the south engulfed them
at the instant of their success. A single
beacon famed in the south, proclaimins
the victory. In the cold north spire
of green responded The gorgeous con-
fiict was over"