The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-11-20
A SUNSET IN THE TROPICS.
Seen From the Deck of a Character
istic Philippine steamer.
From the New York Sun.

/ From the New L OIk sun.
! SIS. Butuan.-Formal notice was served
on the captain of the port that the Butuan
would leave Manila for Ilolio at O'Clock
yesterday afternoon. But this was be-
cause the ship was owned by English
men, The real hour of departure was 6
o'clock this morning, and by that time
the natives and Spaniards who began to
prepare for start at the advertised time
were ready and aboard. We got word in
! the middle of the afternoon conddentialy
that the ship would not leave her berth
until this morning. So We didn't board
until midnight.
! At $50 there was a fearful racket on
| deck. Seven or eight ancient Spaniards in
! steel armor were being dragged up and
down by the heels. Nothing else could
make such a row. We rolled out and
| found that they were only heaving anchor.
It's a process which requires an extern
! sive knowledge of practical mechanics and
higher mathematics, to say nothing of
astronomy; navigation, astrology and eth
nology, to describe. The amazing thing
| about 1t was that Ii worked, and, after
! the dreadful hammering and humping
had proceeded for three-quarters of an
hour or more, the anchor was weighed,
and we were off down the Pasig.
You lie in your big chair and ftfully
read. doze and gaze al the far lines of
bue-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
served 1t is 1880 O'clock. There are
twenty passengers in the cabin, and they
all crowd into the 12x12 saloon and find
! places about the two tables. At the end
OF one is the captain, sharp-faced young
| Spaniard, who spreads his elbows clear
across the table and gives a marvellous
example of sword swallowing The meal
begins with wine and ends with boiled
custard and guava jelly-and they call it
breakfast But you'd better eat it.
! There II be no more until O'clock
The hills of Batangas fade out In purple
mist and disappear. Over the starboard
bow rise out Of the shining sea the green
wooded upiands of Mindoro. Dark clouds
hang over them. occasionally yelling them
in mist So all the afternoon, bright sun
shine on Luzon, gloom over Mindoro. and
the sea alternately green and flashing un-
der the unclouded sun. or sullen and lash
ed into foam by veering squall. And the
sunset over Mndoro, a sunset that filled
all the world with glory and died away
in last sanguinary stroke only when the
moon tinged with silver the bloodstains
on the cloudbanks. 1t began far away In
the east, where a single pillar of white,
feecy cloud suddenly set its danger signal
of flame along Its length. The little spots
Of white that had surrounded 1t at re-
spectful distance for the last hour or
more turned rose pink and huddled togeth-
er, as If In fright or dismay. careless
wanderer in the south blushed to the eyes
at the sight. Athwart the north flashed a
dance of cleaning scarlet. Then down be-
hind the high. dark hills the sun unmask-
ed his batteries for the last onslaught of
the day.
Charge after charge of molten fire he
hurled up into the solid cloudbanlss gath
cred above the hilltops. Streaked and
spattered with fame and blood, they stood
to their work. but their ranks we're brok-
en- and scattered by the fierce attack
Their dull gray uniform took on the
hues of battle, and in attachments they
wele purple and blue and black and
bronze and deep violet. The warning sig
nails that had flashed round the heavens
brought reinforcements from every quar-.
ter. From the cold north a long column
of Royal Lancers in brilliant apple greer
supported the charge of the dull red heavy
dragons. In the east the beacon fires
famed up in last desperate call for helI
In the south the first reckless wanedrel
was gathering a violet host.
| over 0AlHQOTO the tODlliCI IdB6u anu inc
glory of it filled the heavens. Half way VI
blue black hill, a solid column of steel
gray stopped and threw bridge across a
precipitous valley to the huge blue-blacb
hill beyond. The fame-coated warriors
of the sun. advancing from their intrench-
ments on the eastern slopes gained the
nights and tipped the peaks with fire For
an instant the contest held an equal bal
ance, then back on their supports on the
and gray. Across the hilltops the flame
soldiers threw a brilliant banner of yell
low, that f1ecked with the myriad red
stains of conflict stretched from the cold
green north far over the cohorts of VIC
let gathering in reserve in the south From
blue hin to blue hill the steel-gray rein
forcements swarmed across this bridge tc
renew the attack. The violet suuadrone
of the south moved up in solid column
Slowly the flame coats gave way Then
brilliant banner Of yellow came down from
the peaks. The green lancers from the
cold north streamed after them The gray
horse climbed higher and higher and
massed in triumph on the hilltops. But
the flame coats were not beaten. Down
through the precipitous valley they march.
ed and, thanking the gray-clad armies or
the peaks, attacked the bridge. Little
detachments OF fame scouts and Skin.
mishers ran along it's timbers and arches
and beams and turned them into fire The
glare of the conhagration shot up to the
hilltops and warned the green lancers and
their gray and purple allies. For a mo.
ment there was commotion and uncer.
tainty A great rose-pink courier Ieaped
off the highest peak and dashed down tc
the bridge. But it was the last rally OF
the flame coats. The violet sauadrons
from the south engulfed them at the In
slant of their success. A single beacon
famed in the south, proclaiming the vic.
tory. In the cold north a spire of green
Responded. The gorgeous conflict was
over.