The record-union., 1898-08-14

is not of this world. Still a generally
prevailing moisture tempers the fierce
heat, and there is constant alteration
of land and sea breeZes. 1t makes me
mad to hear folks say who are opposed
to sending a large land force to assist
Commodore Dewey that the climate is
unhealthful 1t is not so by any
means. There isno place in the tropics
which is more healthful or where the
rate of mortality is lower, and our gal
liant hero would not lose a man except
by the accidents of war and causes
which obtain at home.
MANY of the islands are constantly in
vibration, owing to the earthquakes,
and the group is within range of the
monsoon, which makes hurricanes
common, but these are disadvantages
you must expect in the Kanaka Islands.
There is rare hunting in the woods ana
jungles of many of the islands. The
jungles swarm with humming oirds.
parrots and many birds of brilliant plu-
mage, which opens up prospects for a
great feather trade for the Americans.
The humming birds are fierce little
creatures.
ATTACKED BY HUMMING BIRDS.
Il landed one time with a hunting
party on the island of Mindoro and
penetrated a jungle in search of rare
birds One of our men branched off
from the party, and we temporarily lost
sight of him Presently we We're start
led by cries of terror, and saw the man
beating his way toward us through the
thick, strangling swamp growth. Above
him was fiuttering cloud. AS he came
4, nf n
that a swarm of thousands of humming
birds had attacked him and were pun
ishing him severely. His face and neck
were bleeding, for they had succeeded
in piercing the veil he wore as 4 pro-
lection against the voracious insects
with which the jungles TEEN. Even
his clothing was filled with humming
birds, whose long, slender little bills
had become entangled in the meshes
of the cloth, and it took the entire party
good ten minutes to drive off the
angry birds. For two weeks the man
was laid up, SO badly was he injured.
He said afterward that he had stumb-
led upon great conclave Of the birds
and that they had resented his intru-
sicn by flying at him from all direc-
tions.
If l had my choice of places of resi-
dencein the tropics" concluded Captain
Merritt, Il would take Manila. 1t is a
beautiful city, half Spanish, half Orien-
tai in aspect. The suburbs are perfect
bowers Of cultivated flowers and &dorn-
ed with residences Of artistic design.
Some of the finest driveways in the
world are there; and talk about driving
! the natives would go without food
before they would sacrifice an oppor-
tunity to get up behind a nag. Every
| evening it is a great sight in Manila
to see the turnouts on the broad drive
ways. Traps of all kinds are pressed
| into service, from swell carriages of
American or European make to do
mestic affairs Of sublime simplicity and
| primitiveness. And the variety of the
| steeds used to propel them is as re-
markable. There are blooded stock
| from abroad for the foreigners and rich
natives and diminutive but spirited lit
tie native horses for those who are not
| SO well off in the worlds goods. No
| body with any pretensions to being
somebody is afoot at this time, and
even the frugal, hated Chinese, feel
| themselves called upon to indulge the
I luxury of a drive"