The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-04-17

passage six feet wide to the path: then
( the landing began in earnest: the guns
were first put on shore, and carried
7 bodily to the path: the rest of the ma
rines and bluejackets then landed. each
CARRYING. in addition to his arms and
ammunition, a gun cartridge or box
/ of rife ammunition. and couple of
! empty sacks. As fast as they landed
! they proceeded up the path. Dick Bal
! dersOn led the way, and the men were
directed to step as closely as they could
! to each other As they arrived near
| the pool each deposited his burden, and
! then went back to assist to drag up the
guns and carriages.
Scarcely a sound was heard during
/ the operation. Their feet fell noiseless-
ly on the soft earth of the track, and
no one few yards away would have
guessed that $50 men We're engaged in
laborious toll There was far more
noise than there had been the night
before on board the prahus. an inces-
san- jabber being maintained. and
voices rang high in excitement as the
men discussed the destruction of the
town and the orders that had been re-
ceived for portion of them to land on
the following morning and take part in
the annihilation of the whites if they
entered into the forest. AS soon as the
carriages. just behind the screen of
bushes, the greater portion of the men
were sent back as far as the point
where they had landed, there to fill the
sacks with earth from the bank of the
river. a number of shovels having been
brought for the purpose.
Several large bundles of bamboos, cut
into lengths six feet long and sharp
ened at both ends, had been among the
sa.-N sATz w11-.
while most of the men were engaged
filling and carrying the sacks of earth.
some were employed in constructing
chevauX-de-frise ten PAGES on each side
of the spot where the battery was be-
ing constructed. The bamboos were
set diagonally a foot and half into
the soft earth and bound together by
being dashed to strong poles running
along them. These fences extended
from the edge of the bushes by the wa
ter to the trees. The forest behind it
was so thick and entangled with creep
ers that there was little fear of an at
tack being made from that quarter.
Accustomed TO work in the darkness.
the sailors had no difficulty IN carrying
out the operation. and before morning
broke the battery was complete. It was
six feet high on the side facing the wa
ter. with two embrasures for the guns,
lOuI leel HlSn on the SlQeS covered by
the chevauX-de-frise. The front face
was % feet in length, the sides 40.
Morning was breaking as the work was
and bread and cold meat were
served out, with a full ration of grog.
By the time these were consumed it
was broad daylight, for there is little
twilight so near the equator
Nov for it. Dick" Harry Parkhurst
said, as the lieutenant gave the signal
for all to rise and take their places. !
Filing out of the battery. the marines
lined the bank on one side, and the
sailors. other than those who were TO
work the guns, on the other. Some !
Of the sailors climbed over the front
wall and with their jackknives cut |
away the bows in front OF the guns. /
There was silence on board the prahus. |
where the Malays had dropped off to |
sleep couple of hours before daylight. /
Mr. Ferguson himself superintended /
he laying of the guns. seeing that each
vas most carefully trained upon the
water line of a pharu. As the distance
vas some 20 or so yards he had little
ioubt that the two vessels aimed at
would be sunk at once. When thor
uShly satisfied. he drew back and gave
he order to fire.