The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1898-06-27

there were few afternoon rain gusts,
then cloudy threats but no rain, and
since the marines have landed at Camp
McCalla there has been but one brief
shower and no more, The Cuban auxil-
iaries say this is the usual thing for
this vicinity and prophesy no more rain
till the first Of August ushers in the hur-
ricane season. They say there is little
or no rain along the low hill area on the
southeast coast except in May and Au-
gust. This Is certainly borne out by the
looks of the country.
All the stories of the fighting around
the marine camp have alluded to the
'schapparal." which gave such good cover
to the Spaniards. The term cnapparal
has been generally adopted by the Amer
leans simply from the likeness of the
mixed thorny scrub to the chapparal of
Texas and to the thorn-armored cactus
sprinkled growth covering so much Of the
semi-desert region of New Mexico and
Arizona. The soil and topography of this
southeast coast region so far as the land
forces have traversed it, is identical with
the low hill country of New Mexico,
thorny scrub giant cactus and stunted
palms covering the low lying hills, dry
water courses that are evidently torrents
few springs and isolated water holes.
about which cluster the small native set
Elements This, not to say that the whole
of Cuba, the Pearl of the Antilles. IS q
desert. The Cubans say that back of
q t11- sx.J., \
and also in the fatter country to the
westward, it is now raining almost con-
tinually and will be till the end of sum
mer, but this coast section where the
first landing has been made is certainly
sub-desert. 1t is so much the better for
the Americans.
Camp McCalla has proven healthful
and fine place to acclimate and tough
en- these pioneers. Only the pioneers all
wish they had a few. reinforcementS for
company. The men. SOME of which were
half sick from six weeks confinement on
the Panther when they landed, are all
as brown as Indians, and hardy as prize
fighters. They have had their baptism OF
fire. and stood the ordeal They have
gone six miles inland and smoked the
Spaniards out of their holes on the PENN
sula, beating them in the bush at their
own particular kind of lighting, and lost
one man wounded in the exploit. to the
SDllldTQS' seventy uGdu, dllQ WOuud-
ed not accounted for. Truth 10 say this
handful Of marines is getting pretty
cockey They have implicit faith in them
selves and their officers.
They have been SO long and so often dis
appointed with the story of army REIN
forcements, that the men. notAthe officers
of course profesSed to have stopped look
ing for the army and make camp nre
campaigns in which to capture Guantan-
amo and Santiago, with the help of the
Cubans, and then like Cortez and his In
dian allies march on to the conquest
not of Mexico-but Havana. When Lieu
tenant Delehanty's pioneer expedition, to
clear the river of mines below Cayman-
era was broached yesterday, the marines
were cooked and primed to follow up the
achievement by capturing both Cayanlan-
era and Guantanamo, notwithstand-
inland from the bay that bears its name
and far out of supporting distances from
the warships. Also there are only 5000
thought if two companies Of them had
whipped six companies of SpaniardS at
Cusco Mountain, the whole party ought
to come pretty near getting ny away ~, with
smile quietly at overhearing these en-,
thusiastic outbursts and are very well
satisfied with the spirit that prompts
them. A handful of men that are fight
ing hungry are worth an army without
enthusiasm. Reports today of transports
sighted off Cape Maysi indicate that re-
active land operations will be welcomed
by the little American force now ashore.
All reports from inland agree in pictur-
ing the Spanish situation as desperate.
The Cubans infest Santiago and Guam
tanamo so closely that even dispatches
between the two are captured oftener
than they get through. Even then the re-
plies are usually gathered in and the
tone of both appeal and hopes STEADILY
sinking. The military governor of San
tiago made peremptory demand three
reinforcements, The captured reply
despondentfy stated that Guantanamo was
worse off than Santiago and nothing could
be sent The Cubans watch every creek
couriers and bringing them in to McCalla
or Sampson, as the case may be, like
faithful retrievers.
The Cubans are gradually winning the
respect of tn American regulars. des-
pite certain drawbacks and national diff
ferences. The Cuban allies, so far in evil
dence, are about 95 per cent. negroes, US
ually with white (Cuban) officers. The
officials are intelligent, anxious for the
good opinion of the Americans as to their
dusky troops, and ready for any service.
The negro insurgents have most of the
faults and virtues of the race in its primi-
tive state They know little of discipline
as 1t is understood in regular armies.
They are occasionally like fractions chill
dren, and they seem at first sight over
greedy as to American food. But they
skilled in wood craft and inyal-
liable guides when they are in their own
section of country. Most of the trouble
that has been had with them as guides
SO far has been when they attempted too
much and undertook to do pioneer duty
outside their own hunting ground. AS to
Gourmandizing, the excuse of this vice
may be seen when they strip for swim
ming off the Marine Camp. Every one
of them is badly emacated through long
months of wood life and dependence on
the uncertain commissariat of the insur-
gent army They have been almost un-
consciously but systematically starving
till they are below the whipcord stage OF
hard athletic training and verging on the
emaciation of the typical reconcen-
trado. 1t is small wonder they gorge
themselves when suddenly thrown against
the generous camp ration of savory bacon,
well Drowned navy beans, hardtack and
coffee. But it will take many weeks OF
good feeding to get some flesh back on
their attenuated arms and legs and sunk
en- ribs: Nearly every one Of them has a
Gala there is one big negro, whose real
name is not known. but who Is called by
the marines -Old Machete," for his fond
ness for the Cuban national weapon. He
has with him his little boy, the only one
of his family left. All the rest, even te
his cousins. have beeen butchered by the
guerrillas. In action the old man becomes
half mad with excitement, drops his gul
at the first chance for close quarters ane
plies his big machete like fail
When the expedition from Cuseo battle
field yesterday brought IN couple Of
bullet pierced Spanish skulls as msdieal
specimens, the old man eyed them IKE IKE,
with his bare foot in the sand ahuckled
deeply and murmured, tUno bueno Es.
panole' Zone good Spaniard). He hat
probably never heard the American army
phrase about the only brand of good
nd a