Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1898-08-06
A SERIAL LETTER,
Or An Imperfect Diary Kept BY Colonel
JsAes from Saturday, June S5th, to
the Time Of Reaching Honolulu.

the Time 0f Reaching Honolulu.
CONTINUED from lest weekl
Total distance oNts ,S6o miles. At !
o'clock the sNskeof = steamer about %
miles to the south Of rs was discovered
but we can give no information ss to Its
name, We naturally Judge it to be the
Indiana, but of this we are not positive.
Men are up on the mast head straining
their eyesighs to tell what ship it is
and whittier it is going. This afternoon
is very, very dull to me, l have been
trying to read some magazine stories
but it is hard to get my mind from the
broad expanse of water to the stories in
q back number of Godey's Ladies Mag
azine.
A white bird lowered about the
steamer for while this afternoon and
at first everybody thought it to be q
carrier pigeon but it proved to be sea
bird of some species. The weather
would be summer hot if it we're not
cloudy today. think by the time we
reach Honolulu it will be comfortably
warm for men. The men are beginning
to make enquiries about mail matters.
They ask me every day how aud where
they will get their mail. Genl Merritt
will oyertake US at Honolulu and his
steamer, the Newport, is expected to
bring US the first installment of letters
and papers. 1t viii be great treat to
get letter from home, sweet home.
Friday night we retired feeling pretty
well, the men are becoming more ac-
customed to life on the boats and are
better satisfied. From the time we are
making we must be aboard the steamer
at least twenty days more. We shall
not reach Honolulu until next Thurs
day night or Wednesday, and will take
on coal and may wait for other ships.
From Honolulu to the Philippines it is
about 4, 400 miles.
A large number of my command say
they are satisfied with life on the sea.
Il they can ever reach land again they
will be contented to remain ashore. To-
day | have begun preparations of pro-
gram for 4th of July celebration, my
band will play and shall have about
two short speeches from officers of my
selection. AT dinner l shall give the
men pie, something new in army life
fare. retire tonight at 1926 o'clock
feeling as we'll as when on land. Nam
ing the hour as given above reminds
me to tell you that the officers of the
ship change hours every day. They
set their clock back Is or 20 minutes
every "a hours, We are running south
ward.
Saturday morning: The atmosphere
is balmy and refreshing. 1t is cloudy
and promises rain. The men generally
are put on deck reading, singing, talk
ing and making most of the slowly pass
ing hours. l enjoyed the refreshing
sleep OF the night. Am in my usual
good health. We are still alone in our
trackless course. The smoke of the
steamer in sight yesterday afternoon
has disappeared and we again seem to
haye the sea to ourselves. The sailing
Is very smooth today. The boat rocks
Just enough to make it agreeable and
soothing. 1t is very trying to spend
days and days without hearing a word
from the outside world.
Report of Captain Dillon at noon to.
day:
Latitude % degrees 40 minutes, N,
Longitude l42 degrees % minutes, W.;
course S. 50 degrees W., distance 246
miles. Total distance from San Fran
cisco I'LL miles.
From the above you will note we are
over HOO miles from our native shore.
and still going farther away at the rate
of 24O miles day, when these lines
reach you, we shall be far, far away.
This day, from early morn to this
pour, middle OF the afternoon, has been
delightful. 1t has been cloudy all the
day but no rain.
The captain of this boat, Dillon.
knows all about North Carolina. He
IS the captain WHO used to take Presi-
dent Cleveland on his famous duck
hunting expeditions to Carolina. He
and I have pleasant talks about the
state and people whom we both knoy.
He is very familiar with the southern
part OF the state and has Travelled fire.
4uently from Weldon to Wilmington.
He is jolly good-natured officer. He
tells me he has been to the Philippines.
in truth nearly all over the known
world.
This, Saturday afternoon, my COM
pany officers are having inspection of
arms, and the baud is practicing on
deck above me. What ap amount OF
Instrumental music is given every af
ternoqn to the wild waste of waters
without single mark of appreciation
or pleasure. On land one can hear