Evening star., 1898-12-03
CAMP LIFE IN CURA.
Lieut.. Peacock Details Some of His
ExperienceS.


First Lieut. William Peacock of tha ath
I. 5. Volunteer Infantry. now in Cuba, re-
Gently wrote Mrs. Peacock, in this CITY
from Manzanilla, under date of the 23d ul
timo, as follows:
We have arrived in Cuba at last, and a
more beautiful spot was never made. with
the possible exception-of Honolulu The eli
mate is fine. We are In the healthiest mart
of Cuba, near the ocean, and on the moun-
tains and hillsides.
This town is like the pictures YOU have
seen OF old Spanish towns, narrow streets
In fact, no streets at all, nothing but wide
cutters between the buildings with occa-
slonally little three-foot sidewalk in front
OF some Of the buildings. No attention is
paid to grading or uniformity of town
building.
There is but one spot which shows anv
beauty or semblance Of order and that is
the fiaza, or square, situated in the center
OF the city, and surrounded by all the i'm
portant buildings such as hotels and cafes
and the one club of the city, which is a
very large and finely furnished one for this
country. But being a Spanish club, it is, of
course, very poorly arranged and has
Wretched service. No Cuban is allowed TO
enter there.
n
lards and Englishmen were allowed access
10 lhe club; when We arrived it was thrown
open to US. An American, though finds it
very dlmcult, as the Spanish waters will
i,ot serve an American unless compelled to
do so. ~
~, About the trip: 1t was very ENJOYABLE,
mere We're no storms high winds al
thoush the ship rolled from side to side
great deal and quite a number OF tha NV
were very sick. 1t was very warm i'm INV
state room, and l could not sleep. I obtain
eo hammock and swung it on deck, which
was delightful BY O. clock on the after
noon of October L. the day We started We
were out OF sight Of land, and shortly after
Mard we sighted q steamer, and that was
me me iast sign of life we saw until the next
sunday. Then we sighted Cat Island and
after that we could see land eyerv day
AFTER rounding Cape Maysi we stood in
sisiit OF the Island of Cuba during the re-
~ it-ailuer OF our trip, and beautiful scene
IL was, with tall mountains and green yer-
dure running clear down to the oceans
cage. we took an excursion into Santiago
10 see the sunken Spanish warships and II
wa, Was wonderful sight. We did not go into
the narpof, but we could see Moro Castle
looming up before u.s. 1t was certainly
grand to see those Spanish warships living
nan nan out of the water and shot to pieces
we could also see the American shin on
"hich Lieut. Hobson went into the harbor
ana was captured.
Arucles which we consider necessities
are very expensive here. Ice is 81 50 a hun
- pcuiiuS, HlllR Is ,p cents q quart and
water ~ cents a gallon. Water that is fit
70 uiihk Is very scarce, and all the water
LOT the men must be boiled, which is a tre-
mendous job.
NOW our quarters are in the Spanish
barracks, which have Stone walls and tiled
Iioofs out no carpets. There are no wooden
ioorS here; the higher class uses tiles, while
the lower class has but the ground. There
are only about six buildings here which are
over one story in height, and those buiId
| ihSS rs, nave only two stories
me poor element here live wretchedly
animals, fowls and human beings all Iy
~ is.s In me same rooms. No wonder Cuba
Is unhealthy, when its natives live so un-
cleanly So uii-
III Is terrible to see the condition of the
poor reconcentrados. The United States is
sues 5'5o0 rations a day to them, and it will
pc long time before they will be able TO
care for themselves" ~