The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1899-08-05
SERVING
His COUNTRY.
u S. Transport "Sheridan" En- Route to Honolulu and
Manila, June 18th, 1897 With 81 Officers and
1900 Men to Reinforce General OTIS

| P'''N'f
nautilus and phospherescent flashes in the
| sea al night Holmes poem on the cham
bered nautilus is exquisite. must show
it to you; | know it by heart.
AT night, as the moon comes up, we
gather on deck in mostly congenial groups.
A colonel rubs shoulder with I'd lieuten-
ant-this is the time that a man with a
good story comes forth in all his glory and
stalks with genial dignity around.
There is something in the solitude of old
ocean that predisposes to credulity, to won
der, to introspection, and the spinning of
fabulous yarns. At intervals we chant
some song we learned at our alma mater
relating the sequence Of Aunt Dnah's
Quilting party" Or wailing for the lost
"Clementine. Then we sit and nod, chat
and sing, while some smoke and few
drink, till we are all as drowsy as owls,
and the stars grow pale. A lazy life, but
we will be all the more ready to buckle
on Our harness for the work that lies before
US. We are fully conscious that vacation
will soon be over.
July 1. We will reach Honolulu tomor-
row and I hope to have time to 20 ashore
nd take few snap shots, il the weather
is clear. This is the rainy season and
every day has been overcast, voyage has
been remarkably pleasant, the ship COM
Portable one and the sea worthy Of its
name.
Honolulu, July 3. Have been on the trot
since Q a. M: First, to make necessary pur-
chases, then another long drive half way
over this island to the crest of its back
bone. Here at point called Pail the fnal
battle of the wars of Kamchameha were
fought, and the foe killed to the last man
or forced over the precipice 800 feet high.
Our way was lined by the homes of the
wealthy in luxurious gardens we'll kept,
well plotted with here and there vista
down some long avenue OF royal palms.
The view from Pail is one of the finest
| have yet seen, though not extensive, it is
exceedingly beautiful. At our feet lay the
meadows and fields of waving cane; to the
left the precipice aforementioned and the
vista stretched away, dotted with homes
and threaded with winding roads, till on
the west it was limited by the crests of
distant hills, and to the north was merged
in the sea. This was beautiful blue, except
where it broke in clouds Of spray on the
coral reef that surrounds the island as the
setting surrounds gem. As we drove we
refreshed ourselves with the fresh fruits
that grow so luxuriant here, and found
that pineappes, bananas, figs and other
fruits not 80 often seen by us in their
natural state, are much pleasanter to the
taste.
Then we came to town and tried tie get
into the museum but it was closed, so took
some photos of Kamchameha schools, then
dip in old ocean. Water was delcously
warm, the bottom OF sand, was level, quite
out to the reef, beyond which it is unsafe
to go. The exercise was quite fatguing,
having been unable to get but little on the
crowded ship. There is an outer harbor,
really roadstead, in which vessels lie, be-
You'd that the inner harbor, the reef is cut
through to make channel, and dredged,
so that about 20 feet of water is obtain
able. The town has about 50, 600 nhabi-
tants, but because a garden surrounds
almost every house, enough ground is COW
cred to accommodate one hundred thous.
and.
Hiring carriage, we drove to the Punch
Bowl, an extinct volcano, lying just behind
the town. A ridge of hills rises about one
mile from the shore and runs parallel there
to for about II miles, the Punch Bowl is a
part of this ridge. Here is fine view, off
to the south lays Pearl Harbor, amid wav-
ing fields Of cane, to the left grove of
cocoanut palms and grove of mingled
verdure, the cupolas Of houses rising from
the green. At our feet lay the city, beau
tiful Honolulu, curbing around the shore
of the bay, beyond that the ocean, deep
transparent blue, until the breakers roar
on the coral reef-inside that, the water is
wildly green. We broke lava chips from
the wall of the volcano and returned, our
road was very winding but interesting at
every step, showing ever and anon some
new sunlit vista of rare beauty, dotted with
stately palms The roads are fine, those
on the hillside are lined with blocks of lava
and coral to insure protection from falling
! over the precipice.
Returning to the city, we drove through
the grounds of Oaken College, thence into
the principal residence street, lined through
out with beautiful homes, nesting in yet
more beautifu, gardens, l can give no
adequate description of the luxuriance of
the vegetation here the mountains are bare,
but in the lowlands there is wilderness of
foliage. Elephant ears are ten feet long,