Gloucester County Democrat., 1899-07-06
A Giouoestef County Boy az Sea
u. &. & Newark.


MONTE YIDEo, URUGUAY May 15 '99.
Following is from private letter written
by w. ]. Mattson, Gloucester county
boy on board the U S. S Newark.
We left New York the 23d of March and
arrived at Guantanamo hay, where we had
our battle the 10Th of last June There is
only three of us left on the ship that was in
the battle, and we were glad to see it again.
The hill where we where camped looks
deserted now since the tents are taken
away, and nobody moving about. There
was only one ship left 10 the harbor, the
U. S S. Eagle, which is guarding the bay.
We didn't stay but short time as we
expected to join the feet there, bat found
they had gone to Kingston, Jamaica, where
we Joined them the next day. The fieet
consists of the New York, Brooklyn,
Indiana, Texas, Marblehead, Detroit and
Supply. Kingston is very large city and
has very pretty harbor. 1t is an English
Island, and the people were very clever to
us. We left there the fourth OF April and
went to Laguara, Venezuela, 5. A., aud
found it very pretty place. We did not
get ashore there, but from the harb0r we
witnessed some yery beautiful sights. The
mountains were so high that we never saw
the tops of them, as it was very cloudy all
the time. We staid there two days and
sailed to Port of Spain, on the Island OF
Trinidad, where some of the best fruits
come from. We did not get ashore there,
as we only staid three days and went to
another English Island called Barbados to
a city called BridgetOwn. There we got
Liberty. This island is noted for sugar
making. We could see sugar mills IN all
directions. There are q large number OF
English soldiers there, and they showed as
very nice time ashore. We staid five
days aud vent to st. Lucia, another Eng
Iish island. It is one of the cOaling stations,
and is great place The people are most
all c0lored and some Of the worst looking
specimeDsI ever saw. The women coaled the
ship for us, as the men never work there,
and they carried it aboard on their heads
in baskets The baskets would hold one
hundred and fifty pounds, and it was so
hot that we could not be in the sun very
long at a time, and they worked all day
right out in the sun without thing on
their heads
They put on seven hundred tons in
day and hall, and get one shilling, or
twenty-four cents day.
There was another kind of people there
called Kulies." They were a very curious
set of people. The men and women
dressed Just alike The women had their
ears and noses full of rings, and wore beads
and jewelry around their neck. We stayed
there two days and then sailed fourteen
days south, and arrived at Rio, the Capitol
of Brazil. This is very pretty place, and
one of the finest harbors in the world. 1t
is very strongly fortified. There was
Brazilian fleet of fourteen battle ships in
the harbor. There are forts on both sides
and one very large one in the centre. This
harbor is one of the most dangerous in the
world for yellow fever, and we were very
careful while there. Nobody was allowed
to go ashore, and nobody allowed to came
on board. There is a mountain called the
Sugur Lump there, that any man is offered
$40 900 to plant the Brazilian flag at the
top of it. 1t is SO high that don't think
anybody will get this money. We left
there as soon as we got coal, and came
here. We were four days coming. We
are now five thousand miles from New
York. 1t is very cool here now as it is
Winter time here. 1t is cold enough for
an Oyercoat, bat coming down, when we
got right under the equator, it was so hot
VIC couiu ndtuly DIcdtHc3 uut lno luttuct
South we go the colder it will get and l
suppose when we go around Cape Horn it
will be pretty cold.
This is one of the largest cities in S. A i,
and up the river a short distance is Bunos
Ayres. It is the Capitol of the Argentine
Republic, and is much prettier than this
place. We we're up there yesterday and
had very nice time. We leave here in
short time for Valparaiso. have not
heard from home since l left. My best
regards to the whole family.
w J. MATTsoN.
The Detroit arrived at Valparaiso last
week.