Evening journal., 1899-05-19
PAL LMER'S EXPERIENCE
Graphic Portrayal of His Trip
to Manila.
TAKEN FROM A PERSONAL LETTER

ESTINGLY OF HIS LONG JOURNEY
TO THE SEAT OF WAR IN THE
FAR 0AsT.
James W. Ponder has received a letter
from J. e. Palmer, past assistant engi-
neer, T. S. N, who was formerly OF this
city and recently IN the employ OF the
Joseph Bancroft and Sons Company.
When the Spanish war broke out he was
relnstated by special act Of Congress
saw service on the Amphitrlte, the Iris
and the Solace. and writes as follows re-
garding his experiences in the Philip
pines:
~. S. S. Charleston Patangas Bay
Island of Luzon. p. l., March 2s, 1899.
81 am now a passenger on the above
vessel on my way to join the L. S. s.
Boston, having been detached from the
solace en- the 26th and ordered to report
for duty on the Boston by Admiral
Dewey. / understand the Boston is a
very comfortable and fine vessel, being a
sister ship of the Atlanta, and as / know
several of the officers on her and every
one agrees in saying she is a happy ship,
ought to have a pleasant time, but Of
course / can only form an opinion after
having been on board sometime.
"The Charleston Is a fine ship. and it
is simply delightful on her. am so glad
to get on a regular man-of-war after
having been on such vessels as the Iris
and solace.
The solace arrived at Manila on the
22d, after a passage Of forty-three days
from Hampton Roads, a distance Of il,
GIG miles breaking all previous records.
When I reported to Admiral Dewey he
shook hands with me and was very
pleasant. He looked quite we'll and SEEM
ed in good spirits.
Il mailed a letter from Port Said, Civ
ing an account of my trip to that place
so 1 will not repeat that part. We only
spent a few hours at Port Said, long
enough, however, to get ashore and see
the place. It was hard to realize 1 was
in historical Egypt, but the sandy des.
ert and a caravan Of camels coming in
and the curious style of dress Of the peo.
pie soon made me know 1t. Our tol
through the canal was $5000-what ar
! enormous sum. The canal is eighty-s1
miles long and runs through a barrer
desert, not a tree or a blade of grass oi
drop of fresh water, nothing but tbs
glistening sand IN the brightest sun
ever saw. Large hills of white san,
broke the monotony Of the level countr!
and now and then you could see a trail
Of camels slowing plodding along. w
were two days going through, being al
lowed to run only five knots per hour
and we had to stop at night. 1t was coll
enough for an overcoat at night. bu
warm in the sun in the daytime and al
together the most curious climate
ever saw-everything was so clear an
bright and glistenlng. 1t runs throug
the ancient Bitter lakes and we spent on
night in them. 1t was Saturday nigh
and we had "sweethearts and wives,
| which means champagne flowed freely
everyone felt jolly and we sang to a
accompaniment on the piano and tol
stories until pretty late. We wore on
Winter clothes till we got into the Re
Sea. when It suddenly became red nc
and we could not get our linen suits o
fast enough. saw Mt. Sinai plainly, bt
we could not find the place where Nose
crossed and Pharaoh was lost. We passe
Mocha and Alden and through the strai
of Babel Mandeb, into the Arabian Sc
and Indian ocean, and had a fine ru
over a smooth sea to Colombo, Ceyloi
March 10.
I'VE spent two days here coaling and
spent the whole time ashore. staying at
splendid hotel, the Gale Face. 1 spei
most Of the time riding around in jii
. rilxisha, going through this curio'
city, and the beautiful country around
It was simply red hot in the day tim
and the first thing 1 did was to get
large pith helmet, so large that cam
say that I put 1t on, but rather got In
Z it. They are absolutely necessary her
2 TO protect a white person from the j
I tense heat of the sun. I never enjoy
n myself more than 1 did at Colomh
. everything was so now and strange
S me. The country Is so beautiful and
( teresting that 1t Is beyond me to descri
e 1t. 1t was my first experience with
jnrilisha, and was great novelt
The men who pull them are almost bla'
and entirely naked with only a piece
cloth about the size of a pocket handke
!, chief around their lolns. 1t looks qul
a curious to see a young English lady ri
a ing behind an entirely naked man. Tn
q change u rupee or cents Of our mon
per half hour and their endurance
wonderful they can goat fast trot
hours and hours in the red hot sun wit
out tiilng. while the perspiration 81
tens on their black skins and runs off
n streams.
II Three American gentlemen gave me
splendid dinner at the Gale Face Ho
at which we had lots of fun. A dan
was also given us afterwards so th
- we had chance to meet the young
= dies of the place, most Of them bel
(, daughters Of English army and ma
~ officers, and the governor, lord son
= body, / have forgotten his name now
:. tell you we were treated royalty a
paid a great many compliments on 4
count Of our success in the late W
After leaving Colombo we ran across
Bay Of Bengal through the Straits
4 Malacca passing Singapore into
China sea. While in the straits we
perienced an awful day. 1t was hot, eli
and sultry. the air being complet
y saturated and we were going with
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