The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1899-03-31

are osoeeeingi, fev. Tho pnsit lns nd
Imo,s mrnts IN The pfes'ut manual ~
farms are simplicity itself No man 81
ordinafy common intelligence should
lhl 90 master both IN weeks time
why. then, after men are IN proper
lrh, steal CONDITION and converse With
the necessary movements. should they
b. given these long firrs1me hours o.
ldrill7
After a certain point Of excellence
has been reached company gD's back
lrath,r than improves bel eve any
competent officer will admit that re-
cruIts Of a months experience Will out
ldrn troops Who have seen a year OF
constant service. And 20 far a. inn
proving mems physical condition Is
concerned. any trainer knows how fire.
lquently an athlete becomes OyeTtrained
land goes stale" to use technicality.
1.-The men. after being brought to a de-
sired degree OF proficiency and proper
physical shape, should receive only the
amOunt OF exercise necessary 20 keep
them In that condition.
| So to the above causes-in sufficient
and improper food and overwork-a
coordination which resulted in weaken
ing the men, can be traced the seeming
lily uncalled-for sickness in the First
New York Regiment. They reached
the Islands In fine condition; they were
encamped in the sanitary suburb Of a
healthul city. locality where fever
was unknown and where the sick
of Honolulu are sent for recuperation;
yet in a very short period the post hos
pital was filed with typhoid patients,
and In two months the regiment was
divided into about four equal parts
the sick, the nurses, the convalescents
and those remaining for active duty.
From this time on the military part,
the part which the public sees and rec
Iognizes. ceased. Drills and parades be-
came a thing OF the past, for the sim
pie reason that none were left for these
duties. The sick and convalsscent were
incapable Of active service. the nurses
were abundaDtly busy I'm the hospital
and the handful remaining were en-
lployed in guard and street duty and in
the various details TO commissary.
lquartermaster, paymaster and general
headquarters. Those who had been In
lCamp Otis" were sent to Manila, the
lengineers moved to barracks which
they had constructed and the few at
Camp Mckinley" Joined the GONZALES
cents at Waialae. some four miles far
tber from the city.
During the month Of November. at
the request Of the citizens OF Hilo two
companies of the New York regiment
visited that city for the purpose Of
prospecting possible sites for barracks
1 4. L.. 1T All.
rather in the nature Of an excursion.
the men assuming the expense Of their
Transportation. IT was the writer's
lgood fortune to accompany the expedi-
ton. the recollectiOns OF which are by
far his most pleasant Of army life.
i While We certainly made many
friends in Honolulu, the sentiments Of
the people there were not favorable to
our troops. We were regarded with n
certain distrust. which made our stay
more disagreeable that II might other
lwise have been.
Whatever may have been felt toward
those who preceded us and however
/. well they may have been treated, dur
, ing our stay We could not but notice
, the general sentiment OF Indifference
with which We were regarded. Though
, II may be doing the people OF Honolulu
, an injustice. II seemed as though their
hospitality TO our first troops was
prompted purely by self-interest. At
that time annexation proceedings were
pending and the subscribers to the re-
ception fund were those who favored
that change.
Once the change had occurred no
f.,..t I.,,
that as II may, the people OF Hilo re-
lceiyed our two visiting companies with
lOpen doors. There was nothing In their
pretty little city too good for us. We
were made to feel at home. and that
means much when one Is an army pri-
yate in strange country.
During our stay in Hilo our biyouac
was q warehouse near the city. and on
our march to the crater OF Kilauea We
were entertained by the people living
along the volcano road At the SUM-
nit our camp Of small shelter tents was
pitched in a grove some two miles
past the Volcano House. During this
trip. In spite OF almost continuous rain
no sickness developed, excepting an oc-
casional case Of fever, the heritage of
the camp We had previously occupied,
and the detachment finally returned to
Honolulu in fine spirits and in much
better health than those who had re-
manned behind-and this in spite of
greater exposure and privation.
From this 1t must be concluded that
the secret Of health with volunteer
troops Is a constant change of camp
and the very facts OF their enlistment