Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1899-02-10
MANILA BA Y ON
PE'NNSYZ VANIA

arrived here at Manila all 0. k. December
7, without the loss of a single man and
not many sick We left Honolulu, Wed
nesday following our arrival on Saturday
but while in Honolulu the foot ball team
won a game but our base bali team was
defeated by score of &c to ] by the native
team. Twenty-six men ont of the regi-
nent were left at Honolulu, too sick to
continue the journey. '.+,
We had fairly pleasant trip from Hon
lulu here, unbroken in monotony except
on the 30, of November we passed the
northern islands of the Ladroues on
which is anactive volcano, and it was
belching forth flames and smoke.
On December 8 and 4 quite gale OF
wind and rain was blowing from the
northwest and sent the waves flying over
the ship several times, and l got fairly
soaked once moath, nose and eyes fulD
and the ship pitched and rollen SO l
couldn't hardly stay in bed; quite num-
Der got on the floor to keep from
rolling out.
We arrived here about noon on the Z,
and cast anchor out in the bay about two
miles from the city. We passed Deweys
fleet and an English cruiser on the way in
Dewey is at Cavite, just down the bay
from Manila, and we can plainly see his
ship in the day time.
The monitor Monterey steamed across
from Cavite to Manila this forenoon. We
haven't landed yet and don't suppose we
will be able to land for week or ten days
yet and may be not at all in Manila, for
there is talk now of sending US about 3OC
miles south OF here to an Island where
the natives have been giving trouble.
Tennessee and Kansas haven't landed
yet, but will get to land tomorrow OF
next day. or just as soon as a place can
BE- fixed for them. for now they are using 6
ware houses, churches and most every
thing else for barracks. A Spanish boat
came in this morning but don't kn ow
whether it was transport or not.
saw them unload people but ..couldnt dis
tinguish whether they were Spanish sol
diers or not. "H
Large boats cannot get very near the
cit.' for there are no docks and the bay
is to shallow, and Spain didn't have
the energy to dredge out channel te
the city as long as they owned it. A
French merchantmen came in yester
| day morning aud anchored near us
The natives come out to our boat IL
small caaoes, with fruits, cocoa nuts
cigars and cigarettes and they are very
cheap. We get oranges for cents
bananas 10 to Is for five cents, and 9:
Spanish cigarettes for five cents, cigar!
cent each or so cents per hundred.
have seen fellow buy whole bunch O.
banans for 20 cents.
For S. in gold we get Sll in Spanist
money and always get double for U. S
money in everything we buy. bough
a glass of lemonade and gave them {
U. S. quarter and received in chang
4s cents in Spanish money. A native
will work month for or L. 5. dol
lars and board himself, for he eat
nothing except rice, peanuts and few
cocoanu,s.
| Four of my comrades and self hiret
three natives to take US to the city da.
before yesterday. We went in conoe
made Of log followed out And wha
a city Manila is. It is separated int
what they call new and old Manila b!
the Pasig river. Old Manila is wsllet
city, walled on three sides by wall 2
feet thick outside Of which is a moat 81
feet which is filled with water. At tn
gates are draw bridges which can b.
raised or lowered. We went all througl
this; on the walls are few smooth
pound down cannon. Within the wall
"a city the streetsa are narrow and dirty
the buildings are mostly old ston
Spanish affairs. ! saw . prison wher
q large number Of Spanish soldiers ar
Imprisoned. But they seem to enjo.
themselves and acted quite happy to
they ore well fed and I gusst that j
more than they had been used TO.
We went from here AcrOaa the rive,