The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1899-01-20

ON BOARD :. :. INDIANA.
November 80, 1898
Mrs. NJ l.. Brewster, Pasadena, Cal. !
This the 33rd. day out from San.
Francisco, is the day that we cast our
anchor in the famous harbor of Manila. !
1t is now about 10 a. M. Wednesday |
morning-with you it is about six
o'clock Tuesday evening, we being
about sixteen hours fastersthan you
eastern time. At four O'Clock we Will
be at the entrance of the harbor and
three hours later we shall be at our
destination. Our near approach to
Manila does not create much of "a stir.
The boys are about through packing.
Goods are being hoisted out of the
hold. a few fellows are gazing at the
island OF Lu2on to the east of us,
otherwise things are as usual, read
ing, sleeping and the inevitable card
games being the main occupation.
One card game that is very popular
is worthy of mention. 1t is called
"nosyn poker. 1t is u gambling
game, but the stake Is not money.
The cards are drawn just the same as
in poker, and then the betting takes
place. One man, to Illustrate, bets
ten, if any other player thinks he has
the best hand he "calls" him. If his
hand is the best. he takes three cards
and slaps the end of the nose of the
other player ten times or the number
of times bet. The loser protects his
eye by holding card over it, 1t is a
game where there is nothing to win
and everything to lose. The boys are
getting so expert that red noses and
fearful eyes are frequent conse.
quences.
Our trip from Honolulu has been
uneventful. We left there Wednes-
day. the 9th. of November leaving
the Zelandia with Tennessee troops
in the harbor aud passing the Ari-
iona at anchor at the north Of the
bay. Both of these boats passed us
before the end of the week. The
Xelandia passed close TO us about 8
O'Clock one evening, making very
pretty signt She was near enough
so we could hear the boys cheer.
About ten days out we passed an
active volcano known 10y - Spanish
name that means the elsie of Bird. "
Nearly everyone maze a sketch OF
it. / sketched mine on the polished
o. Low iat
product, which il have the oppor-
tunty III send you. From there on,
the voyage was mOuOtOnous enough
until last Friday when the wind be-
gan to freshen from the northeast,
causing our boat to pitch and roll tt
good deal. Company 81" serves its
grub ON the starboard side of the
prov Of the boat "A pretty rough
place. When pan of bean soup is
spilled on deck, things become eNcit-
ing indeed. When the sea is rough
it is common thing to see II soldier
with Il cup of coffee in one hand and
his plate offuod in the other, sliding
on the seat of his pants from one side
of the boat to the other, helplessly
waiting for the rolling of the boat to
stop sufficiently for him to regain his
feet. Win this possibility before
one and with the possibility of being
scalded with hot soup or coffee or
being drowned by the sea breaking
over the ship, meal time has not un-
frequently been time Of the intens-
est excitement and adventure. AS |
said Friday last the wind began to
freshen, Saturday was worse and
Sunday and Monday we had to stay
below most of the time. 1t was al
most u gale. Waves were dashing
over the boat nearly all the time.
Sunday night my shoes wandered oil
with everything else that was loose
in our room and | could not find
them. Being on guard had to re-
port for duty barefoOted. The boys
guyed me good deal and called me
"Sio referring, no doubt, to the
famous warrior of the late rebellion,
IS Kleggn As soon as my guard
was relieved, went below and found
my shoes, they having by that time
drined back TO where they belonged
had great times posting my relief
as the sea was 80 rough and the deck
so slippery
ATOP. m. Monday we came about
and ran slowly directly in the wind.
We were getting too near one of the
islands and the insurgents had not
allowed the lights to be kept burning
in the light houses. At day break
we entered the "Strai,s,n there being
islands in sight both ON the north
and the south OF us. At 10 II. m.
Tuesday, yesterday, we got our first