Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1899-11-11
ON mr. MAkCu IN MANILA

s. A.. who was at one time a member
of the Gordon Bighlanders, writes to
John Mclean the following interesting
detail of army life and the prospects
for American mechanics:
Dear friend-You say you would like
a description of this place, so | will
let you know what | think of 1t. i
would much rather be in Honolulu
| than Manila
The voyage from Honolulu was un-
eventful, occasional schools of flying
fish being about the only diversion we
had to break the monotony of the trip,
and after a voyage of trifle over
twenty days. we dropped anchor in the
bay of Manila. at 2:30 a. m. At day
break was up on deck and inspecting
my sOurrOuhdings. On our port side
lay. the British cruiser Powerful, and
on our starboard the Leon XIII, a
Spanish transport. bound for BARGE
Iona, from Iamboanga, Island of Min
danao, with 1863 officers and men. She
had just arrived and the poor fellows
aboard her seemed highly elated at the
prospect of speedy return to their
native land
Next day about y IN. the Spaniard
turned her PROV toward the sea and
steamed away, those aboard her giving
| us three cheers as she went. We re-
| sponded In good style, and crowding
to the rails Of OUR ship we watched her
until she vanished in the distance.
About 4 O'Clock we were ordered to
sling knapsacks and were soon being
taken ashore in cascoes primitive af-
fairs of bygone days.. landing in Ma
Mia about p. m. Shouldering our
arms we marched to the Luneta, a
spacious camp ground situated in one
of the most pleasant parts of the city,
where we halted, and, putting up our
small. Individual shelter tents, we
turned in for the night.
The next day the large tents were
brought ashore and then commenced
the work of laying out the streets for
| the different companies. The day was
warm. but we all turned in with a will
and soon had them up in nice even
rows. Finding time hanging heavily
on my hands | procured pass and
proceeded to see Manila. The city.
both old and new. is under the most
strict martial law and one can scarcely
walk down any street in Manila with
out finding barracks. or quarters utiliz-
ed as such. The buildings OF New Ma.
Mia are mostly of the old Spanish
style of architecture and are, for the
most part ina very dilapidated condi-
ton. The city is new in name only,
and on the whole dirtier place would
be hard to find.
| Leaving the Escolta (the principal
street of Manila), and turning down
any of the streets which lead from 1t
one is greeted by the cries of numer-
Gus vendors. who, displaying their va
rious wares, are very persistent in
their efforts to make the Americans
purchase their goods, but one needs
but to take one glance at the surround
ings to compel him to consider before
purchasing. The places are foul smell
ing and filthy, and disease of every
kind turks in the air. There are many
pleasant, wide, clean streets in Manila,
but for the most part they are narrow
and uncleanly and totally unfit for hui
man habitation and in my humble
opinion, the only means of paving the
way to cleanliness in Manila Is to fix
IL In the same manner the Highlander
fixed his gun. (He gave 1t new lock,
a new stock, and new barreD.
We had been encamped on the Lune-
Ia for some days and / was beginning
10 tnihk we Were W nav qui'e s'ay,
when we reoe.,eu oIue,s III, ~ nv ~
.ne iIoh. 90 a. y m.' ~ . ns. i I on.
,nt orue,s' .wo uays ia.'ons III ou'
nav anu ao9 lounus VI a,' t,un,,
.oh, we snouiue' Gu, oun suns ~ n anu .a'
Gu our pachs Jh .ne oiis y. m '.'n ,ao,
Ai.er a ,larsu y, t p5, no Wv, We 'ea M,a
gu .ne .omn " oa ,i,a e ,S N a'a ,'r u,a
.anee VI : VI n'''es "nee $3.50, we '", ns
IN ~, .hu nisn n. ~ ga ostor ilaht
, no,n inns VIC VIZ w, anu az" 49,. 80
pIeah,as' wele aS"iu I,,, 'n 'me me-, ~,
reachs ta,', mn, om m"'" va"
en ',i .ne s ~. 1n.i Ia so,no.
,ioeh we paI ,'s tns ,@'n ar $1,000 u.
eu IN iihe .. sS s. n's ,,,e , om uua
M, use' 1 mo. "a, .,i I'm lily a ~ liz
nnl, nc , oune's e ,hn u,ii,,'in ~ n n.me
aso a ou, ears no es .' ~ InnIo op ~ns
Gu M oh oa 1870, vi
lcohipieteu, put "o pouie" ooN'i"i WV