The Irish standard., 1899-02-11

has begun 10 crave 1Or rellglOuS cOnSOla-
tion, to seek the frequent reception Of
the sacraments, by reason Of the sense
of divine need in trial. When confess
sions were announced on shipboard or in
camp, there was no lack Of waiting
crowds. All Of the Catholic boys who
passed away were we'll prepared while
the number Of men we confessed and
sent to holy communion at the neighbor-
ing native churches astonished the Fill
pinos, who had never imagined such a
thing as any soldiers particularly Amer
lean soldiers, receiving the sacraments.
Passing from Honolulu to Manila is
a mere excursion-about 5000 miles
nothing at all, in fact, If you say it
quickly; but to drag along the change
less ocean day after day became. as one
old salt described it. too monopolous.'
On leaving Honolulu, the feet Of five
vessels stood by in the oillIg. There
was Il wigwagging Of signals--far from
the possibility of their transmission to
Spain, and the Newport sped away alone
the other four to follow-to point GOO
miles east of Point Engano, where news
would be received on convoy sent to
Admiral Camara, bound to the Philip
pines through the Suez canal.
This point was passed--the land was
sighted, and we sailed along the eastern
nj I'm ,t.rl,
ruptly rising, reminding me of the Goa It
OF our own state, when genial rains
come to garb the soft, undulating hills
with the luminous hues of Il peacock's
neck. AT last, In the midst of the rain
cloud, the conformation of Manila bay
was seen, with Corrcgidor with its trim
lighthouse, looming up through the
haze.
"Cavite, peninsula, stands to the
right, nt the head of the bay. giving for
first impression, a fortified dock yard
with naval-shears, vessels on stocks,
and the famous submarine navy with
dismantled smokestacks in disarray
What's In n name?' they seem to sug-
gest, for Cavite has suggestion of
'cavete! or beware. But this is not the
derivation of tho name which comes in
many changes from small clam or
shelltlsh plentiful in It's waters, and
abundant now upon the submerged yes
sells
"Cavlte is peninsula lounging along
the opposite side of the bay, about eight
miles from Manila. An arm with Il
clinched fist would fairly describe its
conformation. A narrow wrist of land
on the southerly side is protected by
strong gates and the town of several
narrow, dirty streets, containing low
antique houses, and several dilapidated
churches, converges to the plaza or pa
rade ground facing the picture squc sully-
port Of the fortified fist
This fort was an ideal one for gloomy
romance. Granite bastionS rise from
walls hOncycomhcd on the inside with
hollow inches and subtrrrancun chan.
ncls, while in the Jail yard ominous clip
pings of the masonry OF the walls show
where prisoners were stood ,p and
shot. In this quaint hahitaton at first
was located one of our best beloved
citizen soldiers. Capt. Denis Grary. Yol
know hlm-siX feet to IN inch. and every
inch n soldier. Appointed by Gen.
Anderson provost marshal of Cnvitc,
Capt. Gcary did distinguished service in
the tronblous times In that town. The
Filpinos respected him as one who kcp,
both promises and threats When
AguinaldO inhumancly tried to remove
from the scope of our assistance over 50
sick Spanish prisoners. Capt Geary
said No, not while ] have a provost
guard to defend them. When | snil
mass in Cavite in the little chapc where
but short time before q Spanish priest
was murdered at the altar, Cant. Gc,ry
sheltered me. and this is the wav I .,ct
back at him
1.-THE Spanish prisoners Of Aeulnuldo.
imprisoned In Cavlte. were in Il terrible
way. and don't propose to harrow
your feelings here tonight with more
than passng glance at them in their
misery behind the bars. Going along
from window to window In order 10 Ms.
s1st them, came at lasi to one cell
where three dead bodies lay crowded
into two collins. AS ! had been denied
entrance to the prison by tlc miserable
savage armed with Il Maustr, could but
take ont my ritual and read their burial
service from the street outside of the
gratingS, with a handful Of rcspnciful
curiosity seekers looking on. Inside tlis
prison, which had formerly been a state
ly convent, were lines of poor miserable
Spanish peasants torn from their homes
to feed national vanity. and to nIl un-
known graves in savage land. II was
awful. No one could ever forget It.
"fhc churches OF Cnvito were in n
desperate state OF dilapidntion. having
been looted sncccsslvcly by the various
occupants of the town. On May l. one
of Dewey's shells ricocictnd and landed
on the organ loft of the church OF the
Recolctos, and bursting scattered us
many notes about 1t as at Chinese flu
neral The instrument itself was shat
tered by this shell, which, unlike the
Lost Chord entered the heart of the