The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-08-31
A LETTER FROM Mr.. GRE WIS
He Tells a OF What re Jaw and Heard
in the city OF Manila.
Editor

Editor Messenger:
When the United States army trans
port Grant steamed past San Bernar-
dino light into the straits of San Ber-
nardino early on Sunday morning of
April the 2Sth 1 was at the beginning
of one of the most pleasant and inter-
esting Of all the days Of the nearly
two and a half months in which 1 was
on water while travelling around the
world. l have come to this conclusion
after going the trip over again and
again IN my mind and thinking of my
experiences On the different oceans,
seas, bays. channels, etc. San Bernar-
din light is the western entrance to
the strait OF the same name, and on
this body Of water large vessels can
sail over TO Manila on the east across
the entire Philippine group It was q
beautiful Sunday morning, n l had
been sailing day after day and week
after week since leaving pretty Hon
Olulu with out the sight of either land
or ship, except the little and lonely
island Of Guam and the old collier Bru-
tus, a ship used as a kind UT depot in
the harbOr. and / was fully prepared
TO appreciate what was in store for me.
I was informed by Captain Jesse NJ.
Baker. who was the military captain
and qUartermaster OF the snip. that
the Grant was the second OF the trans
ports to pass this way, and that a new
route was being laid out on this vOy-
& from San Francisco to Manila via
Honolulu. Guam and through the
straits. ind that as soon as Guam could
be made a cOaling station, as il was
expected that il would also be made a
naval and cable station. all our ships
--av.VI 800. -. 1880 -
long vOyag around by Japan.
San BernaTdinO light is one hundred
and ninety-twO miles from Manila, the
way the Grant sailed. ana LuZon, the
principal island of the Philippines,
and on which Manila is situated, was
on our right at the entrance to the
strait, and when Manila was reached
I was informed that it was near three
hundred miles still to the end of the
island. making it nearly 800 miles long,
and, 1 understand. in area it is nearly
as large as North Carolina.
From the beginning to the end of the
1872 miles across the Philippine islands,
instead of my eyes beholding nothing
but sea and sky as had been the
case for so long a time. the ship was
continually winding around among the
mountains n hills on the pretty,
clear. blue waters of San Bernardino
strait, enabling me to witness some Of
the most beautiful and grandest tropi-
cal scenery that it is possible for hu-
man eyes to rest on in this world of
ours. There were no barren noun
tains and hills. as is often seen in Mex
leo and the western part of our coun-
try, but all looked to be covered with
rich and great forests. ana there was
no resting place for the ship during
the interesting Oyage through the is
lands, as there was no place to stop
Al along the way smoke could be seen
ascending as though houses or woods
We're burning, but the ship was never
near enough for me to see what was
on fire, and the only explanation that
was Ventured was that il must be the
signals of the people on one island to
those on other islands that a strange
vessel was approaching or that II was
the firing of the sugar can after 1t
had been passed through the mills. to
clear it away. Now and then a small
sailing vessel and sometimes a snail
steamer could be seen in the distance,
but u ship could never ge- near
enough to know anything about them.
All along the strait. where the land
was level, at the bottom of the hills
and mountains. the beautiful c%ocoanu
palm tree was to be seen. as we'll as
a great variety of other kinds of tropi.
cal growth. and it Is interesting to
hin that since THESE far southern is
lands has been in existence there has
been no frost TO kill vegetation but that
from cntury to century il grows UP
AZURE and dies down and now
growth rises III its stead.
After leaving the stpait 4 short sail
was made on the China sea-, and the
entrance to the great Manila bay. now
the scene of the most miraculous ma
val eDg3,9T mt tNeT knoSL. was
reached. $:ani.1g Ia ;he c-r'sr OF tn
entrance is the noted Corregidor is
land. There is Il channel INTO the bay
on either SOC : tic I-.dnl -"ns name,l
the Big oh on.l and the rtne- the Lit.
tie chained. Tha enc or the r.Hht x
ing in was IiIa Cpa tEr rnS1 Witch
Dewey fleet is said 10 ave Idsse'l
and WIS tbs one thrn ISn which the
Grant .enteced. AID C1at Ga ! ther
see? Ono o. tna prett es1 bays in th-
world, it e SAID, LARGE enough 10 &C
commO7ate the combined naVl"S Of al
nations: the length o. which is twenty
miles, the - i.h Il ~hI"n is thirty two
miles, and the cirCrnfa-a,- - r'icf
is 120 miles. with 2. '.Gtb ~ places Of
20 feet. The Cor-esiGc, ..land is about
three miles in length by one and a hall
in width and has a population of some
$40 people, with one town called Sa-
Jose, and it's position makes it OF
great strategic Importance as a Ioint
of defense for this great bay as we'll a.
the city of Manila. On sailing the q
~ HUH ~ liz 80 -
Manila the town of Cavite was passed
on our right. Near here is where ths
great naval battle was fought, bu'
from the Grant no signs of the ole
Spanish I'LL could be seen.
And what did I hen see? I saw tn,
city of Manila in the distance, spread
out for a long way on the lower end o.
the bay, and the harbor. with a grea
many ships anchored in it. Manila l:
the capital of the Philippine islands
and has a population of about 800, 900
1t was founded in 1571-making ii now
about 500 years old.
1t consists Of Manila proper, the ole
walled city, and its ten districts OF
wards, as we would call them in Will.
mington, in which are many fine
buildings and often surrounded ny
beautiful gardens. Inside the walled
city are the most important govern.
ment buildings, the cathedral erected
in 1873 by Pope Gregory XIII. thu
churches and converts Of Santo Do.
mingo, San Augustin, San francisco