The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1900-02-21
Quartet de Espana,


tillery, lately stationed here:
Quartet de Espana,
Manila, Jan. Is, 1900.
LAS Z have a few moments leisure
time, / will write you a few lines to
say that we arrived here safe after a
pleasant voyage, and we are enjoying
good health. / suppose that you learn
ed that we spent Thanksgiving Day in |
the harbor there. Some kindhearted |
ladies sent us a big box of good things,
and we had a fine dinner the next day !
far out Ct sea.
eve neither Toasted or quite starv-
ed during the trip. The meat was al
ways bad. The bread was fresh every
day, but was never good. We could
buy mostly anything from the COM
missary.
I'VE passed volcano on December
14th and some beautiful islands north
of Luzon, and the mountain scenery is
very much like that of Oahu. The
mountains of Northern Luzon are high
and some are covered with trees. There
is many fine scene along the coast.
I'VE anchored in Manila bay at /
a. m. December 22d, among the war
ships and transports, with myriads of
lights glimmering in the distance.
The next morning we had a good view
of the Baltimore, Brooklyn and Ore
gon and of Manila, and the wrecked
Spanish ships. The bay is very large.
We transferred to a smaller boat
mile out and went up the Pasig river
to a landing and marched to our bar
racks, which are fine buildings, with
just room for battalion and $50 pris-
oners. The Sixth Artillery is doing
provost duty in the walled city and
furnishes guards for the gates. 1t has
good reputation here.
Yes, we get plenty to eat here. The
beef and mutton issued is the finest
anywhere in the army, and it is fur
nished right in the trenches, too; so is
= the mail.
The soldier on the firing line is treat
ed better now than formerly. All were
sorry we did not go on the firing line
at once, as we would have seen much
of the country and had an easy time
too. We would have been in the ad-
vance beginning January T., which in
two weeks took the troops over most
of the island. There are few bands
of rebels still. Sunday, January
7th, Col. Birkhimer, with some of the
Twenty-eighth and one gun of the
Fifth Artillery, defeated the insurg.
n ents at Patal, killing sixty-five, among
III whom was a deserter from the Sixth
ii Artillery, who was serving as major
in the rebel army.
Nearly all the rebels have white
" suits, and when they can fight no Ion
u ger, they don the white and call them
Q, selves amigos, but as soon as ou
9, troops are out of sight, they dig III
q their rifles and are ready for plnnde
} again.
ITO be sure, they are very treacher
u Gus, and most of them are ignorant
but you must remember that they hav
never had the advantages of exampl
in civilization. Many of these peopl
never saw a white person before, an
our big cavalry horses nearly scar
. them TO death. Lately three big troop
ers of the Fourth Cavalry galloped in
: to town yelling and the garrison
' made themselves scarce. The tire
y men captured the town, thirty-fiv
y prisoners, three American prisoners
10000 pounds of rice, 5000 rounds O
ammunition and many other things.
In stature the natives are yer,
much like the Japanese, and thei
horses are very small indeed. The
believe that our negro soldiers have
particular fondness for eating SINAI
children; and the Forty-ninth wa
having some fun as they were march
ing toward the south line. A woma
came running up and got behind us a
Los Pinas, and implored us to not lie
the big negro eat her 'pickaninnie.
put my hand on my revolver and toll
her l wouldn't Tate and l were GU
there on drive, about fifteen mile
from Manila, and we saw the eyidenc
IN of many things that have passed int
n history. | never saw so many soldier!
camps, and wagon trains before. w
were at La Iona church and Calcocar
on the railroad, and it will take tim
VI to bring about new order of things
but the resources of these islands al
many and varied.
The opportunities in all lines {
business are the finest in the world
1t has rained about ten minutes sine
we came, and the health of our boy
is excellent. / can't say what it wi
. be IN the rainy season, but like TIL
climate better than Honolulu; yet
VIII never have anything to say again!
that delightful place l saw Gener;
Otis today at the Palace while I We
waiting for the mail. In one respe
y. this place is like Heaven, I suppos
4N for one is constantly meeting OF
friends.
There is fine church about tive,
ty feet from our Office window. and
enjoy the services, even if / am
work in the office. The officers an
their wives and soldiers attend. Mi
Clara Barton is there now and sever
women are having one of their 'coI
ventions' over five or six tons of lite
ature; and | dare say the most of II
an from ten to a hundred years old
n suppose it will be sent to the hospifal
where perhaps it will be thankful
- p