The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1901-06-11

A savannah Soldiers Impressions OF
the Country and Its Natives.

the Country and Its Natives.
Mr.. Sidney To-Day, VINO recently joined
the cavalry branch of the United States
army and is now in the Philippines. has
written an interesting letter to relatives
here The letter was written April % and
is dated from Nasugbu Bantangas Prov
ince.
Speaking of his trip Mr.. Torlay says
1--WE did not land at all at Manila; after
we arrived there we remained on the
transport in the harbor until midnight
and then again steamed out to sea, turn
ed south for about sixty miles and landed
here at daylight We were taken ashore
on the small boats belonging TO the ma
tives as the transport could not get with
in two miles of the beach.
Il was the first to land. so had it easy,
as l was put on guard at once while all
the others had to work at unloading.
When we reached the shore the men took
off their clothes and waded through the
water with the troops property We did
not take long to unload and, as we had
wagons waiting on us. we soon had things
on the way to camp.
I'VE are to relieve Troop H, Fourth Cav
airy So of course, they gave US a good
reception. We are about a mile and a
half from China Sea, and sixty miles
camp in the center of a Filipino town of
which the population is about thousand.
About the only kinds of trees around us
are banana trees, but up in the mountains
about fifteen miles off there are Nots of
small trees and bamboos.
The natives around us are friendly in
the day time, but at night they turn
against us if they get the chance. There
are about thirty native police in the
town; lin the day time they carry clubs but
at night shot guns. They live in camp,
and stand reveille, and retreat, and
mount guard with us. Besides these We
have twenty Maccabee scouts; enlisted
for six months at a time at Sc a month.
They have separate tents but eat with
us Of course they don't understand
much English but we make them know
what we want.
No man is allowed to leave camp
without notifying the first sergeant
where he is going, and even then he
must take his pistol or carbine with him.
There is no telling when the people will
break out as they are very far from be-
ing civilized This is the most danger
Gus part OF the island at present. 1t is
nlrt that Spain never could conquer
Though it seems that Uncle Sam will.
very soon.
They are not round here with guns,
but with bows and arrows. big knives
ana Otner deadly weapons with Wnlcn
they ambush one. A quarter of a mile
away are the trenches but as yet we
have not seen anyone in them. We have
twenty prisoners, but only two are in
chains, and that is because they are des-
porate, They may be shot before long
The other prisoners we make work about
camp and they are a big help, as it
would kill white man to work in this
climate.
The houses the people live in are all
of bamboo, and are very much cooler than
tents. They are built about four feet
from the ground so when the rainy sea-
son sets in they will not be washed away
As soon as it starts raining which will
be in about six weeks we will have to
hunt other quarters as where we are now
the water will be three feet deep. 1t is
this rainy season that starts sickness.
"A detachment of the Fourth Cavalry
has just returned after burning a town
as large as this one. We have only our
captain with u.s. as our lieutenant is COM
ing with the horses on another boat.
However, the horses won't arrive for
month yet, so we will have it easy until
that time.
Yesterday Sunday we went to the
native church; of course it was Catholic.
To see the way the people have of dress
ing for church is startling. OF course very
few ever wear any SHOES, and none aver
wear socks. They dress like Indians ev-
erything blue and red and their clothes
are thin you can see through them.
The small children don't wear even a fig
leaf, and the girls and women are almost
as bad Their clothes are so made that one
pull of a string will completely undress
them
The women smoke pipes or cigarettes,
and chew just like the men. When there
is planting or any other work to be done
easy, smoking, and, I suppose, fighting,
when they get a chance.
They have a market just outside of
our camp, where they sell all their pro-
ducts every Thursday and Sunday. And
on these days everybody in town comes
TO it, both the rich and the poor Also
on thes days they have cock-fghting at
ter church, and they certainly do bet
money, although it does not amount to
much in our money.
In 'front.' of our camp the president of
the town lives, and yesterday a the COCK
tight, ] met him. He is friendly with the
soldiers and very patriotic; he has large
American flag which flies in front of his
house and ii is lowered and raised just
as ours is, at the bugle calls. There is
also millionaire among the natives. who
uVeS in front of camp. He is fine look
Ing, big fellow. OF course he speaks only
spanish, but we are picking up a few
words and so he tries to talk with us.
We use his well for water for bathing
and so OF course, see him quite often.
His wife is very pleasant. but 1 can't
see how l can ever like them as I have
seen too many of them before
This is the trip of a lifetime, and
wouldn't take 5000 for it even If l could
sell but take my advice and stay at home
and don't think of ever coming to this
country. If you want to get an idea of
what it is like out here go out about noon
on a hot day in August about three miles
out on the Ogeechee road and you will
see what the Filipinos are like. And the
worst of it here is that it never gets any
colder; it is always the same the year
round"