The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1901-12-24
HONOLULU LETTER.
c. X. Schafer Gives a Graphic Account
Of His Trip.

ID: Once more | will try to gather to-
yether few threads of events for your
entertainments A week ago about 10
a. m. we sighted the island Of Guam
and glasses we're kept busy from that
time till we landed or rather anchored.
The island as you probably know, is OF
coral formation and is plentifully COW
cred with vegetation. The soil on the
hills is of a red color and where it is
exposed in a bank or cliff it makes
very pretty effect in the landscape. On
account of numerous reefs we had to
keep we'll away from the southern
point as we rounded it and the western
shore looked bold and rocky We
Stacked speed and commenced sound
ing about 4:45 p. NJ, just as we were
the peninsula on which was
situated one of the old Spanish forts.
The channel is marked by buoys but it
does not get close to any landing. 1t
was about 500 when we dropped our
anchor and swung around with the
wind. Three marine officers visited
us at I p. M and arranged for the I'M
loading of the cargo of $50 tons. Some
of the boys went ashore. when they re-
turned and got a wetting before they
got ashore. Early the following morn
ing our steam launch and two boats
we're got out and shortly after the
first load of passengers were landed,
| did not get to go ashore until in the
afternoon as I could not get into my
trunk for my shoes as soon as | eX-
pected to. / was on shore about an
hour in the afternoon. AS there is no
wharf we had to unload the freight on
to three lighters and they were towed,
pushed or pulled to shore and unloaded
by natives. Twas a slow process.
Some passengers wished to stay a
week and others were bored to stop at
all. was glad to stop awhile. On
Wednesday morning did not get
breakfast early enough so could not go
ashore then. but in the afternoon one
of the ships officers and small party
with myself went ashore near the old
Spanish fort on the island and wan
dered through the village and along
the beach The native huts are most
ly built on three foot posts to keep
them dry and maze a harbor for the
pigs, hens and dogs. The roofs are al
most all of them made OF cocoanut
palm leaf laid to shed water quite nice
ly They will last about two years.
Some of the sides are of boards and
some are of plated bamboo. The
floors are generally Of wood, native
product and as hard as walnut. On
the way in the tide was not vet full and
we run aground several times but the
water was nowhere very deep so there
was no danger except in getting wet.
The sea was full of humps and hollows
and our ride consequently had its ups
and downs. | used to think | would
not like to ride in an open boat in q
choppy sea but rather enjoyed it. On
Thursday rather than miss the first
boat missed my breakfast but got to
Pitt in time to catch the ambulance
for Asan and Agana. 1t rained most
of the way up, but we kept dry. I had
my camera with me but guess did not
get very good views and had only a
few plates left. The old Spanish gov.
ernor's s'Palace" is the chief building
of note and it is nothing but roomy
two story structure. The lower par,
is used for the governments Offices AND
the upper is used entirely for the Gov
ernor's Swift residence. The pos
Office is about 9x9 and is presided over
by a native who speaks quite good Eng
lish and receives $50 per month golt
for his services. All he keeps for salt
is &c. Sc, 1Oc, Soc to 81 stamps which
are just like ours except they hav'
the word Guam printed across tn,
lower edge and have no mucilage. Th'
former governor, Schroeder, was re
cently recalled to the United States
The men did not like him at all ant
once about one-third of them ran Of
to the. hills and when they came bacl
he had them put in irons and deducte
one or two months pay from some Q
the offenders. Four Of the boys ar
still in double irons. The islands gal
| rison consists of about l5o men, al
marines. Part of the men are at tn
Capital Agana, town OF about $50
souls, and the rest are at the Presidi
of Asan where the 81 Filipino prison
ers are confined. One of them, hav
forgotten his name, who was Aguir
aldo's secretary of war, rode from Asa
to Agana in our ambulance, at whic
place he is assisting the judge in II
terpreting the old Spanish law whic
is still in force in the island. He is
smart fellow they say. and is the onl
one of the prisoners who SIS thu
pareled. The roads and plaza are no
in first rate shape but it took a lot {
uoru RI roala them On Tho n, AMI A c