Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1902-01-18
FAR-OFF
Luzon Brought to
Akron.
Interesting Letter From
Lieut.. Lukesh.
Travels. Troubles and Filipino
Life Well Described.

interesting letter from their son, Lieut..
Gustave Lukesh, who is serving at
present in the Philippines. Lieutenant
Lukesh was graduated from West
Point, few years ago, and has been
in very active service almost ever
since. Part of the letter follows:
Canayan, Isabella Province, p. l.,
October 49, 1901.
NV Dear Father and Mother: AS
you see, am no longer In Manila,
and am very glad Of it, though If 1
had to stay here for ten years, would
probably get tired of this place, too.
AS this place is exceedingly out Of
the way, being from two weeks to
month from Manila, depending on
when you start, our mail will prob
ably be exceedingly irregular.
will start in where left off in my
! last letter and SO will not leave out
anything which may interest you. AS
l expected, my boat failed to leave
Manila on time, starting Oct. /, in
stead of Sept. 2S. However, 1t did
start at last, and and my detachment
were safe aboard, also $4,000 that 1
was to deliver by request to the quar-
termaster ut Apart.
The boat we went in belongs to
Compania Martina and is officered
by Spanards and has a crew of Fill.
pinos. The cooking is Spanish, and
the first day or two l nearly starved.
They insist on putting garlic and 9th
er spices in everything, and 1t Is mon
strous. We reached San Fernando de
Union next day, and there had to-
leave one of my men who had fever.
My sergeant beseeched me to let him
buy some coffee there, and some con-
densed milk, and the rest of the way
we lived more civilized like. We stay
ed at San Fernando for two days, ON
account of the approach of typhon.
1t did not strike us, 50 we continued
on our way.
The sea was very rough and during
the might my cot--I slept on deck to
keep cool-would wander around the
deck, and occasionally tip over 1
was not seasick, but would have been
IL | had tried to walk around much.
Our next stop was So.omasQue- 1t was
too rough to stop at Vigan--and then
We went around the northwestern
corner of Luzon and Went along the
western coast. We reached Aparri on
Saturday.
The captain blew his whistle sever
nj times but no one came out from the
port. We learned from another YES
sci that the Cagayan river was up,
and the current was ten miles an ho,f..
The next dry, however. row boat
came out about pm, and as q result
of long discussion and after much
Spanish changing Of minds, the Aide
Goa went about three miles up the
Cagayan, which took three hours, us
the Aldecoa can make eleven miles an
hour.
From there I and the detachment
left on the q NJ. boat and reached
Aparri all right. had previously
sent about half Of my mules, AZ, up 10
Apart, and expected to take them up
the river with me, but could not on
account of the high water.
/ stayed at APART until "Wednesday
morning, having turned over the mon
cy all right, and having left another
member of the detachment at Aparri
for treatment for n swelling of the
jaw, when We left at 6 a. m. for Cana
yam, on the .. NJ. boat Raleigh. The
current had diminished some In velo.
city aud we made about two miles an
hour 1t took us six days to get here,
Il little over 100 miles.
This part of the country has Just
experienced the largest flood they
have had for 30 years. The Cagayan
rose 40 feet and swept away great
many houses and nipa huts, a great
deal OF tobacco, many animals and
several people. 1t Is a beautiful
country, however,; the Cagayan river
flows through wide, flat and fer
tile plain, bounded by immense noun.
tains, There are many rivers and
creeks and the vegetation Is luxurious.
but not as tropical In appearance as it
is farther south.
The rainy season Is sim on here.
1t viii last till December or January.
Then the fine weather is in order
As to the temperature, It is exceed.
ingly pleasant just now, the nights
being very cool and the days like
september or October in Ohio. They