The Elbert County tribune., 1902-08-07
IRoM YokoHAmA. JAPAN.
Joe Wheeler. an Eibert County Boy. Writes
an Interesting Letter From that
Far Away Country.
YoKoHAxA. JArAs, May 10, 1902.

the 10th OF November and arrived in
Magdalena Bay on the LIST OF December.
We remained there two weeks having
drills and target practice. We went from
there to Pichilingue, where we coalcd
ship. After coaling we started for Hon
olulu, where we arrived on the 10th of
January and soon filed ourselves with
fruit and cakes. On the I'D we got
shore liberty and visited all the places
OF interest, such as Pacific Heights,
Punch Bowl, an extinct volcano, and
Waikiki beach and Diamond Head. Pa
cific Heights are about 800 feet above
sea level There are electric cars run
ming up and down every few minutes and
it is a very beautiful sight-looxing out
over the bay and into the city OF Homo
lulu. There are beautiful flowers grow
ing the year around and so fragrant that
we could smell them five or six miles out
at sea. We remained there ten days and
then resumed our journey
We arrived at Christmas Islands Feb.
ruary 10 These islands belong to the
English government and are valued
principally for the pearls which arc
found there. The reefs are dangerous
and ships go there but once year. The
land is about three feet above sea level
and there are many coral reefs which
makes it very dangerous for vessels. We
remained two days and left for Pago
Pago, Samoan Islands. Before we an
chored the natives swarmed around the
ship like bees around hive We did
not get paid for a lev; days and the boys
traded off most all their soap, tobacco
and everything else they had, for banan-
as, pineapples, oranges and cocoanuts.
They would have traded of their clothes
il the officers had allowed them to.
About the only words the natives
could speak in English were "You my
friend" and il you answered yes, they
would give you bunch OF bananas.
The harbor here is almost surrounded
by mountains which are about 400 feet
high and covered with fir and fruit trees
OF all kinds. The natives live in grass
houses and live on fish and fruit They
are great people to be in the water
the men, women and children are in the
water most OF me time. They arc fine
swimmers. They use narrow canoes and
to balance them they have an out -rigger.
We had boat rnces and boat drills and
otherwise enjoyed ourselves for twenty
days.
We crossed the equator between Pago
Pago and Christmas Islands and we were
all initiated. When sailor crosses the
equator for the first time he is initiated.
After leaving Pago Pago we recrossed
the equator and arrived at Guam, Lad
rome Islands, April IL. Our ships cap
tured these islands from Spain during
the Spanish h-American war. While they
were firing at the forts the natives came
out and apologized for not having pow
der to return the salute. They hadn't
heard of war being declared and thought
we were saluting their flag. We had all
the sweet potatoes and deer meat that
we could eat and the bum bonts brought
us watermelons at ten cents each. There
is large military prison at Guam and
over fifty Filipino prisoners are confined
there.
After coallng we left for Bonin islands.
They belong to Japan and there are
great many japanese there. They are
a very industrious people. They raise
all kinds of vegetables and some Of them
have large plantations. While there
800 hundred school children came aboard
to visit our ship, and the most OF them
were from six to eight years old and as
small as four or five-year-olds in the
states 1t was pretty sight to see
them drill. They were drilled a. good
as we sailors were. While there we
tarred down the rigging and painted ship
and came into Yokohama shining.
We arrived here six days ahead of time
and get all the liberty we want. When
we go ashore and our boats near the
landing there are two or three hundred
Jinrikisha men waiting for us. A jnrik-
isha irickshaw) is two-wheeled carriage
and is pulled by the man. The Japan
ese boats are called sanpans and they
scull instead of row them. While ashore
went to Tokyo, Japan, and saw the inn
perial palace but was not allowed TO en-
ter it. Tokyo has some very fine parks.
Trains run from Yokohama every hour
for Tokyo There are four English crus-
ers, three English battleships, French
cruiser and great many Japanese ships
anchored near us. The Kentucky is an
chored near us and the other Ships look
like mail steamers compared with her.
Admiral Evans better known as Eight
ing Bob'), who was on the Iowa during
the Spanish American war, is on the
Kentucky. The New York and York
town we're here when we came in but
they have gone into dry dock.
II looks natural to look around us and
see the mountains covered with snow.
There is one mountain which is covered