BoletiÌn mercantil de Puerto Rico. (San Juan, P.R.) 18??-1918, 1902-02-13
Hiking N Sanap.
Marching in Endless Rains. Wad-
ing Swollen Rivers, Fighting FIJI.
ipinos and Insects, and Dedgine
Man-Traps.

all ardsr command Of Oart jackson, First
Infantry, who commanded the main column.
The hike performed by this column ia de :
serving Of mention as probably the longest
ever made by American troops in Samsr.
The men were absent from their station
about eighteen days, and covered nearly 100
miles. Oalthe tenth day out over two
thirds of the men Were unable to proceed on
account Of exhaustion and sore feet and two
days rest was taken in camp.
The columns were ordered to converge
towards Mount PuroS, watershed about
thirty miles from the west and fifty miles
from the north coasts Of Samsr. Sim 7ltane.
oasly with this move, troops acre ordered
to make q demonstration all over Ssmar in
order to prevent the enemy fleeing to the
south and east. The expedition "cleaned
up," so to speak, an approximate total
Of fifty insurgents killed, tacenty prisoners
taken, four rebel strongholds and twenty
barrios destroyed, 500 sacks Of rice and 80
carsbao captured.
The column from Mauo, uulsr Capt. Jack
son, had for its sole purpose the capture Of
Lukban. 1t consisted of twenty Ilocauo
scouts and fifteen men Of Company L, First
Infantry.
The little column left Mauo at seven
O'Clock on the morning Of November Is in
pouring rain. It may be added chat. from
that time on to November "a, eight days,
dry fee. and dry clothing were unknown.
After three hours macbing to wards the in.
terror, half of which was through rica.fis slds
in deep mud, the Oatipauan River was
reached, which at this place was very deep
n n In kANan
channels BY two rocks. It was found necss.
sary to bridge the first channel, which was
done By fas.eaing one end Of . long log to-
the shore, the other to the rock. A. repe os
bejeck, q strong vine, was stretched as .
hsnd-rsil, and on this log, submerged sew
eral inches by the force Of the current, the
channel was crossed. The other two chan
nels were only breast-deep. and were forded,
the big fellows helping the little ones.
The hike was resumed early the next
morning, and on this day had chance to
see, what hiking in Sam ar was like. Ga this
day, also, I had my frss experience with the
gentle and seductive Samar leech. When
we acre not wading in the bedI Of noun
tain brooks we were climbing the sides of
mountains, or else aoundering In morasses.
Hill succeeded hill in endless succession,
and not until night, when we made camp at
the foot Of beautiful waterfall, where the |
limits Of our vision extended TO m,re than |
fifty yards before cut of BY hills.> Through |
out this, a. the previous day, there was no
sight Of any human habitation. During the |
day we covered less than mile IN hour,
the men being obliged to JON hsnds ard |
pull one another over the steep p'aces.
On the next day, November IL, the leech
20 made their appearance in force. These
little pests are found only on the mountain
slopes-never in the valleys. They are
about IN inch and quarter in length, Of
the thickness Of knitting.needle, and when
they scslk they hump themselves. They
reach the soldiers from the grass and bam-
boo bushes, sud ssielly enter leggings and
shoes through the lsee-holes, and fastsu
themselves upon the legs, usually shcat the
ankles. They absorb blood until about the
size Of mans finger, when they loosen
their hold. and drop oG, leaving an open
wou1d which blseds for hours. have seen
. soldisr piek - mary - thirty Of these on
his legs and ANKLES at night, and % each
pune'urs lsasss Q small bleeding ueund.
tks leo ef siocd b sometimes qalts ssrioas.
The natives, being b.Fs-lsggsd, aeauIrs|
more leecbss than ne Ausriean soIdisra.I
bat Cor he s.ms reason, sss them soonsfI
md pisk then 81 esioss serious dsmsgsI
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