The Hawaiian star. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu]) 1893-1912, 1911-11-06
ARMY OFFICER
Il0utInued hOm - ninel
he islands is assured
Sighting the Philippines.

Sighting the Philippines.
From Guam, the last lap OF the one
third circuit Of the globe, starting at
Chicago is commenced. 1t is 1900
miles to Manila. The direction is ax-
actly west, and the first four days is
a voyage alone upon the same waste
of water with the same trade wind
breeze and warmth On the fourth
day the land Of Luzon looms bold
and lofty. AS the San Bernardine
Straits are entered the great noun,
tain elevation, rising almost from the
ships side, is seen, and from the tops
OF some issue puffs of smoke, and
You are in the presence Of volcanoes.
The volcano Mayer looks like the
outline of a pointed tent, so regular
has the liquid lava poured out from
its crater that it has shaped this
mountainous mass into a symmetri-
cal body above a wide base and slop-
! ing in angular lines to its pointed sum-
nit One entire day is passed with
the island shore and the distant
mountains always in view
The most of the valley country on
| each side of the Manila-Dagupan rail
road, in central Luzon, has once been
under water and has been made into
nearly marshy land area by the wash
| ing down of soil and debris from the
/ neighboring mountains. The Manila
and Laguna bays, now shallow, are
being gradually filled with this sedi-
mentation. The city of Manila is
therefore in low delta-like district
cut by numerous water courses which
are streams when the tide is high
and almost empty when the tide is
low. These are used to float small
craft from the bay, or Pasig river, all
about Manila, so that Manila presents
at times the aspect of Venice.
City of Manila.
Manila has 100000 inhabitants, the
streets are raised causeways and
buildings are on filed ground. 1t has
a part called the Walled City, which .
contains the old public buildings and .
ancient churches Indeed, these .
churches are more interesting than .
all those of Europe Across the Pasig .
are stone bridges, one of which was
placed there before the landing of the .
Pilgrims. 1t is all beautiful, rather .
picturesque; the people live a care
free life of comfort, wherein lies the
charm of the tropics.
Arriving in Manila we were taken
to the home of one of my old friends,
who has a roOmy house, spacious
lawn and an auto. Colonel Scriven
did not vacate the Military Plaza till
June 15 We found it in need of .
cleaning and painting, so we did not
get in until July
We have covered the country
around Manila with our machine, and
have seen more in a month than
was known in the two years while
here seven years ago. There are
splendid roads about here, and soon
we will have driving to Lucena and
Baguio over the finest sort of roads,
only short sections remain to be com
pleted
We are going TO nave a good time .
and enjoy the charm of the tropics
to the fullest. One can go to Asia or
in the mountains at Baguio and re-
cuperate if necessary; at least pro-
pose to keep in the attitude of opti- I.
mism and refrain from talking Of
heat, the brown man, and this dis
lance away from many friends. In
deed this is good station. I have
plenty to do in my own sphere, and
in addition am on a board which con-
siders questions of such interest that
one becomes, through study of them,
interested in the military aspect of
this situation. There has been formed .
a wireless board to consider the ques-
ton of installing a wireless system
in this archipelago, to supplement and
perhaps take the places of cables, etc. .
Manila has changed, and more is
going on. Commerce and business is |
increasing, which is disclosed by the /.
activity of the people and the array
Of vessels in the harbor and on the
Pasig.
American Pastimes.
About the first Saturday afternoon
| dropped into the Philippine League
baseball grounds paid 80 centavos
| as cents) for the best chair set in
the grandstand. The players were
| Filipinos and there were some dis
plays of playing that would have
brought the thousands of Chicago
fans to their feet with a cheer Games
are attended by many thousands, and
are features of Saturday and Sunday
afternoon amusement, as all places