The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1919-02-14

| in front of village until d sharl
came up. Then we went UP to the en-,
of the island. We had our picture
taken there, one with the owner O
ithc island, 80 years old and blind
but the pictures were spoiled. We go
back from there at noon and left ate
dinner for q trip up the Rio Cong
river. We wanted to 90 up to wher'
they get the ivory nuts. but on &C
, count of the tides could only go with
| in two and one half miles of tn,
place, and then the bit launch go
stuck on the sand so we had to pill
out into the rOwboat and be towed be
hind the little launch. There were
what we would be stuck as the tide
was going out so fast. We got bacl
at $50 and were tired bunch sc
went to bed early.
Sunday we left at $50 and crossed
San Miguel bay, and went up the
Tuira river 10 La Palmas, a village
built right on the shore so that The
tide washed up under some of the
buildings. We bought 1900 oranges
there at So per thousand. What dc
You think of that? never ate sc
in the village and sang bit and
tried to get them to dance, but they
didn't warm up to it very much. They
finally brought out three TOM toms
and one OF the men bought bottle OF
rum to help them along. In the mean
time we got up and put on the Vir-
einia reel, and you should have seen
them stand by and laugh. When they
did dance, the star performer was an
ola lady, the mother of sixteen chill
dren. We left the village about 80
and were nicely started across the
bay when. the row'boat became loose
and in getting it back the rope goi
caught in the propeller and the en-.
CINE was stopped and refused to 60
That was at 3 p. II. and from TO Z
we drifted. There was quite wind
which was carrying us towards the
rocks on an iGlard or out to the Pacif
ic, neither Of which would be pleas
crt, so | was surely relieved when
we got started. The sun went down
1T six. When we got home they had
all the big lights lit and had just sent
out the small launch TO find us. Mrs.
Gates invited us TO her house ard aft
CT We had had supper, so the whole
bunch went up there.
Monday We got up at five, had
bl eahfast before SIX and watched the
moon and southern cross fou~ stars;
disappear, and saw the sun rise We
sailed away Gt 7:I5 and went across
the bay close TO one of the larger ma
tive illages. They anchored the Con
stance, and we left Immediately at
eleven in the two launches. and vert
up the Dandbu River. Each days
trip seemed to be prettier, and this
was the most beautiful. 1t twisted
of alligators along The banks. We
went up as far as we could with the
launches, about twenty-five miles.
We had passed some Indian huts so
turned around and stopped at one,
and our guides knew some of them
One came out and shook hands with
us, aE1 took us back to the hut where
there were twelve Indians, some of
them with paint on their faces We
had beads and money which we gave
for things in their house, and / got
several different souvenirs from them.
We got back TO the Constance
about p. m. We didn't start right
away or we would have passed the
Pearl Islands in the dark, so they
waited till about 1:30 q. N. Then we
passed the indians between 6 and 9
O'Clock. They do a lot of pearl fish
ing there, but don't dive much at this
Time of the year as the water is too
cold. We got to Panama at 1880.
Coming two of the men put out fish
lines. and caught three nice big fish,
so we had fish for dinner before we
got off the boat.
We sure had the time OF our lives.
The men there seemed to enjoy hav-
ing us there too, and couldn't do
enough for us. They don't get to see
people very often. We also had such
a congenial bunch of girls.
Ii we didn't have school tomorrow
Mr. Baker could have arranged for us
to take trip on a boat going for cork
within five miles from the Colon
bian border, but it took four days,
and we had only three days left.
!, Sunday We went to Pedro Miguel to
see a Red Gross hospital ship, re-
turning from France, and going to
New Zealand. First we went to the
market in Panama to get some or
anges to take ont. We took the clev-
en- o'clock train cut, and got there
Just as the ship was coming in. Then
came back to the pier at Balboa where
the ship had arrived. 1t was real
hospital ship and was perfectly won
derful, ard three OF us were crazy
to get on. They were just letting
medical officers with their families
and the Red Cross committees who
served ice cream and cake and gave
flowers. We talked with quarter
master who knew we wanted to get
on, and later when people were getting
on ne got passes for us, so we We're
lucky again. A couble of the commit
tee women looked daggerS at lis
though. We went all through the
different wards, and the bactei'iol :
cgist showed us his laboratory and
the Xray. They let every man who
was able to, to get off, as an enter