S2
THE SUNDAY OREGONIAN, PORTLAND, JUNE 30, 190f.
-
T was an occasion of
great rejoicing to the
recruits of the Second
Oregon -when they re
ceived their final or
ders to sail for Manila.
During all the Summer
of 1S9S they had been
held In San Francisco,
awaiting the pleasure
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of the War Department, and they had al
most given up hope of going, when' word
was received for them to Join their com
, rades on the other side of the Pacific.
October- 17 was the day set for their
departure, and when they embarked at
San (Francisco on the transport Senator,,
In company with a part of the Twenty-
third Begular Infantry, they felt that It
was one of the most eventful momentsof
their lives.
Upon thete arrival at the pier whence
the 6ena.tor was to sail a lunch was
, senwa the boys by the ladies of the
I Bed Cross Boclety. After this was dls-
, posed- of they were marched on board the
1 "vessel, and In a little while the moorings
j 'were cast off, the great propellers began
(io revolve And the steamer backed out
, into the bay. Then, as she turned her
Loir toward the Golden Gate and started
on her long voyage, the soldiers set up
'wild cheers, while the crowd on shore
wavod their handkerchiefs In farewell.
Tno steam whistles In the factories and
workshops of the city took a noisy part
In tho demonstration until the vessel was
lost to view. It was with, mixed feelings
of pleasure and regret that the boys
watched their old homo, at the Presidio
disappear from Eight, and then they
'turned their attention to getting located
in their new Quarters.
Getting; Settled.
It took considerable time to get every
one assigned to hia proper berth, and
'when at last this was accomplished It
' was -getting dark and but a faint outline
of the hilly coast was to be seen.
The passengers consisted of about 300
recruits of the Second Oregon Volunteers,
' one "battery of California heavy artillery
, and one battalion of the Twenty-third
Begular Infantry about 800 men in all.
"With the exception of the officers and a
few "non-coms," who were assigned to
taterooms, the command was quartered
jh large apartments. The rows of berths
were two and three tiers high, and were
separated by narrow alleys. Just wide
A enough for a person to walk through com
fortably without coming In contact with
the sides.
During the first night out the sea be
aame rough, and the next morning the
quarters of the troops looked more like
a hospital than anything else. There was
an epidemic of seasickness, and the few
w.ho escaped an attack seemed amused
by the sight presented by their less for
tunate comrades. It was several days be
fore the majority of the men recovered
their usual good health, and some did
not entirely regain their normal condition
during the voyage.
The otherwise good health of the sol
diers was due to a close observance of
sanitary rules. The military regulations
required that the quarters should be con
stantly kept In a cleanly condition. To
ascertain that this was done a dally in
spection was held by the commanding of
xlcer, the officer of the day and a doctor.
"When the time arrived for the inspection
the bugle gave the warning, and every
soldier proceeded at once to his berth.
"Rrtien the inspecting officers entered the
apartment he stood at attention and quiet
ly received any criticisms that were made
concerning his personal appearance and
that of his bed and equipment.
In. Tropic Seas.
Nearly seven days had passed after our
.departure from San Francisco when we
crossed the Tropic of Cancer and sailed
EW TOBK, June 20.
On my way home from
the scene of the Boxer
troubles in China, I
stopped over in Cey
lon, Dlyatalowa, in
interior Ceylon, 160
miles from the great
Beaport city of Co
lombo. I found 4300
Boer prisoners of war.
.Six hundred more arrived at Colombo
-whOe I was there and they were sent over
the government railway to join the others.
'Among the prisoners were about 300 Amer
ican citizens, principally from the West
and South.
When one is so far away from home,
it does the heart good to meet an Ameri
can. Tou are not particular about what
state he is from; it is enough that he is
an American, and you immediately begin
talking about the good things of the
United States and comparing them with
'the unfavorable conditions you have
found In other countries. But for Ameri
cans held as prisoners of war In an alien
land, how must it seem to meet a fellow
citizen? Those 300 Americans, British captives,
in far-off Ceylon, half way around the
world, were In a particularly favorable
mood for talking of America, of home,
of "God's country," when I conversed
with them. But it was pathetic to hear
them talk, although they were men of
stout hearts. They had gone to the
Transvaal to assist the people of that
little republic in what they deemed a
just cause, and some of them had left
wives and children behind, scantily pro
vided for.
The Americans.
I said to some of these American-Boer
prisoners, at Dlyatalawa: "You are for
tunate, in one sense, to be prisoners, for
you are alive and have hope, at some
time, -of returning to home and country,
but many of your comrades have found
,death on the African veldt."
U38 or two ventured to say that they
were.dlsappolnted that the United States
did not come to the asslsance of the
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under the blue skies of the torrid zone.
As a protection against the rays of the
sun large canvas awnings were stretched
over the decks. Under their Inviting
shade the men would gather In little
groups and pass the time in telling stories,
playing cards or reading.
On the evening of the seventh day it was
announced that the next morning would
find us in sight of land, and, sure enough,
with the break of day, the outlines of a
mountain were visible off. our port bow.
The sailors said this was the Island of
Molokal, where the unfortunate Hawaiian
lepers are sent to pass the remainder of
their lives in pain and solitude.
Between 9 and 10 o'clock of the same
morning the rugged top of a distant moun.
tain appeared on our starboard quarter.
This proved to be Diamond Heads, an old
crater on Oahu, and, on sailing around
its headlands, we came In sight of the
picturesque harbor and city of Honolulu.
Space cannot be given here to a descrip
tion Of this "garden spot of the Pacific,"
but during our eight days stay there we
became much impressed with its romantic
beauty, its tropical verdure and the hos
pitality of Its people. It was with real
regret that, on the first day of November,
we resumed our voyage toward the "land
of the setting sun."
At Honolulu we were Joined by the
transport "Valencia, containing a part of
the First "Washington Volunteers. The
Valencia was the flagship of our little
fleet of two vessels, and communication
was kept up between It and the Senator
by means of the Signal Corps, after we
had got to sea again.
Life on board the transport became very
tiresome at times. The unchanging waste
of waters in every direction, the heat and
the lack of sufficient exercise all com
bined to make time hang heavily on our
hands.
The first event out of the ordinary oc-
currea wnen we were in mldocean. It
"When will we ever get home?" im
patiently asked another.
The British citizens of Ceylon assert
that these Americans Joined the Boer
army from a love of adventure, th
same as they would go tiger-hunting,
more than for anything else, and that
their concern for the Boer cause was
secondary.
The Boer prisoners are a vigorous, but
untidy looking lot. The British require
them to take frequent baths. They left
South Africa with clothes that they had
worn for months through the fierce cam
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F0RMERiy ROAL HIMLUL
rAce.vioNoujun - . , "
was the death of a sailor who had drunk
too much ice water when overheated. His
funeral was pathetic.
"With a bag of sand at his feet, his
body was sewed in sailcloth, and then,
with the American flag spread over It, it
lay In state for several hours., At 10
o'clock A. M. the Senator slowed down
and finally came to a standstill. The
body was placed on two boards, which
rested at one end on the rail of the ship,
and at the other on tall benches.
"With bared heads, the soldiers and
sailors crowded the upper decks, while
the chaplain of the Twenty-third Infan
try conducted the services. When the
ceremony was completed one of the ship's
officers stepped Jbrward and removed the
flag. Then, with a sharp knife, he cut
holes in the canvas near the upper end
of the body, that the water might easily
enter.
Two sailors now picked up the ends of
the boards that laybn the benches, and
the corpse suddenly slipped off the In
cline, feet foremost, Into the green waters
below, There was Just a great splash.
paign, and their captors had a problem on
their hands to fit them out with absolute
ly necessary clothing. The steamship
vovnjjc- from South Africa to Ceylon oc
cupies about J5 days, and the prisoners
suffered greatly for clothing en route,
which could not be provided until Ceylon
was reached.
The Prison Camp.
The prison camp covers quite a large
area in the mountains, and has good nat
ural drainage. The location is about 3500
feet above sea level, and, being In thej
DOER PRISONERS, ON
as the water closed over the white object,
which slowly disappeared far down in
the clear depths of, the ocean.
That was all: and as the propeller again
sent the. ship swiftly on her course It was
with a feeling of sadness that wo took
a last look back at the spot where one
human being had departed from the sight
of his fellowmen forever. The moist eyes
of some of the more reckless characters
aboard showed that even they had been
impressed by the solemnity of the occa
sion. It was about this time that we crossed
thy '180th meridian and thereby lost a day
from the calendar. Nearly every school
boy knows that it Is at the 180th meridian
that the'new day starts and the old one
ends. It was about noon when we crossed
the line, and thus, properly speaking, our
morning was of a Sunday, while our
afternoon was Monday that is, we
Jumped ahead 24 hours in our reckon
ing of time. On our return voyage we
had two days of the same date two
July 3ds.
But the most Interesting event of the
SONEBS.
tropical zone, affords, on account of its
altitude, one of the most perfect cli
mates in the world. The camp Is in
closed by a series of high, barbed-wire
fences, separated from each other by
distances of several feeL The British
garrison, of about 1000 soldiers, overlooks
the entire camp.
Fed by Cable.
The food for the prisoners, is sent to
them by a wire cable overhead. It is
plain, but substantial. The prisoners re
ceive far better treatment than they ex
THE ISLAND OF CEYLON, BRITISH EAST INDIES.
voyage was the sight of a volcano In ac
tion. It was on the most northern
of the Ladrone Islands an Isolated moun
tain. 2400 fet JaJgh.
It was about 4 o'clock In the morning,
when everybody,, was awakened to get a
sight of this wonderful phenomenon of
nature. The volcano was then directly
off our port beam, and, In the semi-darkness,
Its outlines could plainly be seen, a
radiant light gleaming from Its top and
extending, seemingly, about 400 or BOO feet
into the air. The light did not flicker or
change In the least, but retained a steady
glow that was reflected on the clouds
beyond.
The imagination can scarcely picture
the grandeur of the scene. The stately
mountain peak, the tall column of light
appearing, in relief, against the clouds
and darkness of the background, and,
then, the lmmease volume of smoke roll
ing away with the breeze all these com
bined to form a picture that a lover of na
ture could never forget. Long after the
sun had risen, the volcano was still In
view, and it was watched with Interest
until its smoking summit faded from
sight on the distant norlzon.
After this, the days passed with their
usual monotony until the evening before
we entered the China Sea, when we expe
mrar-on oeyum
pected. They are supplied with ebony,
satin.-rose, sapan, Iron, Jack and other
beautiful woods indigenous to Ceylon, and
which are very bountiful there, and out
of which they are permitted to make
fancy penholders and ornamental pieces
of various kinds, which they sell to resi
dents and travelers. The carving keeps
the time and minds of the prisoners oc
cupied, and thus makes discipline easier.
Tried to Escape.
While I was there, one prisoner tried
to escape through the fences. He paid
rienced a very severe storm. Previous
to this, the weather had been good, but
now we had come almost In contact with
one of those dreaded typhoons so com
mon In those waters.
A Rough Nls&t. '
As evening approached, the sky dark
ened and the wind steadily grew stronger
until the strong Iron vessel was trembling
and creaking with the force of the gale.
Then the rain began to fall In torrents.
Occasionally some monster wave would
sweep over the decks, and to prevent the
water from going below, the hatches had
to be fastened down. During the night,
the soldiers, with, but few exceptions,
were seasick, but by morning the storm
had abated somewhat, and they were gen
erally able to be about.
When at last the storm cleared wholly
away, all on board were delighted to see,
on our port side, a beautiful Island,
clothed In tropic verdure and dotted here
and there with the queer huts of Its na
tives. We were told that this was Luzon,
and then we- knew that our long and
Irksome voyage was nearly at an end.
All that day and the next we sailed on
the China Sea along the western coast of
that beautiful- Island, and Just at even
ing, on the second day, .we entered Ma
no heed to the sentry's order to halt,
given three times, and was shot. He
died from the effects of the wound in a
few days. The sentry was arrested and
tried by court-martial, several witnesses
among the prisoners being present- The
verdict was that he had simply per
formed his duty.
The British officials are magnanimous
and Just with helr prisoners. The Boer
officers of higher rank are given their
freedom and are not confined to the camp
at all. Some of them live at the most
expensive hotels. It Is necessary for
nila Bay. As we passpd Corrlgldor, the
little Island at the mouth of the bay. we'
observed the revolving lights of the light
house that adorns its highest point.
All was excitement now on board the
Senator. The men crowded the upper
decks and climbed the rigging to get a
first sight of the Hght3 of Manila. Tho
officer of ihe day ordered them down, but,
a little later, the order was revoked and
again he rigging was crowded with men.
There was a great stir when a man
who had climbed to a high point called -out:
"There she Is! There she Is!" Hl3
quick eye had been the first to see a'
twinkling light that appeared over the(
curvature of waters, directly In front of (
us.
Then another and another light ap
peared, until they seemed like a string
of glittering diamonds. Our boys could
restrain their emotions no longer, and
cheer after cheer broke the stillness of
the evening and went echoing over the
placid bay.
At the Destination.
It was about 8 o'clock when the vessel
came to a standstill Just oft the shore
near Manila. Around us, on every hand,
gleamed the lights of many vessels, and
the searchlights of many of the warships
were thrown on us, as if to question our
Identity.
A lovely spectacle greeted our eyes,
when we arose the next morning. Beforo
us lay Manila, with her ancient walla,
tall churches and green snburban dis
tricts. On our left, on a projecting strip
of land, lay Cavite, and between the two
cities the bay was dotted with various,
ships at anchor, among them being the
American men-of-war composing Dewey's
famous fleet. Orders wero given that
every man should be vaccinated before j
leaving the ship, and for this reason we.
were detained on board the vessel fori
three days.
On Thanksgiving day we went ashore.
We were marched directly to the Courtel,
de Espanla, where the Second Oregon was,
then quartered, and In the pretty little j
courtyard that lies between the barrack j
houses, we were lined up, while Colonel)
Summers delivered a speech of welcome.
The boys who had come over before us'
were as overjoyed at our arrival as we, j
and greeted us with cheers. They had'
prepared for the occasion a bountiful
Thanksgiving dinner, and a scene of more
real pleasure Is seldom witnessed than
was that reception at Manila of the re-;
crults of the Second Oregon Volunteers.
LIONEL A. JOHNSON.
them to report to the British officers twict
a week.
There are three prominent Boer Gen
erals held as prisoners in Ceylon, namely,
Olivier, Plessls and Boux. The latter waa
one of the leading preachers of the Dutoh'
Reformed church in the Transvaal, andj
Is very religious. He is permitted to,
hold, services, and he often preaches fer
vent sermons, in the Dutch language, to
his fellow-prisoners at the camp. Haj
speaks English very well, and haa
preached several times at other places.
I heard him make an address before the
T. M. C. A., at Colombo, on a Sunday af
ternoon. Announcements had been made
in the local press, and the hall waa
crowded to overflowing. No doubt many
of the English people expected he would ,
make mention of the war, but he stu
diously avoided that subject. He exhorted
his hearers to a better and higher life,
and reminded them of the shortness of
our stay on this earth. He also spoke
of the selfishness of men and of nations.
There was no bitterness In -his words;
It was an earnest appeal of a deeply relig
ious man to his hearers.
Enjoys Himself.
General Plessls spends his time with,,
his wife, bicycling about the most fasci
nating of all towns In the tropics Kandy,
the great resort and show place of Cey
lon, nearly 100 miles nearer Colombo than
the prison camp. Here Is Buddha's tooth
on exhibition, as well as the alleged foot-'
prints of Adam. Mount Adams, the high-'
est peak of Ceylon, Is In plain view.
The British residents of Ceylon com
plain, that the government Is giving the I
Boer officers better treatment than they
deserve. But the government Is wise in;
giving these prisoners the best of treat
ment, at such a great distance from the'
seat of war. Great Britain is feeding"
nearly E0OO prisoners of war in Ceylon, , ,
and about as many more on the Island of i
St. Helens, in the South Atlantic Ocean,',
one-third of the way from South Africa,
to South America. But it has found it
cheaper to feed and clothe them than to
them. J. MARTIN MILLER. '
Joer.