Glimpses Of Camp Life

GLIMPSES OF CAMP LIFE

How Our Soldiers Fare In the Philippine Islands

FORAGING FOR FOOD AND FUEL

[Copyright. 1899, by the Author]

IV.

That the natives of the Philippines knew very little about the United States before Dewey's guns awoke the echoes of Manila bay was plainly shown by their attitude toward the great American dollar. They knew absolutely nothing about American money when our camp was first established at Cavite. Upon landing we found that our silver dollars were of no use to them apparently. At first they would not accept one of them, but later American dollars passed current, the same as Spanish and Mexican. This condition of affairs our boys were not slow in taking advantage of. Whenever they received American change for Spanish or Mexican money they exchanged on the equality basis so popular with the natives, and as every American dollar is as valuable as two Mexican or Spanish dollars the soldier boys often made a considerable profit on the transaction. The natives are shrewd, however, and in a very short time they had mastered the new problem in finance and were carefully storing away all their American money. When we captured Manila, we found that the shopkeepers were fully conversant with the situation and every American dollar would buy the game amount as two Spanish dollars or two Mexican dollars. This fact, however, was somewhat offset by the speedy advance in prices.

This is the land of cigars and cigarettes, for here everybody from the overgrown pickaninny to the head of the family rolls the cigarette or smokes the cigar. Smoking is not an expensive luxury in the Philippines, for cigars and cigarettes are extremely cheap. One odd feature in connection with our occupation of Manila is the fact that the natives have taken a great fancy to our plug chewing tobacco and will give almost anything they possess in exchange for it. Our hard tack also seems to fill a want with the Filipinos, and they will fairly take the clothes off their backs for an American onion.

In the United States the American soldier is not particularly fond of rice, but this climate seems conducive to an appetite for this nutritious cereal, and it is now a popular food in the camps.

Since the fall of Manila barrack life has been very monotonous, especially to the volunteers. There is plenty to do every day, but one day is just like another. There is the continuous routine of guard duty, but routines are not inspiring to the ordinary soldier, who since he has come into possession of the coveted city of the Philippines is somewhat anxious, it must be confessed, to return home. About the only alluring prospect at present is the possibility of a brush with the Filipinos. Notwithstanding the monotony of his routine existence, however, the soldier here has some opportunities for enjoyment. For instance, there is the surf bathing in Manila bay. It compares very favorably with the bathing at Atlantic City or the Sutro baths at San Francisco. Hundreds of soldier bathers are to be seen every day on the beach in front of Camp Dewey.

Manila bay is usually comparatively placid, but now and then a storm causes great waves to come rolling in on the sandy beach, and in these waves the soldiers disport themselves. While this invigorating surf bas been a great pleasure to the boys, it has also robbed them of quite a number of square meals since they have been here. When the third expedition arrived at Manila, the surf was rolling so high, that for some time we were unable to procure supplies from the ships. Not a few of the lighters were capsized, and some of our men were treated to an involuntary plunge in the bay. One of these accidents caused the Astor battery to lose a large amount of ammunition.

When we were camped at Camp Dewey, our tents were set up in a peanut field. On these islands rice patches only occupy a few square yards of land, but peanuts are raised on an immense scale about Manila bay. A field spacious enough for a camp which holds 10,000 men is certainly a large one, and such was the size of the huge peanut field, known the world over by this time as Camp Dewey. The field, or rather the series of fields all in one, extends for nearly two miles along the bay side of the Pasig road, and reaches in width probably 150 yards to the wooded and native residence district which fringes the bay.

Another feature of the life at Camp Dewey was the foraging, an experience that was more enjoyable to the soldiers who foraged than to the natives who were foraged upon. Fresh chickens or ducks and other eatables were naturally in great demand, and now and then they mysteriously disappeared from the premises of the natives. The wood detail was one which the boys always dreaded, yet it was a very important one when it is considered that the result of the cooking depended upon the character of the fuel supplied by the men. At first trees were cut, and bamboo formed much of the fuel. Later the natives complained, and orders forbidding the cutting of any timber were issued from headquarters. It then became necessary to forage for the wood. Often it was gathered on the shores of the bay, being the wreckage cast up from the sea. Sometimes there were unearthed water soaked timbers with all sorts of figureheads and quaint carvings.

There are always little incidents of camp life which, unimportant and irrelevant to the general work of the army, no doubt, make interesting and gossipy reading for the people at home. Especially is this true in a camp on foreign soil, amid strange conditions and circumstances, thousands of miles from home. In the neighborhood of the camp are large tracts of bamboo, which proved most useful in making our quarters tenantable. The little "dog tents," with the use of long bamboo crosspieces and bamboo sticks, were raised a foot or two from the ground, and bamboo beds were put into the tents to enable the men to keep dry. Bamboo beds are the only kind used in the country districts and were purchased from the natives for a Mexican dollar each. These and additions to the little tents made with gum blankets, ponchos and whatever cloth the men could gather up made life here during the incessant rain not all a trial and disappointment, but even at that camp life is not all "one long, sweet-song."

Altogether the American soldiers in the Philippines have a genuine respect for the fibrous bamboo, and henceforth to them a bamboo rod will awaken other memories than those of a fishing trip and the landing of gamy trout and sportive bass.

Scarcely had our camp been established on the shores of Manila bay than the native fruit vendors set up their stands in adjacent fields, much the same as the sutlers, hucksters and canteen keepers gather around our camps at home. These fruit stands of the natives are decidedly picturesque and as numerous as they are picturesque and as rude as they are numerous. The native fruit stands are not, however, confined to the camp, but are scattered quite thickly along the public highways. Indeed nearly every native house is a fruit stand, or rather the front porch - where there is a porch - is utilized for this purpose. Here the women and children, even the men, sit all day long crying, "Unus banana, unus centavo!" or dishing out rice or vending cocoanuts, mangoes or other fruit.

Before our troops came here much had been said regarding the unhealthfulness of the fruit of the Philippines, and the soldiers were repeatedly cautioned against its use during the early days of our occupancy. With the fruit in sight and the commissary rations rather common, and not very plenty at that, they paid little heed to the warnings. They have devoured the fruits in great quantities, and the result has not been deleterious. On the other hand, the fruits have proved healthful, palatable and wholly beneficial to the soldiers.

The mango is a favorite, It is a flat, pear shaped fruit the size of an apple, and has a seed as big as a maple sugar cake. While there is really little fruit about a mango, what there is of it is good. The flavor of the mango is very rich. There are cocoanuts here by the houseful and bananas by the woodsful. The Philippine pineapple is the only real common variety of fruit raised here. Breadfruit has not found favor among our soldiers. If you have ever eaten a May apple, which grows wild in the woods of Pennsylvania, you have an excellent idea of the taste of breadfruit. It somewhat resembles a cocoanut in size and shape and a peach in the appearance of the skin and a strawberry apple in color.

While doubtless most of the volunteer soldiers here would welcome a return to home and native land, they are in the main cheerful and contented and recognize the fact that there may be worse things than campaigning in the Philippines. Manila.