Part 2

We told you in a recent number about the unsuccessful result of the attempt to land an expedition in Cuba; this result was largely due, no doubt, to the fact that the Spaniards were advised in advance, through Spanish spies in this country, of the intended departure of the expedition. On May 31st, the steamer _Florida_ returned to Key West, after having successfully landed an important expedition on the island. This time they succeeded in taking their departure without it being known to any one. The expedition, consisting of about four hundred men, with a pack-train and a large quantity of arms and ammunition, sailed for Guantanamo on the night of May 21st. The expedition was under command of Colonel Lacret, with whom was Captain J. A. Dorst, of the United States army. The men were equipped with canvas uniforms furnished by the Government, and had rations sufficient for fifteen days after landing; the pack-train consisted of seventy-five mules and twenty-five horses; the expedition landed on the coast of Cuba, Thursday morning, May 26th. The _Florida_, escorted by the gunboat _Osceola_, drew up close to the shore, and first landed scouts to ascertain if all was clear; these scouts were met by a band of 1,500 insurgents, under Captains Vereira and Rojas. There was absolutely no interruption to the unloading of the _Florida_, as no sign of a Spaniard was seen. This is the largest expedition which has ever been landed in Cuba in aid of the insurgents.

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There is a very interesting account of the origin of the Red Cross Society in _The Churchman_. About forty years ago, M. Henry Dimont, a native of Switzerland, having witnessed the unnecessary suffering of the wounded, from lack of care, at the battle of Solferino, was so much impressed that he published a book, pointing out the necessity of forming a corporation of nurses to work in the cause of humanity in time of war, regardless of nationality of the injured, and who should be permitted to aid the wounded on the battle-field, under the protection of a flag which should be recognized as neutral.

So much interest was taken in the idea that the outcome was a convention held at Geneva in 1864, which was attended by representatives from sixteen of the great nations of the world, who signed an agreement that they would protect members of the association when caring for the wounded on the field of battle. The society adopted for its colors the Swiss cross, as a compliment to its birthplace; they, however, reversed the colors, and the flag is therefore a red cross on a white field, and is the only military hospital flag of civilized warfare; it protects persons from molestation who work under the emblem performing services in aid of the wounded. Great care is used in granting permission to persons to wear this emblem; and in order that it shall not be taken advantage of to spy in the enemies' camp, private marks are added to prevent imitation. The headquarters of the International Committee is at Geneva; the president of the society is M. Gustav Moynier.

In 1882, Miss Clara Barton was delegated by the President of the United States to represent this country at the Congress of the Red Cross Committee, and was made a member of the International Board of Managers when the United States signed the international treaty.

It was decided that the work of the Red Cross Society should not be confined to times of war, but that in case of disasters and calamities, which were always to be apprehended, the organization was to provide aid. During the past seventeen years the American Red Cross Society has served in fifteen disasters and famines, and Russians, Armenians, and Cubans have received aid from this society.

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Friday, June 3d, Samuel Plimsoll, known as the "sailors' friend," died in England. Plimsoll was the originator of the famous "Plimsoll mark," and this is what caused him to be called the sailors' friend. Many years ago it was the custom of unprincipled ship-owners to send their vessels to sea very much overloaded; this was done to save the expense of a double voyage, for in those days there were few steam merchantmen, and sailing-vessels oftentimes took months for their voyages. The Plimsoll mark is painted on the vessel to indicate how much cargo she should carry. When a vessel has her full cargo the Plimsoll mark is at the water-line; laws were passed making it illegal to load vessels so deeply as to sink this mark below the surface of the water, and in consequence sailors' lives are not risked in overloaded vessels.

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Some very interesting questions have arisen in reference to the difference of time between Manila and New York. The difference between Manila and New York is about eleven hours; when it is five in the morning in Manila, it is four in the afternoon with us. In order to change Manila time to our time we must deduct about eleven hours. This is all very simple so far as hours are concerned; but when we try to find out what day it is we run against a more complicated matter, for there is a certain place, or rather a certain mysterious line, which the great nations have agreed upon as the international date line. This date line is supposed to be the 180th meridian longitude reckoning from Greenwich; but this meridian is not actually followed, for in the case of the Philippine Islands it takes a long sweep, and passes to the west of them, and, in consequence, there is a difference of nearly a whole day between Manila and Hong-Kong, although the actual difference of time is but about half an hour. This difference causes all kinds of complications there, in that Hong-Kong and Manila are so near each other. A telegram dated at Hong-Kong, say, the 1st of May at one o'clock, will reach us April 30th; if sent direct to Manila it would reach there apparently nearly twenty-four hours before it was sent, for when it is Monday in Manila it is Tuesday in Hong-Kong. This will account for the receipt of the despatch in reference to Commodore Dewey's victory dated Hong-Kong, May 2d, stating that the bombardment was then taking place, whereas it was really Sunday, May 1st, in Manila. The necessity for having an international date line can best be understood if you will imagine yourself travelling around the world in some sort of a conveyance which enables you to keep pace with the sun; say, for instance, your start is on a Monday, with the sun directly over your head. If it were not for the international date line it would always be Monday to you; instead of this, each time that you cross the 180th meridian the day changes.

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A report has been received from Hong-Kong that the insurgent chief Aguinaldo, at the Philippines, has issued a proclamation that would seem to show that he hopes to make himself leader or dictator over the island. The report goes on to say that he has issued orders that the lives and property of Europeans and all Spanish non-combatants are to be protected. It is said that his treatment of the captives has been very fair, and that he is conducting the campaign against Spain in a very able manner. Since he has taken charge of affairs the Spanish soldiers have lost battle after battle, and it is said that there are now in Aguinaldo's hands over two thousand prisoners, including many officers. Aguinaldo reports that the Governor of Cavite (cä-v[=e]-t[=a]) has surrendered to him. One of the American captains has written to Hong-Kong, stating that it is his opinion "that the rebels have undergone a radical change since the arrival of Aguinaldo; the Spaniards have lost every engagement, and if our people do not hurry, there will be no Spanish army left."

The American vessels have taken no part in the fight between Spain and the insurgents; Admiral Dewey has contented himself with superintending and insisting upon proper conduct of affairs. The news he sends is exceedingly cheerful, and he seems to be quite confident that he can hold out until reinforcements arrive; he anticipates no trouble in capturing the city of Manila.

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Lieutenant Carranza's missing letter has been found. You will remember we told in our last number of the arrest of a Montreal detective who had been arrested and accused of stealing it. It was not taken by the Montreal detective, but by a secret service officer of our Government. It seems that the Spanish officials at Montreal have been very carefully watched for some time, for it was known that they were spying upon our Government. The detectives had followed Minister Polo and his staff ever since they left Washington, and had secured absolute proof that Du Bosc and Carranza were collecting information and forwarding it to the Spanish Government. On the pretext of purchasing the house, they were shown all over it, and succeeded in securing a number of important letters, cablegrams, maps, etc., which were forwarded to the Government. The letter which Carranza has made so much fuss about was stolen in a very clever way. The detective took a sheet of fly paper, and in a careless way dropped it over the letter; then took up the fly paper and the letter attached to it, and passed it to another detective, who at once forwarded it to Washington. Part of the letter has been published. It is addressed to his Excellency Don Jose Gomez Imay. In it Carranza expresses his regret that Imay was not appointed to command the Cadiz fleet; he speaks disparagingly of Camara and highly of Cervera; most of this part of the letter is in reference to his personal employment by the Government, and he expresses great anxiety to be away to the front and in active service on the fleet.

Speaking of his spy system, he says: "We have had bad luck because they have captured our two best spies. The Americans are showing the most extraordinary vigilance. I shall be extremely gratified to have a ship or a torpedo-boat to run the blockade, or anything rather than playing second fiddle." These quotations go to show that Carranza was not over-pleased with the work of conducting the spy department in Canada. He takes the trouble to criticize Cervera's actions, and he alludes to him as "Don Pasquale," and says that he cannot believe that the Admiral would do such a stupid thing as to get caught in Santiago, his purpose being to attack the American fleet and delay the invasion of Cuba. This letter demonstrates very clearly the wisdom of the Government in keeping carefully guarded all knowledge of the movements of our army and navy, for Carranza has taken advantage of the statements published and information easily obtained heretofore, and has kept his Government informed, and has also personally been advising Admiral Cervera whenever opportunity offered: he speaks of having cabled to Cervera on 20th of May. Our Government has made application to the English Government for the expulsion of the Spanish spies from British territory.

Kellert, the Montreal detective, has caused the arrest of both Du Bosc and Carranza, in a civil suit for damages for false imprisonment; so the Spaniards are in hotter water than ever, especially as all of their money in the Bank of Montreal has been seized as security.

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A very interesting account of life in Skaguay, Alaska, has recently been received. The account is written by a Wisconsin woman who, with her husband, went to Alaska to open a restaurant and hotel in Skaguay. She writes: "I never felt so lonesome in my life; I never worked so hard, but have never been so happy; money comes in so fast that we do not know what to do with it. At first, when there was no bank, we were obliged to hide the money in all parts of the house, and we were in constant terror. We had paper money, silver money, gold money, gold dust, and every form of currency that can be imagined hidden all over the house; and as the town was full of people who were without money, and who would not hesitate to cut one's throat for a dollar, we did not have a single moment free from anxiety. Early in the winter we did succeed in sending a number of thousands of dollars to Seattle, and were very much relieved when we received a receipt from the bank.

"The transportation companies are swindlers. They are persuading thousands of people to come to this awful country who will never be able to go back, and all for the sake of making the profit on transportation.

"Flour that we had shipped from Seattle, and which cost over $5 per barrel, cost as much more for freight to this place. But as we sold it for over $40 a barrel before it left the dock, we had nothing to complain of; and it was very poor flour at that, not fit for bread, and hardly suitable for the plainest kind of cooking.

"As for our restaurant, we started it with the idea of giving people good home cooking, and we can hardly serve the people, they come so fast. The restaurant is open day and night, and the tables always full. At first we got a good price for our meals, that is, from $1.50 to $2.50 for a dinner. But there is more competition now, and prices have gone down.

"The town is still filled with gamblers, and is a mining town in every sense of the word, although the troops keep the rough element in fairly good order. The town is particularly lonely for refined women, as there are very few here, and very little in the way of amusement for them.

"It is not so very cold. I have seen as severe weather in the States; and the thermometer rarely goes below 15 degrees below zero, and that is not so bad. But there is very little sun, and this we miss the most. We work by lamplight day and night.

"Whatever people may say about the Klondike, there is still plenty of gold there; and although we are making a barrelful of money here at this business, we will very probably 'up stakes' and go to the diggings. Every boat that arrives is loaded with gold-hunters, and Skaguay is crowded. Hundreds of people are camped between here and Chilkoot Pass, and are scattered all along the trail. This year will bring many improvements in the line of travelling, and, in consequence, there will be less hardship."

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Much interest has been awakened by the report of an interview with Señor Moret, ex-Secretary of the Colonies of Spain. He is reported to have said that "the Government does not know where it is going. There is no person in Spain who can tell the outcome of the present situation. The Government is not a fixed one, and allows matters to run in their own course heedless of the effect; in other words, matters are allowed to drift their own way. It is useless to conceal the fact that the Cabinet is not solid. Its members are working at cross purposes, the ministers lack energy, and, in fact, are absolutely incompetent, and simply trust to chance to get out of their present troubles.

"A campaign in favor of peace has been begun, and is progressing among the people. I am convinced that if the people were allowed to state their wishes, even the soldiers would advocate peace.

"It is difficult to say whether the regency will be overthrown, nor can I say what will happen to a country that is without guidance and with a foreign war on its hands. If the regency is overthrown it will be an immense misfortune to Spain. The affairs of Spain are in complete disorder."

This report comes by way of London, and would seem to confirm reports previously published as to the condition of matters in Spain.

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A bill for the removal of all political disabilities arising from the Civil War, recently presented in Congress, has passed and is now a law, as President McKinley has formally approved it. This bill refers to Section 3 of the Fourteenth Amendment to the Constitution.

This amendment made it impossible for any person to hold a political position in the United States who had taken up arms against the Government, if he had previously held a political position and had declared his allegiance to the United States. The law that has just been passed declares that "disabilities imposed by Section 3, Amendment 14, of the Constitution, heretofore incurred, are hereby removed."

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Some of the survivors of the terrible massacre at Sierra Leone reached New York during the past week. The story of their escape is a very thrilling one. It seems that among the natives in that part of Africa there is a secret society. When the natives feel that they have any grievance against a particular tribe or people, they send word to all members of the society that "pura" is declared against the offenders; this means that they are condemned to death.

As a result of the hut tax, which we told you about in a recent number, "pura" was declared against all English people in Africa. News soon reached the different missionary stations that this had been done; but the attack on the Rotufunk mission came almost without warning. Mr. Ward, who is the only one of these missionaries left alive, went in the latter part of April to Freetown for supplies, and at that time there was not any sign of danger. Through natives the story of the massacre has been obtained. It seems that early on the morning of May 3d native women came running to the mission house and cried that an armed force was coming to capture the place. The missionaries had no means of defence; their only hope of safety was in flight; but, unfortunately, they were too late. When the tribesmen arrived and found that the whites had left, they started through the bush, and soon captured all of the unfortunate missionaries. The tortures to which they put these poor men and women are too terrible to repeat. Death put a welcome end to their sufferings.

In the mean time, the colony of Americans at Shengeh received news that the natives had rebelled. A friendly native visited the mission and told Dr. Burtner that the tribes had declared "pura" against this mission, and that he had better fly. Immediately the work of getting boats in readiness was begun, and the missionaries, together with the friendly natives, finally succeeded in reaching Freetown.

Miss Mullins, whose station was at Momliga, where she was the only white person, had a very narrow escape. April 29th, a band of natives came there shouting and singing. Miss Mullins ran to the river in the hope of finding a boat in which she could escape. The boats had all been taken by the natives, who had either fled or gone to join the war tribes. Knowing that there was no chance of her hiding in the bush, the brave girl decided that if she was to die she would die at her post.

She turned back from the river into the clearing, where the superstitious natives stood aside to let her pass. One of them seized her as she was passing, and asked her what she was going to do. She said: "I am going inside; I cannot escape you, you are too many for me. Leave me to myself for a short time." The man brandished a spear in her face, and said: "See, that is the blood of your friends; yours will soon cover it." But she did not falter, and the savages probably left her untouched for this reason. They are very superstitious, and must have thought that there was something supernatural about her. Shortly after this she heard the tramp of feet outside, and an English voice calling to ask if there was anybody inside; running out, she found that the British commissioner and a large force had arrived. And with them she made her escape.

When the Americans arrived at Freetown, a large force of volunteers had been concentrated, and it is hoped that the uprising will soon be at an end.

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In our previous number we mentioned the name of one of the missionaries killed at the massacre as "Kane"; it should have been "Cain."

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One of our subscribers has asked why the flag of Hawaii has eight stripes and three crosses. There is a very interesting story told in reference to this peculiar flag. It seems that about twenty-five years ago, when the country was still a monarchy, it was quite frequently visited by war-ships of different nations. It is said that one morning the King discovered a French war-ship anchored safely in the harbor of Honolulu, and fearing that the French were there for purpose of seizing the island, sent for his Prime Minister, who advised him to raise a flag, and in this way advise the visitors that the islands belonged to some one. But the island did not possess a flag of its own; the only one the King could find at first was an old British flag. This he had run up to the top of the highest flag-pole. The flag had hardly been raised, when one of his chief advisers came running to him, and told him he must take the flag down immediately, for a British man-of-war was expected, and would be sure to claim ownership of the islands if the British flag was seen flying over the palace. So the King started on another flag hunt. This time he found an American flag, and, with great ingenuity, took the two flags, cut them up, and made a combination. Therefore the first Hawaiian flag had thirteen red and white stripes, and the English jack in the corner. Later, it was decided that eight stripes, to represent the eight islands of the nation, would be more appropriate; therefore the extra stripes were cut off, and now the flag has eight stripes, four red and four white, and still carries the St. George's, St. Andrew's, and St. Patrick's crosses, the same as the English flag.

The superstitious natives believe that the ascendency of the white people over the colored is due to the fact that the white stripe was left uppermost on the flag. They have frequently tried to have the flag changed for this reason, for they believe that, if the red is given prominence, the natives will again have the ascendency.

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