Copyright^?. COPYRIGHT DEPOSIT. Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from The Library of Congress http://www.archive.org/details/squadronofunitedOOswin To his very dear friends, Doctor Charles B. Marston and family, of San Rafael, California, this volume is affectionately inscribed by the author. A SQUADRON OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY On a Friendly Cruise Around Latin America BY WILLIAM WALLACE SWINYER PRICE f 1.50 Mail Orders to The New Era Publishing Company 1 2 1 4 Fifty-second Avenue Oakland, California 1918 ,3 CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE PAGE 1 San Diego, California; San Jose de Guatemala; Shark Fishing; The Southern Cross; Burial at Sea; Balboa and Panama City; the Panama Canal; Christobal and Colon; Crossing the Line (HOT STUFF), etc. CHAPTER TWO PAGE 14 Bahia, Brazil; Coaling Ship; Entrance to Guanabara Bay; English and French Men of War; Fourth of July at Rio de Janeiro; Description of Rio de Janeiro and the Brazilian Nation. CHAPTER THREE PAGE 28 Reception at Montevideo; Young Men's Christian Association; The City of Montevideo and Uruguay Described; Dr. Zorilla San Martin's Address; Ascent of the Rio de Laplata; Death of Clay Tenney Lyles; Arrival at Buenos Aires; An In- discreet German; Argentina's Beception; Notation on Argentina and Buenos Aires; "La Epoca" Editorial. CHAPTER FOUR PAGE 49 Transfer of the Admiral; Transferring the Home-going Draft to the Orion; Woman Overboard; Death of Earl Crawford; Departure from Guanabara Bay; Nature Through a Port Hole; A Glorious Sunset; Sunday on/ the Orion; "Home, Sweet Home"; Description of Hampton Roads, including the Naval Hospital; Yorktown Battlefield; Tomb of Washington. SUPPLEMENTARY CHAPTER PAGE 60 Officers and Men Who Made History; Tribute to the American Bluejacket; Author's Opinion of the U. S. Navy; Roster of Officers and Men; Discipline on a Ship; Life Aboard Ship; Pan-American Nearly Solid in Pro-Ally Spirit; Log of Dates and Distances; Fads and Fancies. ILLUSTRATIONS CHAPTER ONE — Frontispiece; In Memoriam; The Pittsburg Entering Ga tun Locks; King Neptune and His Court; Initiation of Candidates; Neptune Versus Napoleon. •*•, j CHAPTER TW€C— July 4th at Rio De Janeiro (Seven Views); Another Cluster of Seven Views at Rio; Avenida Central. CHAPTER THREE— Interior of Y. M. C. A. at Montevideo; An Idea of an American Sailor; Pro-Ally Demonstration at Buenos Aires (Five Views); Argentine Parliament Building; A Vision in SPARS. CHAPTER FOUR— Another Fourth of July Scene; War Map of Latin America. ■ m -8 I9S8 ©CI.A481944 PROLOGUE. At the outset of the following story the writer begs leave to mention that, as a result of the journey therein 'alb out to be de- scribed, his own ideas concerning Latin America have shifted. Heretofore this particular domain has been a sort of minus quan- tity that did not come within the radius of his scope. Yes, North America hasn't a monopoly on all of the good things that are to be found upon the AVestern Hemisphere, and your humble servant is glad of it. Latin Americans are different, but by no means inferior, to other enlightened people. Their coun- try is ahead of North America in apparently so many important ways as the latter excels the former in others. Surely all Americans have reason to take pride in their own country, every foot of it, from Hudson Bay to Cape Horn. Each man of the United States squadron was so sincerely wel- comed throughout Latin America that none of them, so far as I know, had a chance to see anything that did not appeal to his better nature. Therefore the writer is enabled to make mention of only the things that ennoble rather than of those that degrade. The southern portion of America undoubtedly has, just like the region up north, many disturbing elements to contend with; but, you may depend upon it, that it is strictly alert thereto. It is amazing how so many discordant elements can be held so severely in restraint as they are in most of the Latin American common- wealths. The efficient manner in which United States sailors were everywhere shielded from petty annoyances pleased the lads. "When it comes right down to sincere hospitality, oh, say! enough said ! ! Just go south once and there, under the southern cross, learn the meaning of Simpatico. Satisfy yourself as to whether the people are not of an unusually friendly type, and, if this friendship is not genuine. A few of us, who had not journeyed abroad before, expected to find a sort of semi-wilderness in the southern clime. All of this notion was dispelled in the very first Latin American town that we struck. IN MEMORIAM. CLAY TE1NNEY LYLES Died July 22, 1917. Body sent to Garland, Texas. EARL HASTINGS CRAWFORD, Died Sept. 19, 1917. Buried at Houston, Texas. E. D. WETTSTE1N, Of Bremerton, Wash., Died May 16, 1917, in Guatemalan Waters. Buried at Sea. A SQUADRON OF THE UNITED STATES NAVY On a Friendly Cruise Around Latin America Copyright, 1918, by William Wallace Swinyer CHAPTER I. The writer enlisted in the United States Naval Coast Reserve, for service on shore, and was not surprised at suddenly finding him- self aboard of a cruiser. His presumption was that, after being properly outfitted, he would be assigned to duty at some naval station. Had he any idea that an extensive cruise was in store, then a decided objection would have been made, and especially at San Diego. However, he felt quite sanguine that, when his ship should leave the latter harbor it would go north, but after passing Point Loma it turned south. Needless to say, he was then very much sur- prised and realized that a. perplexing situation must be faced. Throughout all of the extensive cruise that followed there was so much of interest and so ; little of discomfort that it was a source of pleasure to participate. Admiral Caperton's squadron, consisting of the cruisers Pitts- burg, Frederick, Pueblo and South Dakota, passed through the Golden Gate April 25th. 1917, and headed south. After a pleasant voyage, of five hundred miles, it came to anchor under the protect- ing guns of Point Loma. Now, as everybody knows, the beautiful city of San Diego, California, is safeguarded by these same guns, and that it isi a metropolis)! of unusual interest. The first thing that attracted attention was a fleet of seven- teen aeroplanes that were then in the air, darting hither and yon in preparation for possible eventualities. The second object of in- terest was a large rust covered steel ship that had just been re- floated, and after it was stranded fourten years on a South American island. This craft had just arrived and under it own mo- tive power. The latter fact added to the rescue of so great a vessel after it had been so long on the rocks caused general amazement. During our stay here T made but a single journey ashore, and that for the purpose of seeing the grounds 1 of the Panama-California Exposition. AVas astonished and charmed at the panorama that the buildings and grounds, together with the swarms, of jet black doves flying overhead presented. Beautiful beyond the possibility of jus- tifiable description and decidedly original; this great achievement does reflect credit upon the people of Southern California. The 2 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America writer was privileged to visit six of the world's great shows, begin- ning with the mighty Columbian exhibit at Chicago, and at none of these places were there such beautiful grounds asi there are at San Diego. After weighing! anchor, on May 7th, the ships began a twenty- three hundred mile run to San Jose de Guatemala, where they arrived May 14th, and then laid too three miles distant from shore. While the admiral, accompanied by his staff and the usual escort of marine orderlies, were ashore, those of us who remained afloat en- joyed ourselves 1 in various ways. Bathing was out of the question, because of the immense number of sharks that swam lazily about. A few of these monsters were of the man-eating variety (namely, ti- ger sharks, with striped backs). These sharks afforded no little enjoy- ment, as, several of them, one fourteen feet long, fell victims to our fishermen. All hands were delighted with the balmy air and ex- quisitely blue tropical sea waters. They were also interested in the swarms of flying-fish that circled about at times not unlike a flock of blackbirds. Each night all men who could find space, therefore, slept out on deck and watched the peculiar antics of the Southern Cross. The expression "peculiar" is here used, because the five star constellation of the Southern Cross, that is seen only in southern lat- itudes, seems to those who are unversed in astronomy to ignore the accepted laws that govern the universe. While other luminaries pur- sue the course of stupendous orbets, this cross apparently remains in a fixed position slowly revolving on a central pivot. Another con- stellation, also peculiar to Latin America, is that of the false cross. It was pleasant to sleep out on deck here; but the charm ended when we w r ere always driven to cover on account of the midnight daily tropical showers. BURIAL AT SEA. A sad incident closed our stay in these waters, when it became necessary to bury at sea the body of E. D. AVettstein, who died on the cruiser South Dakota. Upon this occasion a twenty-mile run out to sea was made, and there, in latitude 13 degrees, 30 minutes and 30 seconds north and longitude 90 degs., 50 minutes and 0i0 seconds west, Wettstein's body was buried. The surrounding water was literally alive with sharks, that were disappointed when the heavily weighted bod} r sank with amazing swiftness to the very lowest depths of the sea. . Fleet Chaplain L. N. Taylor conducted the burial, under the half-masted colors, upon the quarterdeck. This was in presence of the entire ship's company. Spotless white was the uniform of the day; except that the guard of honor wore, in addition to the regula- tion whites, a black neckerchief. Shipmate Wettstein's body, heavily weighted and encased in a strong canvas bag, and enwrapped in the national colors, was lying in state on the starboard side. At the close of Chaplain Taylor's impressive eulogy, the body was consigned to the sea, and, while it w r as sinking from sight, twelve marines fired a three-volley salute. This was immediately followed by a very im- A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 3 pressive sounding" of taps by Bugler Dallighan, one of the very best veteran buglers of the navy. It is reported that Dallighan performed a similar service for the martyred President McKinley. As an espe- cial tribute of respect to the deceased sailor, each officer of the ship wore an arm band of crepe that was; three inches wide. The sea is now his winding- sheet. Beneath the Southern Cross he lies asleep; His dust is mingling with the sand, That sweeps the shores of a foreign land. The Admiral's Return. After three days the admiral returned from his satisfactory visit with Senor Cabrera, el Presidente de Guatemala, and the cruise was resumed May 17th. As the lofty volcanic mountain peaks of Guatemala disappeared from view, there were many expressions of regret because it had not been possible for liberty leave in this most friendly and beautiful country. Although the volcanic peaks were of majestic mien, they impressed some of the lads with an. ominous feeling. This portent was especially significant in view of the terrible catastrophe that has just overwhelmed that land. Just prior to arrival of the American squadron, Guatemala broke relations with Germany. Her example was followed by Nic- aragua, Costa Rica and Honduras. Directly after leaving the vicinity of Guatemala, and while the squadron was passing by the coast of San Salvador, a terrible earthquake devastated that land. It is unfortunate that the Ad- miral did not learn of the disaster until his ships had gotten too far away to be able to render assistance. The one 1 thousand-mile run from San Jose to Balboa was quite interesting, especially as the fleet neared its destination, where many picturesque islands were passed. Just prior to reaching port and entering what is probably one of the longest stationary dry- docks in the world, the first wonder of the great Panama Canal appeared at our right. This is in reference to the mighty sea-wall that w'as formed by uniting two mountainousi islands to the main- land. B'alboa is at the Pacific Ocean entrance to the Panama Canal, and but four miles distant from Panama City, capital seat of the Republic of Panama. We arrived at Balboa May 21st and the Admiral then performed his second pleasant duty, of extending the respects of Uncle Sam's government to another sister republic. The result was that a cordial invitation was extended by President Ramon V aides to the personnel of the United States squadron to accept the hospitality of the Republic of Panama. Now the boys hadn't stepped over for a Ion 2: time, and "they went to it like greased lightning," and were well treated. Every ship was dry- docked, cleaned, painted and thoroughly overhauled prior to a resumption of the journey May 24th. During the interim all parties improved every moment of the liberty privilege inspecting a one thousand foot drydock, the navy yard, the model city of Balboa, the 4 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America ancient Spanish town of Panama, the alligators lazily snooping around in the water and the tropical foliage along shore. There are probably no such commodious shops elsewhere as there are in the navy yard here. No overcrowding of either men or machinery and the latter of colossal proportions. But our government went farther still and builded adjacent to this navy yard a city, that its employees might be properly cared for. Prior to the commence- ment of this great work there was a warfare made to exterminate mosquitoes, which were probably a greater menace here than they were anywhere on the Western Hemisphere. You may ask how about this! The reply is that, during our two weeks' sojourn in the zone, we did not see a single mosquito or even a fly. Am drift- ing and must return to the city of Balboa. This modern city, built during the last three years, ranks very high from every viewpoint ; however, all facts relative to the place are of common knowledge; and I will, in passing, say that this fine airy town, with its model homes, wide asphalted streets and superb sanitary conditions, is in striking' contrast to the old Spanish type neighboring; city of Panama. The latter town, being one of the oldest in America, is nat- urally handicapped because of its antiquity. This latter place is destined for a marvelous future, as it is widely awake and rapidly eradicating- the ancient style drawback features. Since the writer visited the city but once, and that during the evening hours, he cannot speak of the immense volume of historical facts that are so necessary to round out this article. A pretty farewell entertanment was provided by the good peo- ple of Balboa for the boys, on the eve of their departure for passage through the canal. This (is in reference to a dance, in the open air, upon the finely paved boulevard that encircles the spacious public- square. Per request, the entire band of our flagship furnished the music. The best ladies of the city cheerfully danced with sailors, and with sailors only, much to the chagrin of onlooking regular sol- diers. (Never mind, g'ood fellows, they'll get to you yet.) Our lads just covered themselves with glory and there wasn't a disorderly man in the bunch. Just a word about the ladies, who were seen at the ball. These women were mostly of the fair type of coun- tenance ; but nearly all of them had a sort of wan, drawn faced ap- pearance, that showed plainly the effect of the tropical climate in which they live. The Panama Canal. There was but scant mention made of the city of Balboa and, for 1 a like reason, it is unnecessary to make more than a short ref- erence to the Panama Canal, which is conceded to be the greatest of all engineeriug feats. At the outset kindly permit a statement that the mighty Sault Ste Marie Canal, between the United States and Canada, has some features that are even more interesting than anything to be seen here. Three enormous double locks, the great Culebra Cut, a mountain that was demolished and one that was constructed, are the main attractions. Millions of dollars worth of ~?~&=&&l 1 6 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America abandoned French machinery was sunken into a swamp and an artificial hill erected thereupon. Now this hill was not built as a monument to the courageous Frenchmen who first tackled the job, but to impound the waters of a lake. The reason for demolition of a mountain was to remove forever the lateral pressure that threat- ened destruction to the canal. Some of the Frenchmen above re- ferred to recently revisited the "zone," and in their astonishment exclaimed, "We never dreamed that the Americans would build a mountain." The entire ship's company was especially interested in two enormous steel structures, at each lock, that revolve on a turn- table and that carry an extra gate (emergency dam), for dropping into the position of any gate that should get out of order. The addi- tional 1 expense for this contrivance must have exceeded a million dollars! for each lock. Then there are six powerful electric engines, called donkeys, located at every lock, for towing each large ship, which is barred from the use of its own motive power. A man who claims to be properly advised stated that it cost the government $14.- 000 for the passage of each cruiser through the canal. Of course the zone district is guarded by a large army that is equipped with the mightiest of weapons. Furthermore, during the night time the en- trances are constantly under the glare of huge revolving search- lights. It took eleven hours, on May 24th, to make the passage of fifty-six miles and to coal ship at Christobal (emphasize on the "o"), and meaning Christopher. Colon is Spanish for Columbus; so there you have it, Christopher Columbus. The government coaling station mentioned above is of the most modern construction, and it has many surprises in store for the uninitiated. An immense shout was let out by the boys when they saw that a large body of Jamaica negroes were about to come aboard for •stowing away coal. (This task, as well as that of all of the coal- ing work, is usually performed by the crew.) The Jamaica negroes receive but $1.50 per day for performing the hardest kind of work and in the warmest of weather. They are so rapidly replacing the whites as to now comprise about one-half of the "zone" employees. AVhite people received more than twice the amount of pay for per- forming' the work that is now being done by Negro subjects of Great Britain. Oh, yes. Uncle Sammy has an eye to business. Should you call one of these Jamaicans a nigger he comes right back with, "I ain't no nigga! No sahl ! I'se a Bridish subjec, I is!" The zone man- agement designates the races as gold and silver men and signs thus worded indicate the places where they are to separately assemble. Again this story is sidetracked and must be shunted back to the main line. While our ship was making fast all hands carefully studied the coaling outfit. They noticed on a high trestle that traversed a dock at which a dozen ordinary ships could coal at one and the same time, about forty large motor driven cars. These coal-laden cars began to move forward and, almost before they realized it, coal was rushing aboard from a dozen different conveyors and A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America J pouring- through as many openings in the deck. The task was completed in about one-sixth of the usual time and all was serene aboard. Christobal is the canal zone town adjacent to the negro city o,f Colon, of small size and destined to grow. The City of Colon. (Emphasize "on.") Only a small percentage of the people here are other than ot the Negro race, and these few reside in the midst of cocoanut groves at one side of the city proper. This town of 40.000 people, which is rapidly growing, consists of the regulation three-story structures. On account of the prevalence of earthquakes, the law limits the height of buildings. Very narrow streets and razor-edge alleys are characteristic of the place. The population is densely packed in and there is serious danger of a conflagration or an epi- demic. Our government is responsible for the model sanitary con- ditions that prevail here. The masses of the people, although not prosperous, are careful and take pride in their city. The swell Negro organization of the place acted as an escort to newly enlisted British soldiers. This aggregation was it. Had the ancients seen that glittering array of spell-binders, Solomon would never have been mentioned. Each man of the bunch was caparisoned in an entirely different style of a rich flowing robe with gaudy head piece and a gold plated sword. Every loud color known was as- sembeld in the make-up, and when straddled over a horse, these Ethiopians did shine." There was pleasure aboard ship when, on May 30th, the fleet headed out into the Carribean Sea for the 3600 mile run to Bahia, Brazil. The distance was so great, probably one thousand miles, to the farthermost northeastern point of South America, that it did seem as though we never would make it and learn as to our prob- able destination. Finally, after three days, the entire outfit turned south, and we then knew that the equator was about to be crossed. The writer will now scoot off' on a tangent, for a little hilarity ere getting back to bedrock. From the Log of a United States Man of War, While "Crossing the Line." Broken Out by Dad. On the evening of June 9th, 1917, the mighty high Davy Jones, scribe to his Equiatic Majesty King Neptune, suddenly appeared aboard of the good ship Pittsburg, as she was en route to Bahia, Brazil. His Excellency immediately posted the Royal Proclama- tion, namely, to wit : ' ' We will break out a hot time in the old realm tomorrow; especially for each one of you officers and men who has not blown hitherto hitherbefore. Then it was indeed ap- parent that there was something in the wind, for were there not signs of unusual activity upon the fo-c-sle? Why that platform and all of those odd looking barber-chairs and why, oh why! the 8 A Friend! v Cruise Around Latin America huge tank that had suddenly appeared as if by magic? Upon close inspection it was seen that the chairs, above mentioned, operated on a swivel, and that they were so arranged that persons seated therein could be suddenly dumped over backward and shot into the tank below. Furthermore it was learned that the folowing un- canny articles had, somehow or other, been hoisted aboard. Razors and shears each two feet long, combs with teeth of six-penny nails ; gigantic lather brushes; buck saws, rasps, tongs, etc., for dental and surgical use. Finally there were two quart squirt guns and the never-to-be-forgotten medicines, that were to be used by th^e Imperial Medical Staff. These medicines were of the startling va- riety, as may well be imagined, and they certainly did make a hit. First there was' a red hot emetic to be shot between the teeth, and this was to be followed, by a nauseous paste for ramming into each man's muzzle by the dirtiest hands that ever were seen. Last, but by no means least, were the barrels of an admixture called gugu, for smearing all over victims by rebounding" slaps of heavy brushes. Yes, the gugu was an admixture, consisting of sand, graphite, vase- line and other greases. It was no joke to be covered with this stuff, whether it was done to a sailor in spotless white dress uniform, or after he had been forcibly stripped and then daubed. The medicines were prepared under direction of the ship's med- ical officers and, although they looked uninviting, were not so bad after all. The hands that administered these remedies owed their muddy appearance to a "coating of sweet chocolate. Well, we hit the equator all right, ati 36 degs., 05 min. 00 sec. west, between the South American and African continents. At the psychological moment the ship's band struck up^a dead march as it headed the royal procession. Old Neptune went right to bat, tied her loose and let her went, and, believe me, he went some. In the entourage of His Majesty there were learned judges, surgeons, doc- tors of everything and an admiral, also a score of lesser lights. Of these latter were the royal policemen, barbers, imps, lambasters, etc. All of the foregoing were arranged in a manner suitable to their respective stations, for didn't the doctors look wise in their tall hats, long robes and huge glasses; and wasn't Painful Parker, the dentist, a sight? And didn't the skull and cross bones emblazoned on the surgeon's robes lend a cheerful air to the ensemble? Furthermore, the entire bunch did shine resplendent in enormous wigs of un- braided rope and hula hula garments of like material. It may be said on the quiet that there wasn't a personage in the entire court who was even a circumstance to Her Majesty the Queen, or to the Royal Baby, -who weighed 260 pounds and carried a gallon sized nursing bottle. "Some Queen," shouted the boys, as Her Majesty appeared next to nature; except that the Royal personage was draped in a striking gown of quite transparent material. "Hippo," the gigantic Negro baby, although naturally quite dark in color, was made blacker still by a coating of grease and graphite and he sure did shine to beat the band. A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 9 Just as their majesties, and the Royal Court ascended the. dais on the ceremonial platform the Royal Navigator appeared on the bridge and assumed full command of the ship. This 1 official was a grizzled old seafaring man, of aspect stern and dominating' will, and he displayed enough medals to nearly sink the ship. Then there were the huskiest who entered the tank to see to it that every one of the thousand candidates should be accorded the privilege of a bath. SOME BATH is putting it mildly ; especially because 1 every head that appeared above water during the process of bathing was vigorously lambasted with a stuffed club. It was by no means a joke to be dragged by the heels ! along the bottom of the tank, as the lads who were thus treated can testify. Great care was exercised, however, so that no accident occurred, and, therefore, the day ended with ev- eryone, including the soup- hounds, in good humor. Only sailor lads could stand the hard knocks that were handed out that day and then "bob up serenely from below." His Highness "Hippo," the baby, was destined to be much kissed during that festive day, but he took it all in good part, as he always takes everything. "Hippo" is a pop- ular guy because he is a first class prize-fighter. As but eighty members of the ship's company had crossed the line before, it was strictly up to them to pilot the other one thousand men over. Now this was a difficult task, as the following story will show. As a matter of fact. Uncle Sam's officers, despite their rank, were not immune from the same treatment that was to be accorded enlisted men. (The only reason why the rule was changed on this occasion is because the men needed a little money.) These officers did not know whether they were destined to taste the medicine, kiss the baby, dance the hula hula, walk the plank, be smeared with tar or dragged through the tank. Therefore, when the executive officer, in dress uniform, headed the procession of candidates, everybody was pleased and rent the air with tumultuous cheers. The executive met the judge's unpitying eye in a dianified manner and received this jolt: "Sir, you are guilty of cowardice for turning tail every time that you have hitherto come near the line. Ten dollars!" "But. your honor?" "No buts to me; when I holler it's law. Five more bucks for contempt of court." "But have 1 no rights?" "No, not that you could mention it. Next!" An ensign, for being too popu- lar, was stang for ten ducats aud forced to kiss the baby, and he gracefully complied, while the crowd nearty yelled its head off. The Chief Surgeon was euchered out of a substantial amount, because he had the unmitigated gall to rush away from Germany just as war was declared. Our ship's dentist came in for a fine of ten simoleons because he had the brazen nerve to enlist as a dentist when he should have signed up as a blacksmith or plumber, and he had to dig up five more cart wheels because his teeth were dirty. The fleet chaplain drew a fine of a pair of deuces because of his attempt to flirt with Her Royal Majesty, three fives for loafing six days in the week and a single bone for working on the Holy Sabbath day. Another officer io A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America was held up for one million reis (a 100' rei piece of Brazilian money is worth 2 1-8 cents). Bach officer was charged with an alleged of- fense that was contrary to fact ; therefore when one of these gentle- men was booked for cowardice, for excessive popularity, for being too lenient, for always releasing a liberty party on time, then the boys could not restrain their laughter. The six hundred dollars that' was. collected from officers and men paid expenses for a big blowout in Rio. Now for fun with the crew, inclusive of all petty officers, so you will see that some of the officers did get it. Every one of these were forced to run the gauntlet and to take final refuge with the de- mons in the tank. An extra slam was always in store for tough guys, petty officers, marines, yeomen, Asiatics, etc., not in a spirit of meanness, but to add pep to the fun. A double ilistilled streak of lightning never failed to strike the rough-neck, inclusive of all who had to be searched out and brought forth in irons. "All! the first victim, a tough guy! A marine, a submarine. Submerge the leatherneck! Soak 'im ! Soak 'imi! Give it to 'im! Another tough guy! Ah, strip the guy! That's a hard boiled one! Six-O-Six, U-53 ! Oh, have a heart ! Shut up, you fool ; he 's tough and can stand it ! Git that petty officer ! he 's our meat ! Make him dance the hula hula and kiss the baby ! A yeoman, some politician ! Cut off his hair ! Oh, the gall of that guy with the whiskers in imi- tation of the captain of this ship ! Cut off those whiskers, carve them deep ! ' ' The foregoing is only a faint imitation of the terriffic din that filled the air throughout all of that eventful day. As each man appeared he was promptly sentenced, regardless of everything. Some to dance the hula hula or Sal-o-My, while the band tooted ; others to kiss 'baby "Hippo," etc. As a grand finale the hapless victims were rushed, hauled and pushed through a menacing array of dentists, surgeons and lambasters to the dope fiend doctors. Then, swish ! They got it between the teeth from a two-quart squirt gun, after which their mouths were jambed full of a nau- seous mass of junk. Lastly they were shaven and shorn, smeared from top to toe, and then hurled violently backward into the tank. This tank was, by all odds, the toughest part of the fun. woe betide the man who put up a fight in the tank; because he was hurled back upon the platform for the second degree. The tough guy had about as much show in the tank as a celluloid cat would have in chasing an asbestos rat through hell. Finally, at the end of the ordeal, every man scurried away to either wash or destroy paint covered clothes. Addenda Concerning- Her Majesty the Queen. Incidentally permit the infusion of a little more light relative to the above subject, commencing with the following statement: Society buds will readily understand the French terms herein em- 12 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America ployed, and that any seafaring man can stand :by long enough to 'break out the nautical terms used. The Queen was a dainty craft, of the clipper variety, with long hempen tresses (unbraided rope) flying at the peak; then there were lavender colored socks of appropriate shade to match the very transpareiit royal robe. This wonderful garment was re- plete in decollete, demi-tasse. I swan to goodness and other catchy effects. It caught the crowd;- for wasn't royalty exposed to the elements, except for a scanty garment that the ladies call lingerie. This article, of meager width, was stayed fore and aft and shrouded about amidships. The train of Her Majesty's robe was hoisted aloft by Aeolus and Olus. The ancient Greeks inform us that Aeolus and Olus are the little twin gods of the wind that Neptune always keeps on the hur- ricane deck for the purpose of raising tbe wind and other things. Oh, yes. The Queen was a crackajack, outclassing the fair, seven times married, Lillian Russell, and each one of the forgotten num- ber of the wives of Nat Goodwin. The boys suspected the Queen of treachery and imagined that she, he, or whatever it was, had put one over on them. However, the writer passes the buck up to the crew. 14 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America CHAPTER TWO. The balance of this article was not written until all of the places therein described had been visited and carefully compared. Most of the data is relative to things that were seen, or that was gleaned from various public records through the medium of in- terpreters. The balance was furnished by persons who have an extensive knowledge of Latin America. An enormous amount of the information received was so tantalizing' in character that it could not be verified ; therefore it had to be discarded. It is by no means an easy task to get reliable information hastily, and in coun- tries where one does- not speak the language of its people. After passing over the equator, and sailing for three days, the land of South America, where the shore line is of a chalky white substance, appeared. Not a little quite pretty scenery was then passed, ere the squadron came to anchor in a very spacious bay. This was on dime 15th. The usual salutes were then exchanged, after which all hands carefully scanned and commented upon the most beautiful waterfront view, natural surroundings excepted, that was seen on the eastern shores of South America during 1 the cruise. Only oue liberty party, that of the port watch, went over the side, however. The starboard contingent failed to make it, (be- cause of the rough weather that prevailed. For this reason but a limited description can be given of the oldest city, which was also the first seat of government in Brazil. Bahia, Brazil. Bahia (Baea. sound the first syllable like the blatting' of a sheep, "B'a.") This city was founded in 1514 by Thome de Souza, the first Portuguese Governor General of Brazil. Rio de Janeiro is today the largest city in the nation, and then comes Sao Paulo (San Powlo), the most up to date city, and Bahia ranks third in size. This latter city boasts of having, still in daily use, the oldets church edifice in America. She also claims possession of the greatest ag- gregation of wealth under ecclesiastical control of any city in South America. A newspaper man at Rio de Janeiro stated that the church owns ten thousand buildings in the vicinity of Bahia. This city, the name of which mefins bay, lies on the sloping shores of a bay, around which rubber, coffee and fruits are produced ; how- ever, coffee is not so extensively cultivated here as it is in the state of Sao Paulo. All fruits seem to be of an inferior type, except oranges, which are of a better flavor than any that are grown in North America. The waterfront vista of Bahia is one of surpassing loveliness, but the city itself failsi to keep pace with the perspective from the bay. This, however, is not to be Avondered at, as this old- est of cities is located in a very rocky spot, and because it would A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 15 be a herculean task to remedy the defects, that are due to antiquated methods of construction. Beautiful large white buildings show their facades through green foliage, and all over an extensive hillside, that slopes gently back to an elevation of four hundred feet. These structures glisten in the sunshine and reflect their outline upon the waters below. Crowning -the eminence, and in the midst of lofty cocoanut palms, there is a fine display of architectural effects. Cupolas and domes galore, but no spires, steeples or minarets. Magnificent church buildings everywhere ; in fact there must be fully thirty of such structures in plain sight from the bay. Two car lines., ascend a very steep incline and. in some cases, ordinary elevators hoist people directly upward from one street to another. Was sorry to not have been permitted to enter, so noted a city to see the many things that are of decided interest there. Prior to departure for a port farther south, we coaled ship in the midst of, and despite a turbulent sea. All hands were astonished when the Nerius, an up to date, very large collier, ran alongside ready for business. This vessel is equipped with twenty-four mon- ster coaling booms, twelve on each side, that sling' over huge coal- laden "clamj shells." These "clams" came aboard with amazing swiftness, while the collier was pitching about in great shape, and we were coaled in a jiffy. Coaling ship is usually done from light- ers, and itj is then an all day's job, during which everybody, includ- ing father, works ; except that then the band plays. During coaling time the "soup-hounds" pass around with coffee and hot dog sand- wiches. (Hot dogs comingled with coal dust make an excellent diet.) Directly after coaling, on June 21st, away we sailed upon the 800-mile run to Rio de Janeiro, whither we arrived on the 23rd. The squadron was now leaving the; tropics for a land where the winter season prevails 1 while it is summer time in North America. Near the end of this particular trip the towering" mountains of the mainland and many lofty islands, beautiful beyond description, appeared. Shortly thereafter the Brazilian dreadnaught, Minas Geraes. to- gether with the battleship Sao Paulo and a flotilla of large torpedo boats, hove in sight. After our flagship had saluted Brazil and Almirante Alexan- drino de Alencar had returned the same, then the Brazilian squad- ron escorted the United States of America's fleet to an anchorage. During this journey there were salutes galore, and Uncle Sam's men will not soon forget the awe inspiring sights that constantly burst upon their vision as the combined squadrons swept on proudly into port. Almost directly after Admiral Caperton's ships had tied up to floating' buoys and his flagship had again saluted in honor of Brazil, then another round of salutes followed. This was in conse- quence of the arrival of three English and one French men-of-war. i6 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America The Frenchman presented a novel appearance with its herd of live cattle, that was quartered on the top side. (Frenchmen believe in having fresh meat.) After the preliminary excitement it developed that the United States of America's Admiral happened to be senior in command of all battle craft that was in the harbor and he was recognized as such. Prior to describing Rio de Janeiro, it is fitting that a more com- plete description should be given relative to what transpired while the allied fleets remained in Guanabara Bay; so here goes in a ram- bling fashion. A Eva/ilia?! official answered the direct question thuslv: "Yes sir, the Roosevelt expedition did make a most notable discovery and the River of Doubt became one of Reality." There was enough of saluting, during the first few days at Rio. to suit even the most fastidious. Every morning the Brazilian, English and French ships fired the customary salutes in honor of the ranking admiral and our flagship returned the same. During the half hour necessary for all of the above, every sailor in port stood at atten- tion, and' they breathed a sigh of relief when it was over. As each nation was saluted, of course its colors were broken out at all mast heads, while the band of the flagship, upon which I was a passen- ger, played the respective national anthems. The marines of Brazil are the smartest dressed men in the service of that nation. These men shine resplendent in white Highlander caps, red coats, blue trousers and high topped shiny boots. The marine band is uniformed in spotless white with swords adangle. Other soldiers, sailors, ca- dets, police, firemen, etc., appear in strikingly different apparel. It is likely that no other nation, of the land that the Spaniards dis- covered, takes a keener pride in the appearance of its servitors than does Brazil. Oh, by the way' Sundays and holidays are far more carefully observed all over South America than they are in the states. The Fourth of July at Rio de Janeiro. The United States of America was decidedly honored oh this immortal day and as she has seldom, if ever been honored thereto- fore. Early in the morning it was noticed that the Star Spangled Banner was about the only flag in sight, either afloat or on shore. Every available gun roared out a mighty salute to the land of the free and the home of the brave, and for the first time in history, English war craft remained in the same port with those of the Yankees, on the fourth day of July, and what is 1 more significant, the Englishmen not only saluted the American colors, but they also proudly marched with the Brazilian. French and United States forces in honor of thisi day. Hurrah for Johnny Bull ! So said we all of us. Our naval forces were in the van of a procession that marched through thirty miles of densely packed people. Thunders of ap- plause and showers of flowers greeted the boys as they marched on, proud of their country and happy because they were in its service. i8 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America After the procession had ended the Brazilian populace, together with the European allied sailors, vied with each other in honoring, the North American sailors and marines. Our squadron made it a point to return to Brazilian waters in time to return the compliment, and help out in the celebration of that nation's natal day, September 7th. As all South American cities are very much alike in most re- spects, the writer, in describing them, will for the sake of a diversi- fied story, avoid repetition so far as possble. He will endeavor to specially emphasize some particular line of features and events after minutely describing the only city that he had sufficient opportunity to study well. Rio de Janeiro (Rio de Janero.) The dream city, with a population of 1.100,000. This metropolis owes its name to a singiular error of observation that was made by its discoverer, who mistook for a river the beautiful sheet of Avater that proved to be a spacious bay. After Pedro Alvarez Cabral had discovered and unfurled the standard of his country over the terri- tory of Brazel, then Almirante Goncalvo' Coelho was dispatched to explore along the shore line of the newly acquired possession. This admiral discovered what is now the celebrated Guanabara Bay (Arm of the Sea), on January 1st. 1535. On the banks of this bay he founded a town and named it Rio de Janeiro, meaning the River of January. Sailors, who have seen the harbors of the world, de- clare the one at Sydney, Australia, to be the finest, and that Guana- bara Bay comes next. It requires a more prolific writer than yours truly to fittingly describe Rio de Janeiro, the kind of a city that poets rave over and that artists delight to honor. The habitation of a happy, progressive and broad-minded people. Our lads left this city with regret, hoping for the privilege to return. The unsurpassing 1 cleanliness of every thoroughfare, together with absence of wooden buildings, blaring sign boards and residences that are usually without chimneys. I say that these are facts that command instant attention. During the night time every street, alley and bypath is flooded and thoroughly scrubbed. It is furthermore apparent that the entire city is kept under the strictest possible sanitary, fire and police regulation. This town nestles amid a lofty mountain range, that encircles the bay and forces its stately peaks above the clouds. Many large white buildings peer out through tropical foliage that adorns the mountain sides, and these glisten in the noonday sun. Lastly, several mountainous islands, also vine clad and covered with buildings, beau- tify the bay and entrance thereto. But, oh, the shoreline! That's the clincher from start to finish. The new arrival marvels at the graceful curves that ten miles of the shore line on either side of the bay presents. After studying the perspective in wonder he usually exclaims, "Where, oh where, are the docks ? ' ' Let us investigate and see if there are any docks, A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 19 piers, warehouses, etc. To do this we must pass under a fine suspen- sion bridge, turn sharply to the left and there we see the Caes do porto (docks of the port.) These docks, which are among the finest in the world, extend along a, perfectly straight embankment for a mile and a half, and the largest of ships land, thereat. This landing place, as well as all others seen by us in South America, is. protected Iby massive blocks of hewn granite. However, the entire water-front at Rio is protected in like manner and at an inconceivable expense. The warehouses here are all of white granite, artistic in apperwance, exactly alike and extending also in a straight line beyond the range of vision. Along the outer edge of the embankment there are count- less traveling cranes, of German make, arranged in keeping with the straight line ensemble. A large fleet of interned German steamers was seen from this point. Strange to relate, there isn't a dead wall, unsightly building, ugly sign-board or any rubbish even in this vicin- ity. Thus the vision of cleanliness continues. The extensively curved shore-line, that has already been men- tioned, embraces land of several hundred feet in width, throughout its entire length. This land has always remained in possession of the commonwealth ; is used for public purposes only and safeguarded against every vestige of unsightliness. This district is traversed throughout its entire length by one of the finest 'boulevards extant ; consisting of three broad parallel driveways. Intervening between these drives there are fine strips of green sward, that are adorned with shrubbery, statues, fountains, ornamental settees, etc. There are also other fine avenues (avenidas) and an unusual number of parks that are replete in scenic effects ; especially statuary, monuments, etc. ; in fact there must be fully five hundred monuments out in the open air of this city. The European custom of; taking an evening's siesta at tables that are placed under shade trees, along the broad walks, in front of cafes, prevails in Rio, and also at Mon- tevideo and Buenos Aires. While thus seated our party carefully studied the people who passed, and we were impressed with the lofty bearing of the men and the pleasant faced and extremely modest de- meanor of all women. Whether richly gowned or garbed in simple fashion, it was all the same, modesty is evidently characteristic of thg women of Brazil. The raiment of these women, and especially their sharp cut headgear, arranged in angular and peaked effects, was in- terestingly different than any of our party had hitherto seen. The men invariably wore kid gloves, carried canes and smoked cigarettes. It was a charming diversion to observe these people, as they paused anon to admire displays of the finest stocks of jewelry that are to be seen in America. Parties that entered the many fashion- able theaters would compare favorably with their prototype in North America. Most of the sidewalks are constructed of Limoge stone, that is imported from Portugal, and they are works of art in black and white. These mosaic walks have fine tesselated borders and various designs of bold relief, inlaid. There are many narrow streets and alleys, none of which are in bad condition. 20 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America The National Botanical Garden contains, probably, the best display of tropical and Oriental trees and shrubbery that there is to be found in any other one place. In this garden there are flourishing specimens of more than nine hundred different kinds of palms, including the mother palm that was planted in 1808. This palm is 315 feet tall, and from it sprang the millions of sim- ilar trees that are flourishing throughout Brazil. Several ave- nues, that are bordered by these stately palms, are objects of in- terest throughout the city. There are also growing in this gar- den every known species of spice, tea, coffee, rubber and bamboos galore. The National Museum is at Boa Vista Park, and housed in the erstwhile palace of the emperors of Brazil. This museum contains an astonishing display of ethnological, botanical ond natural his- tory objects. In the collection three are birds, butterflies, shells, reptiles, etc.. of infinite variety. Every color and even the most delicate tints of the rainbow are clearly defined in the above, and the sizes range from the most minute to the very largest known. It would require fully a month's constant writing to fittingly de- scribe either the garden or museum, so T will give up the task be- fore beginning'. As a matter of fact, Montevideo and Buenos Aires also possess mighty museums, art galleries, etc.. and it is impos- sible to decide which city excels in either respect. Pao de Assucar (Sugar Loaf, and also known as Dog Face mountain), 1185 feet, and Mount Coreovado. 2312 feet high, are easy of ascent ; the former on a car suspended from a cable and the latter by cog wheel train. While en route to the summit of Sugar Loaf I suddenly found myself directly over a gorge 800 feet below, and it occurred to me that I would become badly tan- gled up should the cable break. The fine crescent shaped beaches at San Francisco, Leme and Botofogo B'ay, zoological gardens, pub- lic buildings, Palacio Monroe (named in honor of the Monroe Doc- trine), Theatro Municipal, etc.. should not be missed. The theater mentioned does probably exceed in magnificence any playhouse in America. (Gorgeous theatrical structures are, in fact, typical of all Latin American cities and those at Buenos Aires and Monte- video are also of surpassing excellence.) Of course it goes without saying that, in such a model city, there must be magnificent churches, and among these. Our Lady of the Candelaria is a structure that required one hundred and thirty-five years to erect. At the close of a beautiful day, and as I was about to leave a wonderful cemetery, it was my privilege to witness the wierd ceremonial of a torchlight burial service. All of the cemeteries that I visited in Latin America are distinctively different and al- together dissimilar to any seen theretofore. In Latin American cemeteries the fact is strongly emphasized that the living certainly consider that the cradle and the coffin do not mark the extremes NJj do Afmiranfe \ Capeqton til Bmsil --S,- — Courtesv of Revista dp Leniana. Rio de Janeiro 22 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America of man's career: therefore Brazilians lavish affectionate regard for the sacred habitat of the dead. The United States of the Republic of Brazil. The following accurate information was secured from the national archives and also from the "Handbook of Rio de Janeiro": In 1535 Pope Alexander VI arbitrated between Portugal and •Spain relative to certain sections of South America. His Holiness awarded unto Spain^the district south of a line that he traced on the map, and Portugal secured the more northerly region. As a result Brazil Was then extensively peopled with immigrants from Portugal and Argentina, Uruguay, etc., with those from Spain. Brazillians claim that Portuguese navigators, from the Azores d,nd Madeira, landed on the West Indies and also upon the North and South American continents prior to 1450. If this is so, then Columbus was a little late; but how about Lief Irickson? Brazil was discovered Easter Sunday (Paschoel), April 23rcl, 1500. and it was named after a dye-wood for which the country is famous. The discoverer was Pedro Alvarez Cabral, a celebrated Portuguese navigator. Several years after Cabral 's death his re- mains were transported from Portugal and solemnly reinterred in the tower of a cathedral at Rio de Janeiro. This country was gov- erned from Portugal until the mouth of February, 1818, when King Joah VI transferred his seat of government from Lisbon, Portugal, to Rio de Janeiro. Thus, for the only time in history, was a Euro- pean country governed from American soil. In 1540 Captain Fran- cisco Orellana, one of Pizarro's officers in the conquest of Peru, descended the Amazon river in an open boat and, in some manner, reached Spain and secured reinforcements. This feat of descending the Amazon is declared to be the most amazing feat in history. A melancholy incident, of many years since, w'as the execution of the great Brazilian hero. Tira-dentes (tooth-puller), who was pub- licly drawn and quartered in Rio de Janeiro. This event greatly accelerated the bitter feeling 1 against Portugal and aided in the cause of freedom. King Joah finally returned to Portugal, leaving his son, Dom Pedro, to govern the American province. Shortly thereafter Bra- zil revolted from Portugal and made Dom Pedro Emperor, and in 1821 the Portuguese government acquiesced to the change. The first Emperor eventually gave way to the second Dom Pedro, who was crowned the last Emperor, on July 18th, 1841. Dom Pedro II was expelled from the country and, as the marvelous grandeur of Guanabara Bay faded from his vision, the aged exile was crushed in spirit, and, with a broken heart, he soon died, but among friends in Portugal. Brazilians do not reflect upon the character of Dom Pedro II and, in lieu thereof, many commendable things are said in his praise. The republic was finally proclaimed November 15th, 1880. Abolition of slavery in the United States of America led di- 24 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America rectly to similar action in Brazil, when on May 13th, 1888, a decree abolishing slavery was promulgated. Sao Panlo is the richest and most progressive state in the country. Its capital city, of the same name, made the surprising record of increasing in population from 25,000 to 880,000 during the last thirty years. This state exports annually more than two-thirds of the entire coffee production of the world (210,000,000 pounds). The Caminho do Padre Jose (Trail of Father Jose) in the state of Sao Paulo, corresponds in im- portance to El Camino Real (The Real Road) of California. I herewith copy verbatim, from the handbook of Rio de Ja- neiro, the following relative to the wonderful people of the state of Sao Paulo : "In the humble village of Santo Andre a race was born, half Indian, half Portuguese, the Mamelucos. Enterprising', fearless, re- lentless to the point of barbarism, superhuman in their hardiness, endurance and the cheerful manner in which they undertook and accomplished seemingly impossible tasks. It may be safely said that, if the Mamelucos did not make European civilization possible in Southern Brazil, that they at least advanced its coming and devel- opment some hundreds of years. The Mamelucos subjected to sla- very whole Indian tribes for tilling the soil. After this they pene- trated the entire surrounding country and even entered Bolivia, despite swarms of cannibalistic savages. They wrested several great provinces from Spain, chased the French out of Rio de Ja- neiro, discovered the best gold and diamond districts in Brazil and broke up a great organization of renegades, that the Dutch had long tried to suppress. When the governor of Bahia finally called upon them to help subdue a powerful Indian nation, the Mamelucos pitched in and massacred the entire tribe. Yes, Brazil owes a great deal to the Mameluco race." Extracts From the Brazilian Constitution. The President is elected for a four-year term, without the priv- ilege of re-election. Each state has the right to place export taxes ( upon anything that is produced in that state and she must surren- der all criminals that are wanted by a sister state. Deputies and senators are barred from official connection with any bank or other enterprise that has dealings with the government. All na- tives are considered citizens; except those whose fathers are in the service of a foreign land. Foreigners, who own property in Brazil, or are married to Brazilian women, or who have Brazilian chil- dren; provided that they live in Brazil, unless they declare in favor of a foreign land, these are all citizens. Members of religious orders, beggars, alphabets and criminals, during the period of pun- ishment, are barred from citizenship. Civil marriages only are recognized by the government. The death penalty, except for treason, was long since abolished. Finally the constitution de- clares that, nnder no circumstances, will the nation engage in war- 26 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America fare for the purpose of conquest. Wenceslau Braz is now Presi- dent of this, country. On October 7th the Republic of Panama followed the exam- ple of Brazil and also of several other Latin American nations in legalizing civil marriages only. Caught on the Fly. In traveling all over Rio de Janeiro the following additional objects were noticed: A picturesque stone aqueduct, elevated railroads and mighty fortifications ; in fact, everything necessary to the well being of its people. All residences are of either mar- ble, granite or cement. Those who are wealthy reside in hand- some mansions ; the middle class in fine homes, on 50-foot lots, and the poor in nice clean houses. There is no apparent overcrowd- ing. A noteworthy feature of the towns in this part of South America is that a large percentage of all homes are located behinl ornamental iron fences that are ten feet high. Rio does not build skyscrapers and the nearest approach thereto is an occasional six or seven story structure, the rest averaging three stories in height. Artistic fronts and brilliant color effects: is the rule in this coun- try. North Americans must "watch their step" down here; be- cause this is the left-handed country; wherein all vehicles and pedestrians must not pass to the right. The central fire station is worth especial notice. This three-storied structure is quadrangular in shape, around a spacious court, and is 300 feet square. It con- tains an extensive machine shop, large kitchen, dining room and quarters for 200' firemen. There was thirty-four motor driven fire apparatus of English make, including a score of up to date fea- tures novel to citizens of our country. Oh yes. "the beggars have come to town," in rags of course, rigged out for the occasion, but they are clean, they have to be. The 5000 men of our squadron, inclusive of the supply ships, were very much interested in the fortifications and naval arrange- ments of Brazil ; and especially in the Brazilian Naval Cadets. These little fellows enter service at 11 years of age,, for a fifteen year period. During the first twelve years they re- ceive the best kind of schooling. The last three years, is spent upon a fine full-rigged ship that makes a complete yearly circuit of the globe. South America is certainly the place to see stiff-necked peo- ple. If you don't believe it just go down there and take note of" the enormous loads that are being borne about upon the heads of some of the people. The United States of the Republic of Brazil has this inscrip- tion on her flag: "Ordem e Progresso" (Order and Progress). This nation owns most of the railroads and a greater proportion of its people are in the public service than any other country so employs. A Wedding procession of forty automobiles. Open fu- neral cars drawn by a single mule and one that was very elaborate- A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America 27 with four mules ahead. Brazilians talk money in big figures; for instance, it cost 100 reis (2 1-8 cents) for a five-mile street car ride, 400 reis for a cup of coffee, etc. The money fluctuates! from 36 to 40 milreis for a United States ten-dollar gold piece. 20$500 means 20 milreis and 500 reis. 28 A Friendly Cruise Around Latin America CHAPTER THREE It is one thousand miles from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, to Mon- tevideo, Uruguay; and it required the time from July 6th to the 10th for making this trip. There was but one topic discussed en route, nad that was relative to the fine reception that was extended at Rio ; and by people whose faces and actions spoke more elo- quently than the English words that they are unable to utter could have expressed. All hands were entirely unprepared to learn that Uruguay was about to accord to them the finest reception probably that so small a commonwealth ever extended to anybody. They got an inkling of what was in store when, accompanied by war- ships, twenty excursion steamers ran out fifteen miles to meet them. These steamers were literally packed with wildly cheering people. This demonstration and the incessant sounding of all whistles, afloat and on shore, did not cease until long after the squadron had cast anchor in the so-called Rio de la Plata. The term so called is here used, because this waterway is not a river in the generally accepted sense, but it is in reality a very broad estuary. There was a large fleet of merchant ships and men of war, including several interned German vessels, about us, and all of these, the Germans only excepted, were dressed in honor of the visitors; as was practically every building in sight. And the crowd ! Such a crowd as there was, covering the embarkadero, the long piers ex- tending therefrom and all buildings (250,000 would be a moderate estimate of the throng). It is probable that none of our company will ever again see so many flags at one and a single time, as there Were displayed. Colors of the entente allies, President Wilson's pic- ture, together with those of Washington and Lincoln, and also ref- erences to the Monroe Doctrine, were shown all over town. After the shades of night had hidden all other evidences of good will from the ships, then a bigj electric sign on shore flashed out the cheery word "Welcome." Some idea of the nature of the harbor here may be inferred from the fact that two of our cruisers were moored alongside of the embankment. The good people of Uruguay certainly did draw heavily upon their resources to entertain Admiral Caperton and his men. Space does not permit a detailed description of this feature. The Uru- guayan nation had placed the purposed reception under control of the Young Men's Christian Association, and with ample funds to insure its success. This arrangement was much to the disgust of saloonists and other tough resorts ; especially since the vilest of these places were forced to remain closed while our men were ashore. In every port visited the Young Men's Christian Association has rendered an immense amount of valuable service to Uncle Sam's boys; and this was especially emphasized at Montevideo. - ' ' .' j •> l*-??: -: