28 THE PLANT WORLD 



him he would never be free again. He did not see how he could be held 

 accountable for utensils and animals missing from the ranch, for Doiia 

 Ivuisa repeatedly sent him to the city upon errands, and the things 

 disappeared during his absence. Though he was allowed by the contract 

 one-third of all the corn, sweet potatoes and other things he might raise, 

 yet Dona Luisa kept him busy burning lime, and this gave him no time 

 to do agricultural work, and as nothing was said about lime in the con- 

 tract she would not let him share in the profits she received from it, 

 though he collected both the wood for the kiln and the lime-stone. He 

 said that he was no better off than a slave, and he begged me to pay 

 his debt to Dona Luisa and let him work for me until he reimbursed me. 

 The candles he was charged with he thought had been given to him as 

 a present by Dofia Luisa. They were a votive offering to the Virgin at 

 Sumay, to whose shrine he had made a visit so that his foot might get 

 well. 



After listening to what Dona Rufina had to say, I told her that I 

 would not compel Benigno to go back to her, but that I would see that 

 she should be paid the amount of his indebtedness. She said: "But, 

 Sefior, he signed this contract, and I wish to hold him to it — how am I 

 to get any one else in his place? " I told her that I would take Benigno 

 in my employ and would cause him to cancel his indebtedness by degrees, 

 paying her one-half of his wages each month. "But it will be a long 

 time before I get my money back at that rate," said she. "How long 

 do you think it would have been before he attained his freedom had he 

 continued your servant?" I replied. So I have taken Benigno in m}^ 

 service, offering him six pesos a month and his board. 



Friday, November 17 . — The U. S. S. Newark is at anchor in the harbor. 

 Captain McCalla, the commander, \4sited Agaiia to-day, and showed 

 great interest in everything pertaining to the island, the natives, and 

 our men. He visited the hospital, where we have a number of fever 

 patients, both American and native, and asked if he could not do something 

 for their comfort. He thought it would be a wise measure to pipe water 

 to the town from the neighboring hill, as the shallow wells from which 

 many of the natives get their water for drinking and cooking are undoubt- 

 edly contaminated. He was struck especially with the primitive method 

 of sawing boards from logs, which is common in this island, and said he 

 would second our request to the Government for a saw-mill. I was sorrj^ 

 that I had no way of entertaining him ; but I sent to his ship a basket 

 of limes and lemons from my own trees, which will last until he reaches 

 Manila. The N'ewark made the passage from San Francisco to Honolulu 

 (2,200 geographical miles) in a week, and from Honolulu to Guam 

 (3,300 miles) in fifteen days. She is carrying a number of naval appren- 

 tices to the Philippines. 



