THE PIvANT WORLD 29 



Some time after Captain McCalla's visit we received a supply of pre- 

 pared cereals, jelly, raspberry vinegar, evaporated cream, from Mrs. 

 McCalla, accompanied by the following note from the Captain : * 



" My Dear Safford : I return you an invoice from Mrs. McCalla of 

 a few things which I beg you will transfer to the doctor for the general 

 use of all his patients, feeling sure that he will make the best use of the 

 packages, three in all. I am only sorry that I can not send six months' 

 supply for the town and garrison sick, but I beg that you will accept the 

 desire for the deed in this case. You can consider the things as an 

 exchange for the bushel of delicious limes you were so good as to send 

 me, and which I divided among the officers. 



' ' I had the pleasure of meeting your excellent padre on our way to the 

 landing and I was greatly pleased with his good and kindly face. The 

 happy and pleasant faces and politeness with which the Governor was 

 received uniformly are the best indications of the progress you are all 

 making to improve the condition of these poor islanders, who have suffered 

 in so many ways from the rule of Spain. Be assured that nothing tells 

 so surely and so effectively as example ; and I feel the greatest satisfac- 

 tion in having had the opportunity to see for myself what great progress is 

 being made by our officers. Very sincerely, 



"B. H. McCai^la." 



Sunday, November 26. — This day the Governor took up his residence 

 in the palace. He brought with him the band from the Yosemite, and 

 this morning we had some good music in the plaza. The roof of the 

 palace has been put in good condition, and the wood-work has been 

 painted. The Governor's steward and house servants are enlisted men — 

 Japanese. He has a pair of white stallions which he bought at Manila, and 

 a Filipino coachman to drive them. He has a fine outfit of table-linen, 

 silver, porcelain, and glass-ware. The Major has accepted his invitation 

 to go to the palace to live, but he says he regrets to leave my comfortable 

 house. 



Friday, December 1. — Yesterday was Thanksgiving Day. We had not 

 received the President's proclamation in time, so the Governor issued one 

 of his own, calling upon the inhabitants of this island to abstain from all 

 unnecessary work and assemble at their respective places of worship and 

 give thanks to Almighty God for their many blessings, their freedom 

 from epidemics, earthquakes and hurricanes during the past year ; their 

 liberty to worship God as they please, and their deliverance from the 

 tyranny of unworthy preceptors. A solemn mass was said in the 

 cathedral by Father Palomo, and our band took part in the services, 



*It was very gratifying afterwards to read extracts from the oflBcial report made by Captain 

 McCalla to the Navy Department, in which he spoke in a most appreciatory manner of both the Gov- 

 ernor and myself In speaking of the natives he says : " If smiling faces on the part of all whom we 

 saw as the Governor drove from the landing place at Piti to the capital and return were an indication 

 of contentment and satisfaction with the methods recently adopted on the island, then I am certain 

 that the new administration is already most successful."— ZjfZ/er to the Chief of Bureau »f Navigation. 



