62 The Rough Riders 



for the voyage were not sufficient, because the meat 

 was very bad indeed ; and when a ration consists of 

 only four or five items, which taken together just 

 meet the requirements of a strong and healthy man, 

 the loss of one item is a serious thing. If we had 

 been given canned cornbeef we would have been all 

 right, but instead of this the soldiers were issued 

 horrible stuff called "canned fresh beef." There 

 was no salt in it. At the best it was stringy and 

 tasteless ; at the worst it was nauseating. Not one- 

 fourth of it was. ever eaten at all, even when the men 

 became very hungry. There were no facilities for 

 the men to cook anything. There was no ice for 

 them; the water was not good; and they had no 

 fresh meat or fresh vegetables. 



However, all these things seemed of small impor- 

 tance compared with the fact that we were really 

 embarked, and were with the first expedition to leave 

 our shores. But by next morning came the news 

 that the order to sail had been countermanded, and 

 that we were to stay where we were for the time 

 being. What this meant none of us could under- 

 stand. It turned out later to be due to the blunder 

 of a naval officer who mistook some of our vessels 

 for Spaniards, and by his report caused consterna- 

 tion in Washington, until by vigorous scouting on 

 the part of our other ships the illusion was dispelled. 



Meanwhile the troopships, packed tight with their 



