The
insurgents began first by destroying the sugar mills, some of
which were worth millions of dollars in machinery, and now the
Spaniards are burning the homes of the people and herding them
in around the towns to starve out the insurgents and to leave
them without shelter or places to go for food or to hide the
wounded. So all day long where ever you look you see great
heavy columns of smoke rising into this beautiful sky above
the magnificent palms the most noble of all palms, almost of
all trees-- It is the most beautiful country I have ever
visited. I had no recollection of how beautiful it was or
else I had not the knowledge of other places with which to
compare it. Nothing out of the imagination can approach it in
its great waterfalls and mossy rocks and grand plains and
forests of white pillars with plumes waving above them. Only
man is vile here and it is cruel to see the walls of the
houses with blind eyes, with roofs gone and gardens burned, every
church but one that I have seen was a fortress with hammocks
swung from the altars and rude barricades thrown up around the
doorways-- If this is war I am of the opinion that it is a
senseless wicked institution made for soldiers, lovers and
correspondents for different reasons, and for no one else in the
world and it is too expensive for the others to keep it going to
entertain these few gentlemen-- I have seen very little of it yet
and I probably won't see much more, but I have seen all I want.
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