Sunday, July 1st

Laid round all day enjoying life. Wrote to Herb and to Boston. A bunch of us got out the ponies in the P.M. and tried to ride them. We've started for the cockpit and knocked over an old native on the way. Rainy during the day.

Monday July 2nd

Got up early and the crowd of us rode the pack ponies bareback to Silay. Got in there about noon and worked in the afternoon in a pouring rain running a D-line. Came in at night soaking wet and had no changes of clothes and no bed. Turned in on blanket spread on the floor and slept the sleep of the just. Lame as blazes from riding horseback.

Tuesday 3rd

Got up early and had just a cup of coffee for breakfast and worked clear up until about four o'clock then walked back about five miles to Victorias which we struck about six o'clock. Had a stretch of line to finish and if the stakes hadn't given out we would have been working yet. Whole party all in where we got in at night. Rained in morning. Holiday to-morrow, no work.

Wednesday, July 4th Victorias

The first Fourth I was ever away from home. Wonder how they are spending the day back in God's country. Suppose they are having green peas, lemonade and ice cream and all sorts of good things. We are going to have turkey as a change from chicken. Am getting ashamed to look a chicken in the face and expect I am sprouting pin feathers. We haven't had a day without eating chicken at least twice since we landed on Negros. Crowd taking it easy to-day after yesterdays strenuous work. This idea of not working hard in the tropics is getting to be an idle dream so far as our party is concerned. Wrote to Jr. in P.M.

Victoria Thursday, July 5th

Had an easy time to-day. Went back and ran out part of the Malago River. We all had dinner at our old hacienda, laid round a couple of hours and came back to camp. Mr. Faruban has gone ahead looking up a line. We move to Wauapla Sat. Wrote to Ralph Wilder. No rain all day and I came in with dry feet for the first time.

Victorias Friday July 6th

Hot and no rain all day. Ran out two rivers just outside of town and took about a mile of topog. Gord and I had a hard time getting across a river. Floated our truck across in the umbrella. No rain for three days. Had a call from the native teacher here in the evening.

Wauapla Saturday July 7th

Working near Victorias all day. Had a fine swim in morning. Transit party about three miles ahead of us. Walked into Wauapla at night. Are staying with Ferris and have a fine new house built right out over the water so it is good and cool and no mosquitos. Much better town than Victorias. No rain to-day.

Wauapla Sunday July 8th

Laid round all the morning. In the P.M. Patsy Weston and I got a native boat and went for a sail. Calhoun and Gord got a bigger one and set out to train us. We were about two miles from shore and about a hundred yards apart when their rudder broke. While they were trying to fix it they capsized and we had the laugh on them. We sailed up to them and took off Ridrigo and went ashore for help. Another boat went out and got them off and finally got their boat ashore. Got mail from home, one letter from ____ and one from Ma saying that Pa is no better and that Dr. Carroll says he may live until August. I hadn't realized that he was so sick and can't believe that I shall never see him again. I wish I could be home. It must be a sad time for them all. I wish I could help in some way, but even now it may be too late. In the same mail Gord got a letter saying that his brother is sick in the hospital and is not expected to live. Wrote home.

Wauapla July 9th Monday

Started in as level rodman in place of Gord who took my old job as asst. top. Ran about two and a quarter miles of levels. Got word to-night that a lieut. and four privates deserted from the constabulary at Iloolo and are over here on this island looking for trouble. Rosario very sick down at Victorias. Terrific rain and thunder shower in P.M. Got soaked through and through. We are three miles behind the transit party and the going is fierce. Tall grass and deep ravines all the way.

Manapla Tuesday July 10th

Hot all day and no rain. We are getting around to the northerly end of the island where they don't have much rain. We ran two miles of levels over some of the worst country I ever saw. Covered with tall grass and large buried stumps and all full of deep ravines. Got some fine sugar at a hacienda on the way in. Mr. Farnham made the first projected location. Didn't sleep well at night, laid awake until after twelve thinking of the folks at home. Wish I could get some word from Pa.

Wednesday 11th

Fair all day. Ran 2 3/4 mi. of levels over good country and had a long walk back to camp with a good swim at the end of it. Manapla sure is a fine place.

Manapal Thursday 12th

Fair and cool all day. Leveled 90 sta. on the E. line while the transit party split up and took topog. Move camp to-morrow. Rodrigo thinks we are getting too far from home and wants to go back to Silay. A steamer stopped off here last night and an American, Mr. Johnson, who is interested in a sawmill at Cadiz came ashore and took supper with us.

Friday July 13th

In camp near the Sicabia Riv. Ran about three miles over good going. Followed the transit party all day. Moved into camp in the evening. We are in an old nipa shack out in the foot hills away from civilization. We all sleep in one room and have to eat in a tent. Quite a come down from Manapla. Had a great time in the evening dosing up the hombres. They all wanted some medicine so we filled them up with double doses of compound catliartic pills. Got mail and I got two Boston Journals of the same date (May 31st), one from Ma and one from Roy, but no letters. Found out that Dartmouth won the Worcester meet.

Sat. July 14th

Leveled across the Secabia River and about a mile besides. Ended up near camp and came in to lunch. Transit party came in too and we didn't work in the afternoon as it rained. Shack we are living in thickly peopled with chickens and lizards. Had a fine sleep all night until the rooster chorus started up about 4 A.M.

Sunday the 15th

Laid around all day telling stories and taking life easy. Read all the latest news from the States in a six week old paper. Wrote to Boston. Newpaper at a premiuim in this camp. Had a good chow at noon. Got mail at night, one letter from Ma and one from Roy both dated May 31st. Pa very low.

Monday July 16th

Fair and very windy all day. Ran 120 stations on the C-line. I fell down a gully and tore my wrist. Crossed a big ridge ahead of camp. No rain.

Tues. 17th

Ran F-line. Leveled 100 stations. Rained all day and the wind blew hard. At night it developed into a typhoon and the old shack nearly blew down. We got soaking wet and lost coming back to camp.

Wed. July 18th

Cold windy rain all day. Ran G-line, up with transit party. Ate dinner at a big hacienda and the owner trotted out refreshments and used us fine. Ran 107 stations. Calhoun went into Manapla at night. Shack nearly blew down during the night.

Thurs. July 19th

Another cold wet day. Still running on the G-line. Crossed the Sicalia River again and are looking for a place to cross the ridge ahead of camp. A typhoon came up in the afternoon, blew down trees and nearly blew camp to pieces. Quit work and came in about three in the afternoon. Feeling a little on the bum at night, headache and sore throat.

Friday July 20th

Woke up feeling on the bum. Went out on the line but had to quit and come back to camp. Lame all over and a fierce headache. Rained in the afternoon. Calhoun going to leave and is going back to the States.

Saturday 21st

Feeling a little better but didn't work. Gord came into camp sick this fornoon and the place is getting to look like a hospital. Still lame and dizzy. Didn't sleep much last night. Mr. Farnham has been away since Thurs. Looking up a line ahead. Roberts has been gone to Iloilo all the week for a blacksmith to shoe the pack ponies.

Sunday 22nd

Feeling better to-day. Laid round camp all day. Wrote to Roy. Roberts got back from Iloidlo with news of the other parties. Calhoun went to Manapla, he is going to leave some time this week. Fine day all day.

Monday 23rd

Felt better in the morning and went out on the line. Worked until about ten then had to quit and come in.

Tues. July 24th

In camp. Feeling pretty lame and weak. Move to Cadiz to-morrow. No rain.

Wed. 25th

Moved to Cadiz. Worthington and I walked over about 10 mi. and I was about all in when we got there. Living with Hughes the school teacher here in a fine house. Had a good bath in the sea. Am going to make another stab at work to-morrow. No rain.

Thursday July 26th

Started in work and stuck at it all day. Cooper had fever at noon so we got a good long rest. Party ran tow mi. and we came in in a boat. Bought 58 pineapples for 1 peso. Calhoun decided to leave in the morning and Cooper goes to Ass.t Loc. Eng. Weston gets the transit and I get topography. No rain all day.

Fri. 27th

My first day as topographer. Worked alone all day with two native assistants and took 70 stations and meandered two rivers. We got a heavy mail at night and I got two letters from Jr. one from Abbie and one from Boston. Jr.s letter dated June 14th said that Pa passed away Sunday the 10th of June.
Pleasant all day.

Sat. July 28th

Fine day all A.M. Wrote to Abbie at noon time. Had an easy run and came in by boat, got here just as the rain came down in sheets. Serenaded in the evening by an orchestra. They played "Home Sweet Home" and "Hiawatha", which has just struck this island and is very popular.