U.S.S. Ohio, and would sit in a boatswain's chair, rigged between the smokestacks, and call: "Up 500, right 1,000," and so on, down through a speaking tube, which consisted of a large hose, like the most experienced Line officer.
During the first years of my Navy service, back in March 1902, I accompanied a detachment of Marines to the Asiatic station. Part of my service at that time was aboard the gunboat Frolic, a beautiful ex-yacht of about 450 tons. She was small and she rolled considerably, but we loved her. We cruised in and around the maze of 3,000 islands that choke the sea between Luzon and Sulu, on a lookout for insurrectionists and carrying mail and supplies to isolated Army and Marine posts. During that time it was part of my job to pass on the fresh foods which we bought from the natives' bancas which would put out from shore at sight of us in hopes of selling fish, vegetables, and fruits. In those days the world had only recently been made aware of the cholera germ which may lurk fatally in an innocent-looking head of crisp lettuce. All the Spartan in my make-up was required to wave away the vegetable peddlers and their wares, and all the discipline vested in me as a naval officer was needed to keep the Frolic's officers and crew, tired of their "iron rations," from bargaining for death in the shape of fresh fruits and greens.
We were ordered to survey the harbor of Maibun Bay. This is on the southern coast of the island of Sulu. The sultan lived there, and his Moros were famed throughout the Pacific for their ferocity. We had several small brushes with them. They would tear down our signals as soon as we could get them up. We then resorted to driving pipes into the ground to enable us to find our position. The pipes were as promptly dug up. Turned into bolos, probably. I was the recorder of this survey, noting every sounding and the location given me by the two midshipmen who took the angles by instruments. Rather an unusual duty for a doctor, but interesting.
