hard duty as the companies in Jolo, but every three months a
company was sent to relieve one of these posts, and the relieved company
would come into Jolo, where it could have the same duty and drill that
the other companies had in Jolo. The companies at each of the three
places just mentioned were relieved every three months.

Company E, of which I was a member, went to the Astoria block house
about two months before we left Jolo and the Philippines. My company was
doing guard duty at the block house when orders were received for
recalling one battalion of the Twenty-Third Regiment, called the depot
battalion, made up of sick men and those with less than six months' more
service under their time of enlisting.

Those who had less than six months to serve were given the opportunity
to stay or to return to the United States. I was not slow to accept the
chance to return and was truly glad of the opportunity.

The transport Warren came to Jolo for the battalion on June 15th. The
transport had come by the Island of Negros and Cebu, and took on board
a battalion of soldiers who were going to return to the United States.

The "depot battalion" was made up of sick men and those who had short
times. It was several days before we left Jolo. The men who were going
as sick and disabled were examined by the physician. Those he believed
could not endure the climate long and be able for duty, he recommended
to be returned to the United States, and those who could endure the
climate and proved to be healthy, stayed, unless they were of the class
of short-time soldiers.

A man could not stand the climate of the Philippines many years unless
he was very healthy and acquainted with tropical climates.

I do not believe the Philippines are a white man's country. I have heard
doctors tell soldiers that if they stayed there, that five or six years
would be as long as they could live.

Two friends and I had decided that when we served out our time that we
would return to the United States by another route than that taken in
going over, and thus make the trip around the world. We would go through
the Mediterranean Sea to London and then to New York. But when the
orders came that we could return on the government's time, and by a
different route, we decided at once that we had seen enough of the
world, and that the route taken by the transport would be long enough
for us, and satisfy our thirst for travel.

The soldiers who had been tak