under frost, to a country like
this, where the verdure is perpetual and three crops possible, where the
rain and the sun never fail, where land is abundant and yet where
millions of hands want acres and millions of acres want hands. Heavenly
Father, what is the matter with this beautiful earth that Thou hast
made! "And, what is man that Thou art mindful of him!"

Eight o'clock in the bright morning sunshine found us at Artemisa. A
brief examination by carriage served to show us where its defences had
once been, now practically abandoned and the field of military activity
drawn to other points.

We found here a most practical mayor, with two thousand to three
thousand people about him almost entirely without food. Since November
24, until some three months ago, the Spanish government had issued small
rations to these people, but these grew less and less, and finally
stopped altogether. This small help from the government had saved the
people thus far, but they were now beginning to be dangerously hungry.
What gladness it was to feel that our provisions would fall in just in
time to save, we hoped, the greater portion of those remaining.

The district of Artemisa had originally 10,000, and the town 2000
inhabitants. Into this small number 10,000 reconcentrados had been sent.
Three thousand of these had died; some had strayed away to other places
in the hope of more food and fewer persons to eat it; 5000 still
remained. In August 770 persons died--now the death rate is 5 to 6
persons per day, or about 175 per month. We found only one hospital and
this for smallpox, far out in the fields, with forty patients. There
were three physicians who would be more than glad to make up a
hospital--if there were anything to provide it with--attend to it
personally, and find women who would care for the sick, as nurses. They
were directed to do this at once, and suitable hospital food would be
sent to them as soon as their hospital was reported ready for it. They
were also directed to gather all the sick in the outlying hovels an