the debt and their warrant
Rizal offered his services as a military doctor in Cuba due to the throes of a revolution and the ranging yellow fever epidemic knowing from Blumentritt that there was a shortage of physicians to minister the needs of the Spanish troops and the Cuban people. Rizal wrote to Gov. General Ramon Blanco on Dec. 17, 1895 offering his services as a military doctor in Cuba. Months passed and a letter from Gov. Blanco arrived in Dapitan dated July 1, 1896 notifying him of the acceptance of his offer and at the same time to give Rizal a pass so that he could come to Manila where he would be given a safe-conduct to Spain and his medical opera- tions in Cuba. Great was Rizal's joy in receiving the news from Malacanang that at last, he was free! once more to travel to Europe and then to Cuba. From this he wrote a heart-warming poem "El Canto del Viajero" (The Song of the Traveler) which runs as follows:
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Rizal's warm friend, Dr. Blumentritt, wrote him from Bohemia, early in 1896, about an epidemic of in Cuba and the pathetic lack of doctors to attend the sick. For Rizal any call of distress was like the voice of God. This would not be running away from trouble, but going to meet need under the constant danger of contracting the fatal disease. He kept asking Governor General Blanco for permission to go to Cuba, and gave money to Josephine "so that she might be able to retire in Manila. (01) When he least expected it, the notice came that he was to become a volunteer physician in the Cuba government hospitals. (02) He was again a free man -- and again he was to become a wanderer!
It was then that he wrote (03) one of the most beautiful and heart-moving of his poems, in blank verse:
CANTO DEL VIAJERO
* THE SONG OF THE TRAVELER Like to a leaf that is fallen and withered, Tossed from the tempest from pole unto pole; Thus roams the pilgrims abroad without purpose,
*
Rizal's warm friend, Dr. Blumentritt, wrote him from Bohemia, early in 1896, about an epidemic of in Cuba and the pathetic lack of doctors to attend the sick. For Rizal any call of distress was like the voice of God. This would not be running away from trouble, but going to meet need under the constant danger of contracting the fatal disease. He kept asking Governor General Blanco for permission to go to Cuba, and gave money to Josephine "so that she might be able to retire in Manila. (01) When he least expected it, the notice came that he was to become a volunteer physician in the Cuba government hospitals. (02) He was again a free man -- and again he was to become a wanderer!
It was then that he wrote (03) one of the most beautiful and heart-moving of his poems, in blank verse:
CANTO DEL VIAJERO
* THE SONG OF THE TRAVELER Like to a leaf that is fallen and withered, Tossed from the tempest from pole unto pole; Thus roams the pilgrims abroad without purpose,