This information established a bond of friendship between the two.
"I have forgotten to take note of time, and I may be out a year or two in my reckoning," continued[p. 144] Ephraim, "but according to the best information I have this must be the year 1911."
"You are short one year; it is now 1912."
"Then let me see! We sailed from China in January, 1860; and during that same month the ship went down. From that time to the present I have no idea of what has taken place."
"Then you know nothing of the four years' war between the North and the South?"
"No; I remember there was some trouble about the slaves, or something of that sort before we left China."
"But there are no more slaves in the United States."
"You surprise me! Then they were freed by the war?"
"Yes; and Cuba is also free, and is now a republic, and the Hawaiian Islands belong to the United States, as also do the Philippines."
"That does not seem possible. Why, if I remember correctly Cuba and the Philippines belonged to Spain. When did the United States purchase them?"