ASIA TCHY * f»-r,ij f. a TO H CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY Digitized by Microsoft® Cornell University Library E 714 .6 .D51S85 War in the Philippines and. Life and 3 1924 021 525 898 Digitized by Microsoft® This book was digitized by Microsoft Corporation in cooperation witli Cornell University Libraries, 2007. You may use and print this copy in limited quantity for your personal purposes, but may not distribute or provide access to it (or modified or partial versions of it) for revenue-generating or other commercial purposes. Digitized by Microsoft® Copyrighted by George Spiel, 1899. ADMIRAL GEORGE DEWEY Digitized by Microsoft® Capt. Simeon Dewey. (Grandfather). George Dewey at ,'.ge of 30. George Goodwin Dewey, (Son). ^m^m^^^^^^ Dr. Julius Yemans Dewey, (Father). War in the Philippines LIFE AND GLORIOUS DEEDS ADMIRAL DEWEY A THRILLING ACCOUNT OF OUR CONFLICTS WITH THE SPANIARDS AND FILIPINOS IN THE ORIENT INCLUDING THE GLORIOUS DEEDS OF THE GREAT COMMANDER THE COMPLETE STORY OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, HISTORICAL AND DESCRIPTIVE BY JOSEPH L. STICKNEY ADMIRAL DEWEY's AIDE FULLY ILLUSTRATED WITH PHOTOGRAPHS MANY OF WHICH WERE TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR DURING THE BATTLE, FROM THE BRIDGE OF THE OLYMPIA IN MANILA BAY Digitized by Microsoft® Copyrighted by JOSEPH L. STICKNEY. 1899 Digitized by Microsoft® Dedicated To The Navy of the United States BY jLt^^^M^^ i^ ^tl^L^C^ Digitized by Microsoft® Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924021525898 Digitized by Microsoft® PREFACE. In the first week of May, 1898, while the people of the United States were eagerly watching events in Cuba, while the, attention of all was turned toward the island that promised to be the focal point in the pending Spanish- American war, this message flashed across the sea from the distant islands of the Western Pacific : "Not one Spanish flag flies in Manila Bay to-day. Not one Spanish warship floats, except as our prize." The brilliant victory that Admiral Dewey won over the Spanish fleet in the Philippines aroused the United States to the highest pitch of enthusiasm. For the moment Cuba was forgotten, and all public interest was directed toward this distant fighting center. Patriotism ran high. The "stars and stripes" and Admiral Dewey's picture were everywhere displayed. Praise of the man was heard on all sides. No such deed of valor and skilled manoeuvering had been known since the days of Farragut, and for a time it was thought that the battle of Manila Bay would end the war. To-day the war is ended. Messages telling of brilliant and surpris- ing victories are no longer sent from south and east; bulletins are no longer posted in the streets ; but, while the American nation is bravely assuming the "White Man's Burden," the result of its great conquest, it becomes the part of History to commemorate the events of the war, of which the first and most decisive took place on that pleasant May morn- ing when the people of Manila and Cavite awoke to find the American squadron at their doors. It has seemed to me desirable, in this recital of the heroic deeds of a Digitized by Microsoft® 10 PREFACE. man like Dewey, to begin with a narration of that one of the incidents in his career that will be longest remembered, one that will be insep- arably linked with not only the story of his life but with the history of his country. I make no apology, therefore, for allowing the early events in Admiral Dewey's life to be placed after the great victory that has made him famous throughout the world. I have heard it called strange that no one who knew Dewey prior to the battle of Manila Bay had any presentiment that he would develop into one of the extraordinary naval commanders of modem times. There is a trite but, nevertheless, probably true saying that "the world knows nothing of its greatest men." Admiral Dewey is not an accident; he is the natural product of his own strong individuality and the system by which the officers of the navy of the United States are trained. He has passed through a school in which the necessity to act upon the in- spiration of an instant is combined with the knowledge of how to wait with infinite patience for the arrival of the right time to act. It is altogether probable that, if there had been no war with Spain, Admiral Dewey would have reached the retiring age next December without having done anything that would have made his countrymen remember him with greater interest or gratitude than they would have felt for any one of a dozen other navy officers of his time. But all his life had been a preparation for just the opportunity that came to him. When other officers of his grade were suggested for the command of the Asiatic station in the latter part of 1897, no one cared to have it. It was offered to Dewey and he accepted it — not because he fore- saw an opportunity to win fame, but because he believed an officer should always be ready for any duty that might be required of him. ; When at last the time for action drew near, he prepared for it in such a thorough manner that nothing was left to chance. Having com- pleted every preparation that forethought, skill and experience could suggest, Dewey's one object was to get within reach of the enemy at the earliest possible moment. There was where the spirit of the natural sea-fighter came out and compelled success. It is true that his squadron Digitized by Microsoft® 14>--M^^ l^ ^^ 7 Digitized by Microsoft® AGUENAIjDO, the Insar^ent Leader of the Filipinos. To his people he ranks as a Bolivar, a Toussaint. L'Ouverture or a Washington. History must decide where he is to be placed. This work includes a sketch of his life and per- sonality, with an estimate oi his character. Digitized by Microsoft© PKEFACE. 13 was much stronger than that of the Spaniards; but the difference in their merely material force cut no figure in the result. It is no exag- geration to say that if Montojo had had Dewey's fleet and if Dewey had had Montojo's, it would still have been the colors of the United States that would har" been the only ensign afloat in Manila Bay at the close of the action. It is because Admiral Dewey is a type of the American who compels and deserves the admiration of not only his own countrymen but of the people of every nation who hold dear courage and capacity, delicacy and strength, that his name will go down to posterity as one of the noblest of this century. Chicago, April, 1899. Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® Made by Tiffany & Co., New York. THE GIFT OF A NATION. The above picture is a photograph o0fl§tflAZ(©£/a&3/bAtfjbffffOSCU5^©5ngres3 to be given Admirai Dewey aS a token of the nation's gratitude. It is richly embellished with precious stones. CO Pi H < Digitized by Microsoft® ^B^B^^^^^^^^^^^^^HB ■ ^^B 9^^' ^^^H| ^1 ^H H Mr\ '1 ^^^H ■■r ^^^^^1^ ,mI ^^^^I^^H ^^^HP,' ^HBI^I^I^aHl^^^ .^^^^^H ^HH ^P^^^^^^^-<^H ^^B ^.^^^HM^^^^^^^^^I ^I^^H ^[fl^^H^^^^^H ^^^^^H ^I^MHH^HOH ■ GENERAL THOMAS ANDERSON Digitized by Microsoft® TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. Page. Commodore Dewey in Command of the Asiatic Squadron — How the Story of the "Maine" Disaster Was Obtained — Putting the Fleet in Readiness for Battle — A Race from Tokio to Join Dewey — Leaving Hong Kong in Deference to Neutrality Laws— A Rendez- vous in Mirs Bay — The Voyage to Manila — Night Drills and Emergency Calls — The Final War Council — Nearing the Day of Battle— In Manila Bay 23 CHAPTER n. THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. First Glimpse of the Enemy's Fleet at Cavite — Dewey Reserves His Fire — "You May Fire When You Are Ready, Captain Gridley" — The Story of the Conflict — That Withdrawal for Breakfast- Resuming the Attack — Dewey's OflQcial Report to the Navy De- partment — Dewey Fulfills His Instructions — How Captain Grid- ley Told the Tale — A Spanish Account of Our Victory 38 CHAPTER in. AFTER THE BATTLE. Receiving the Surrender of Cavite. Arsenal — Quibbles and Evasions to Meet — A Case for Haste — Journey to Hong Kong to Send Dis- patches — Capture of the Callao — Routine of Blockade Duty in Manila Bay — Arrival of Aguinaldo from Hong Kong — Estab- lishing a Government at Cavite — Three Important Proclamations — Filipino Victories over the Spanish — Their Treatment of Span- ish Prisoners — Insurgents In vest. Manila. 66 uigifizeaby n^crosoft® 16 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTER IV. PREPARING TO TAKE MANILA. The American People Rise to an Emergency — General Merrltt Chosen to Command an Expedition to the Philippines — Gathering an Army at San Francisco — Complications with the Germans in Manila Bay — Another Spanish Gunboat Captured — Prisoners Become a Nuisance — Arrival of Transports and Troops — First Battle Ashore — Beady to Take Manila 86 CHAPTER V. MEBRITT AND DEWEY CAPTURE MANILA. Approach of the Time when Waiting Was to End — Efforts to Obtain a Surrender Without an Engagement Fail — Story of the Battle of August 13 — Dramatic and Picturesque Features of the Assault on the Fortifications — Taking Possession of the City — The Part Played by the Navy — Captured Spanish Gunboats Distinguish Themselves — Organizing the New Regime in Manila — Waiting for the Declaration of Peace 103 CHAPTER VL ANCESTRY AND CHILDHOOD OF GEORGE DEWEY. "The Child is the Father of the Man" — Origin of the Dewey Family — Nine Generations Born in America — The Grandfather of the Admiral — Dewey's Father and His Traits — Stories of the Home Life and the Youth of the Coming Hero — Boyish Pranks and Their Punishment — A Voyage in a Buggy — School Life and Schoolmates — Appointment to the Naval Academy at Annapolis . . . 121 CHAPTER Vn. GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. Four Years in the Naval Academy at Annapolis — Incidents of Cadet Life — A Cruise on the European Station — Rapid Promotion for the Young Officer — Outbreak of the Rebellion — Executive OfiQcer Digitized by Microsoft® TABLE OF CONTENTS. 17 of the "Mississippi" — Bravery of Dewey When His Vessel Was Destroyed — Mentioned in Official Reports — Service With Far- ragut — At the Taking of Fort Fisher — What Admiral Porter Thought— The End of the War 135 CHAPTER VIII. DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. When the Civil War Ended — On the European Station — Incidents of the Cruise — ^Marriage and Bereavement of Dewey — Service in Asiatic Waters — Successive Promotions — Shore Duty in Wash- ington — Ordered to Command the Asiatic Squadron — The Thanks of the Nation — Presents and Honors — Dewey an Admiral . . 151 CHAPTER IX. THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. The Orient Always an Object of Interest and Desire — Writers of Authority on the Philippines — ^Magellan's Famous Voyage under the Flag of Spain — The Ladrones Discovered — Arrival at Min- danao — Relations with the Natives — ^Legaspi Sails from Mexico for the Philippines — The Subjugation of the Islands — Revolt and Insurrection — ^The British Invasion 167 CHAPTER X. ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. The Native Tribes of the Philippines — Islands Comprising the Group — Climatic Conditions — ^Safeguards Against Disease — Earthquakes and Volcanoes — Animal and Vegetable Life — Land and Water Reptiles — Beasts and Birds in Countless Numbers — Extensive Pearl Fisheries — Mineral Wealth of the Islands — Chinese Inter- ests in the Mines — Valuable Discoveries and Future Develop- ment 185 Digitized by Microsoft® 18 TABLE OF CONTENTS. CHAPTEE XL MANILA AND LUZON UNDER THE SPANISH REGIME. The Walls of the Ancient City — Picturesque Parks and Public Grounds — The Chinese and Their Work — Tragic Memories of the Lunetta — Beauties of the Night — Amusements of the Natives — ^Italian Opera and American Circus — Spanish Bull Fights and English Horse Races — The Hotels of the City — Native Shops and Their Keepers — ^The Town of Cavite — Steaanship Service of the Island . . 202 CHAPTER Xn. THE CENTRAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. The Visayan Archipelago — On an Island Steamer — A Typical Spanish Town — A Fort Without a Gun — Yellow Journalism in the Phil- ippines — Beautiful Women Who Smoke — Cebu and Its Commer- cial Importance — The Island of Panay — The Sulu Sea and Its j Boundaries — Primitive Modes of Life in Palawan — Among the Savage Tribes 2] 4 CHAPTER Xin. SULU AND MINDANAO, THE HOME OF THE MOROS. Origin of the Sulu Mohammedans — A War for Supremacy — Fighting the Pirates — Insurrections in the Islands — An Efiacient Governor — Where the Slave Trade Flourishes — How to Govern the Sulus — An Island Comparatively Unknown — Construction of the Native Houses — Peculiar Systems of Local Government — Hos- pitality of the F^ilipinos 232 CHAPTER XIV. , THE FILIPINOS AND THEIR CHARACTERISTICS. Savage Tribes in the Islands — The Original Inhabitants — The Com- mencement of the Insurrections — Native Weapons and How They are Used — Picturesque Dress of Men and Women — Religious Ceremonies — Beliefs of the Morros — ^Some Civilized Character- istics — A Tribe of Head Hunters — How Some of the Natives Live,. . 247 Digitized by Microsoft® TABLE OF CONTENTS. 19. CHAPTER XV. COMMERCIAL AND NATIVE INDUSTRIES. New Fields for American Enterprise — Where Rope is Made — Needs of the Hemp Growers — An Opportunity for Inventors — Magnitude of the Sugar Industry — The Tobacco Factories of Manila — In- fluence of the Chinese in Industrial Matters — Window Panes Made From Shells — The Uses of the Bamboo — Rice the Prin- cipal Article of Food — How to Reach the Islands 260 CHAPTER XVI. AGUINALDO, THE LEADER OF THE FILIPINOS. Personality and Career of the Most Notable Man in the Philippines — The Last Insurrection Against the Spanish and How It Termi- nated — Bribery and the Consequences — Varying Opinions of Aguinaldo — A Word About the American Consuls — Relations with Army and Navy — General Merritt and the Filipino Admin- istration . . • 273 CHAPTER XVIL FRICTION BETWEEN AMERICANS AND FILIPINOS. Complications Are Threatened from the Beginning — The Germans and the Insurgents — Affair of the Steamer Filipinas — Recognizing the Insurgent Flag — How Dewey Dealt with Aguinaldo — Aguin- aldo and His Forces Required to Leave Manila — Picturesque March Through the City — Filipino Congress in Session at Malolos 287 CHAPTER XVIII. PILIPmOa AND THE AMEEI.CAN GOVEElfMENT. An Appeal from the Junta Patriotica at Hong Kong to the American People — Charges of Bad Faith — General Merritt's Opinion of the Filipinos — General Otis Tries to Secure the Release of Spanish Digitized by Microsoft® 20 TABLE OF CONTENTS, Prisoners Held by the Insurgents — Our Expedition to Iloilo — President McKinley's Instructions to tlie American Authorities in Manila — A Manifesto from Aguinaldo — The Filipino Cabinet — Agoncillo in Washington — President McKinley Appoints a Commission 299 CHAPTER XIX. OUR WAR WITH THE FILIPINOS. Commencement of Hostilities Between Americans and Filipinos — The Advance of the Americans — Old Men and Children in the Trenches — Shells from Dewey's Fleet — A Filipino Proclama- tion — Manila on Fire — Cessation of Hostilities — Arrival of the Philippine Commission — The Attack on Pasig — Aguinaldo in the Trenches — Arrival of the Oregon 323 CHAPTER XX. CAMPAIGNING IN LUZON. The Fighting Continues — Burning Native Huts — Many Killed on Both Sides — The Advance on Malolos — Lawton Captures Santa Cruz — Our Men Wade Ashore Under Fire — In the Hands of the Enemy — General Lawton Evacuates the Captured Towns — General Otis' Opinion — Revival of Confidence Among the Fili- pinos 346 CHAPTER XXL THE PEACE COMMISSION MEETS HOSTILITY. The Personnel of the Commission — Proclamation to the Filipinos — As- surances of Good Will — The Supremacy of the United States to Be Enforced — Honest Civil Service Promised — Industrial Pur- suits to Be Encouraged — The Public School System — Opinions of Leading Filipinos — No Cessation of Warfare 364 Poems of Dewey and the Philippines 373 CHAPTER XXII. CONTINUATION OF THE WAR. Brave Americans Fall in Battle — The Death of Colonel Stotzenberg — Calumpit Taken — Brilliant Work of the Kansas Regiment — How Colonel Funston Swam the River — Representatives of Aguinaldo Ask a Truce — General Otis' Ultimatum — A Local Filipino Government Receives American Sanction — Natives Return to Their Homes 392 Digitized by Microsoft® LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. FAaB Frontispiece No, 1 — Admiral George Dewey. Frontispiece No. 2 — Group of Dewey, his Father, Grandfather and Son, showing four generations. The Author, Joseph L. Stickney 11 Emilio Aguinaldo 12 Dewey, Gridley and Lamberton 21 Reproduction of Eare Map 22 View of Baltimore in Action 39 View of Spanish Ships 39 View of the American Fleet 40 On Board The Olympia 40 The Spanish Cruiser Isla de Luzon 49 The Olympia at Anchor 49 Map of Manila and Surroundings 50 Map of Manila Continued 51 The Baltimore Going Into the Second Fight 52 View of a Corner of the Oavite Arsenal 52 Three Active Men — Gridley, Lamberton and Rees 61 The Olympia's Men Cheering the Baltimore During the Battle of Manila Bay 61 Cavite Arsenal Gate 62 The Wreck of the Castilla 62 After the Battle 79 Boats of the Cruiser Boston 79 The Concord 80 Damage to the Boston 80 Forward Turret of The Olympia 89 Starboard Side of The Olympia Quarterdeck 89 Headquarters of the Cavite Arsenal 90 Where the White Flag was Hoisted 90 Looting Cavite 91 Burying Spanish Dead After the Battle 91 Protecting the Ammunition 92 The Forward Turret and Bridge of The Olympia 92 The Raleigh 101 Military Mass in Dahalican 102 Digitized by Mcroso/?® 22 LIST OF ILLUSTEATIONS. After Dewey's Guns Fired 119 Filipino Intrenchments 119 A Spanish Bombardment 120 Birthplace of Admiral George Dewey 129 Admiral George Dewey's Wife (Deceased) 130 Group — Two Brothers and Sister 131 Brother's House and University Building 132 Dewey in a Runaway 141 Dewey Saving Life of Sailor 142 Dewey Leaving the Burning Mississippi 159 View in Cemetery 160 Manila Wharf 169 The Main Street in Manila 170 Gun Foundry at Manila 171 Zapote Bridge 172 Destruction Wrought by Bombardment 181 Very Deliberate and Quite Characteristic of Spain 182 Near the Philippine Islands, showing Spanish Gunboat Leyte 199 Perforated by Shells 200 Aguinaldo (taken when younger in age and experience) 200 Convent Used as a Magazine 217 A Beautiful Home and Park 218 Entrance to Cavite 235 Aguinaldo's Camp 236 Captain Charles V. Gridley (Deceased) , 253 Group of Filipino OfScers, including General Aguinaldo 254 Aguinaldo's Secretary 271 A Company of Filipino Soldiers 272 A Defense 289 Former Home of the Captain General of the Philippines 290 Red Cross Hospital in the Philippines 307 View of Cavite 308 General E. S. Otis 325 General Wesley Merritt 326 General Arthur MacArthur 343 General William Lawton 344 General Loyd Wheaton 361 General Francis V. Greene 362 General Charles King 379 View of Pasig River and Surroundings 380 Public Square and Church at Paoo 397 The Roads a Novelty to Americans 398 A Pretty Piece of Architecture 415 Country Road in the Philippine Islands 416 Digitized by Microsoft® V ft, ^ Copyrighted. 1899, bj- Joseph L. Slickney. DEWEY, GRIDLEY, LAMBERTON Commodore Dewey receiving reports from Captain Gridley and Commander Lamberton a few minutes after the fleet hauled off "for breakfast'' during the battle of Manila Bay. Back of the group is seen the chase of the after 5-inch gun, which was in the Commodore's cabin, and above that gun is a 6-pounder, protected by hammocks. Digitized by Microsoft® 3E>o toE ri '"'"■'No. S // ^. W \:^ ^U' CARTA DE LA BAH I A DE r SDS INMEDIAClONEi Levantada eo i86i D. Clai-bfo Moxtebq. 2). REPRODUCTION OF RARE MAP Taken from the chart-house of the Spanish cruiser Isla de Luzon the morning after the battle while she was still burning. It was the chart used by the navigatorof that vessel during the fight, found by Mr.' Stickney just as it had been abandoned when the ^QSl^^lSyMiSlif^SS^e. This is probably the only chart used by the Spaniards during the battle, saved from the fire that destroyed thero, after they were sunk. CHAPTER L FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. Commodore Dewey in Command of the Asiatic Squadron — How the Story of the "Maine" Disaster Was Obtained — Putting the Fleet in Readiness for Battle — A Race from Tokio to Join Dewey — Leaving Hong Kong in Deference to Neutrality Laws — ^A Rendezvous in Mirs Bay — The Voyage to Manila — Night Drills and Emergency Calls— The Final War Council — Nearing the Day of Battle — In Manila Bay. Without treating the subject in a technical way, I purpose giving an account of Commodore (now Admiral) Dewey's operations in the Phil- ippines, from the time when war with Spain was declared to the occupa- tion of the city of Manila. To most of these events I was an eye-witness, and I was in a position to learn what may be called the "inside history" of every important occurrence in the bay. Shortly after the explosion that destroyed the Maine, Commodore Dewey received orders to concentrate the Asiatic squadron at Hong Kong. Without professing to tell any state secrets, I may say that this rendezvous was made as a precautionary move in case the investiga- tion into the cause of the Maine's destruction should result in war with Spain. Accordingly the Flagship Olympia, the Boston, the Ra- leigh and the Concord, cruisers, and the gunboat Petrel, assembled in the harbor of Hong Kong before the middle of March, 1898. The Monocacy, the only remaining vessel on the Asiatic station, was left in Shanghai because she was not sufficiently seaworthy to make even a short cruise. As I was not with Commodore Dewey at this time, I can speak about his acts prior to my joining him only from information obtained from his officers; but as to its absolute accuracy there can be no question. When the news of the destruction of the Maine was received on the Asiatic station, the news agency that serves the Far East with dis- patches from the United States and Europe sent such meager and un- satisfactory reports that the officers of the squadron in Hong Kong subscribed a sufficient sum of money to have a full account cabled to Digitized by Microsoft® 24 FBOM HONG KONG TO MANILA. them. Wishing an accurate and unbiased story, they asked Col. W. L. Church, editor of the Army and Navy Journal, of New York, to send them the admitted facts concerning the disaster to the Maine, and within ten days they had all the information that wa' "^hen obtainable. Dewey's Opinion of the Maine Disaster. Commodore Dewey was too well versed in all the technical questions involved to have any doubt about the real cause of the explosion. He made all his plans upon the probability that the court of investigation would iay-lUe disaster at the door of the Spaniards and that there could be only one r^Swlt of such a finding — namely, war between the United States and Spafeh. To be ready for that emergency he made every prep- aration that skill and experience could suggest. His ships were docked, that their bottoms might be cleaned ; their bunkers were kept filled with coal; provisions were ordered in ample quantities, so that they might leave port at any time with supplies sufficient to feed the crews for ^ three months, and every piece of mechanism, whether in the propelling iinacTiinery or at the guns, was overhauled and put in complete order for effective and continuous work. As the relations between the two powers became more and more strained, the Commodore asked and ob- tltined leave to charter a supply ship and a collier. The British steamer ^gisHyp was taken for the supply vessel, and the British steamer Nanshan, iaSMfi with 3,000 tons of the best Welsh coal, was chartered as the collier. gow thoroughly Commodore Dewey made his preparations may be understood by a comparison of the dates of his movements against the Spanish farces in the Philippines. War was declared on Monday, April 25th, and on Wednesday, April 27th, he sailed for Manila, having waited two days solely on account of the coming of the United States Consul at Manila, who, he had been informed, would bring him im- portant facts concerning the Spanish fleet and the defences of Manila. It was just before this time that my own preparations to take part in the Manila campaign were made. I had gone to Japan to keep a look- out upon the British, Japanese and Russian fleets in the Far East, be- cause there were such indications of tension among the Western powers that it was desirable to be in the neighborhood of Asiatic waters for any war that might occur between Russia and Great Britain. Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. 25 Arranging to Join Dewey. Being in Tokio, Japan, I cabled to Commodore Dewey on Saturday, April 9th, as follows : "The Secretary of the Navy gives me permission to accompany your squadron to the Philippines if you do not object. May I go with you, agreeing not to send while with you any news except when approved by you? If yes, shall I come immediately? Stickney, Imperial Hotel." I received next day the following reply, dated Hong Kong : "Yes; come immediately. Dewey." On Monday, April 11th, the cruiser Baltimore, bringing ammunition for Dewey's ships, entered the harbor of Yokohama just as I was em- barking in the mail steamer China for Hong Kong, and I was thus as- sured of joining the Commodore before he sailed for the Philippines, because I knew he would wait for the Baltimore; and, as the latter was going to remain in Yokohama long enough to fill up with coal, it was a practical certainty that the China would reach Hong Kong first. I had as a shipmate in the China Captain (then Commander) B. P. Lamberton, United States Navy, who was under orders to report to Commodore Dewey, to take command of the cruiser Boston. As fog and storm de- layed the China two days over her schedule time*between Yokohama and Hong Kong, we were both seriously apprehensive that we should find our squadron gone to Mirs Bay when we reached our destination, as we had been informed in Shanghai that Commodore Dewey had already withdrawn to that bay, about thirty miles north of Hong Kong — in- formation which we found to be incorrect. The First Sight of War Preparations. Entering the harbor of Hong Kong in a moderate gale after night- fall on Thursday, April 21st, the China was obliged to anchor below Lye Moon Pass, far down the bay, and we were unable to learn whether or not our ships were in the harbor; but, as we went to the China's moor- ing buoy at daylight next morning and the long stretch of the man-of- war anchorage opened into view, we saw seven grim vessels moored in line, apart from the white painted hulls of the British squadron. And simultaneously the same thought flashed through our minds, and to- Digitized by Microsoft® 26 FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. gether we cried: "They're grey! They're grey! This means war!" For, instead of the brilliant white, that had made our ships such con- spicuous features of the Yokohama harbor, when I had last seen them there, every one wore a garb of olive grey — the recognized war paint of the navy. But we were in time for the battle, and our hearts were glad. And presently, through the fog-laden atmosphere that obscured the view of the lower bay, we saw a great white ship forge into the harbor flying the "stars and stripes" and making signals to the Olympia. It was the Baltimore, just arriving from Yokohama. The curtain was about to rise on a war drama of which all the world was to furnish the spectators. Events began to move fast enough now. The Baltimore had been lying in Honolulu a long time, and her bottom was covered with seaweed and barnacles to such an extent as to reduce her speed very seriously. In preparation for her arrival, therefore, permission had been obtained to dock this fine cruiser as soon as she reached Hong Kong, and before sunrise next morning she was floated into dock at Kowloon, just across the harbor. The forethought which Commodore Dewey showed in laying his plans was equalled only by the rapidity with which he and his subordinates executed them. The English navy officers, who have a pretty good reputation for skill in the management of ships and seamen, were surprised at the prompt handling of the Baltimore and the amount of work done by her men. On Sunday, April 23d, she came out of dock, her bottom cleaned and coated with anti-fouling com- pound and her upper hull repainted with the war color of bluish grey. From Hong Kong to Manila. Acting Governor Black issued a proclamation Saturday evening in which he announced the neutrality of Great Britain and laid down the rules which the warships of the United States and Spain would have to obey in Hong Kong waters. In accordance therewith Commodore Dewey sent most of his squadron out of the harbor on Sunday, and all the American cruisers were anchored in Mirs Bay on Monday, April 24th. The Commodore was all ready for action that day, but he wished to await the arrival of the United States consul at Manila, Mr, O. F. Williams, who was then on his way from Manila to Hong Kong. Commodore Dewey's orders When he sailed from Mirs Bay were brief Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONC^ KONG TO MANILA. 27 but explicit. He was instructed to proceed to the Philippine Islands and do his utmost to capture or destroy the Spanish naval force in those waters. During the battle in which he completely accomplished the task set him he kept those orders so literally in mind that, for a long time after the Spanish batteries had begun to show that they could do better shooting than was being done by the Spanish cruisers, the Com- modore refused to turn any of his fire upon them. "We'll sink the ships first," he said, "and then we'll finish off the shore guns." Augustin's Bombastic Froclamation. One of the curiosities of the day was the issuance by Captain-General Augustin of a proclamation concerning the coming of our fleet. It was couched in such extravagant and absurd language that many people refused to believe that it was really issued by the Spanish commander- in-chief. Having obtained a copy of the Spanish newspaper in Manila in which it was officially published, I present herewith, in fac-simile, that part of the paper containing it, with a translation into English. ESP ANGLES: EXTRAGRDINARY PRGCLA- MATIGN BY THE GGV- Entre Espana y los Estados- ERNOR-GENERAL GF Unidos de la America del Norte THE PHILIPPINES. se han roto las hostilidades. Llego el momento de demostrar "Spaniards. — al mundo que nos sobran alientos "Between Spain and the United para veneer 4 los que, fingi^ndose States of North America hostilities amigos leales, aprovecharon nues- have broken out. tras desgracias y explotaron nues- "The moment has arrived to tra hidalgula utilizando medios prove to the world that we possess que las naciones cultas reputan the spirit to conquer those who, por reprobados 6 indignos. jretending to be loyal friends, take El pueblo norte-americano, advantage of our misfortunes and formado por todas las excrecencias abuse our hospitality, using means sociales, agot6 nuestra paciencia y which civilized nations count un- ha provocado la guerra con sus worthy and disreputable. Digitized by Microsoft® 28 FEOM HONG KONG TO MANILA. p^rfidas maquinaciones, con sus actos , de deslealtad, con sus atentados al derecho de gentes j a las convenciones internacionales. La lucha ser4 breve y decisiva. El Dios de las victorias nos la con- cedera tan brillante j completa como demandan la raz6n y la justicia de nuestra causa. Espana, que cuenta con las simpatias de todas las Naciones, saldri triun- fante de esta nueva prueba, humi- Uando y haciendo enmudecer k los aventureros de aquellos Estados que, sin cohesi6n y sin historia, solo ofrecen k la humanidad tradi- ciones vergonzosas y el espectdculo ingrato de unas Camaras en que aparecen unidas la procacidad y la difamacion, la cobardia y el cinismo. Una escuaara, tripulada por gentes advenedizas, sin instruc- cion ni disciplina, se dispone k venir k este archipi^lago con el descabellado prop6sito de arreba- taros cuanto significa vida, honor y libertad. Pret^ndese inspirar a los marinos norte-americanos el coraje de que son incajjaces, en- comend^ndolcs, como realizable empresa, la de sustituir con el pro- testantismo la religi6n cat61ica que profesais, trataros como tribus refractarias k la civilizaci6n, apoderarse de vuestras riquezas como si OS fuese desconocido el derecbo de propiedad, arrebataros, "The North American people, constituted of all the social ex- cresences, have exhausted our pa- tience and provoked war with their perfidious machinations, with their acts of treachery, with their outrages against the law of nations and international conven- tions. "The struggle will be short and decisive. The God of Victories will give us one as brilliant and com- plete as the righteousness and jus- tice of our cause demand. Spain, which counts upon the sympathies of all the nations, will emerge tri- umphantly from this war test, humiliating and blasting the ad- venturers from those States that, without cohesion and without a history, offer to humanity only in- famous traditions and the ungrate- ful spectacle of Chambers in which appear united insolence and defa- mation, cowardice and cynicism. A Very Bad Lot, These Americans. "A squadron manned by for- eigners, possessing neither instruc- tion nor discipline, is. preparing to come to this archipelago with the ruffianly intention of robbing us of all that means life, honor, and liberty. Pretending to be inspired by a courage of which they are in- capable, the North American sea- men undertake as an enterprise capable of realization the substitu- Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONG KONG TO MAJ^ILA. 29 en fin, las personas que consideren utiles para tripular sus barcos 6 ser explotadas en faenas agricolas 6 trabajos industriales. iVanos prop6sitos! j Eidlculos alardes ! Vuestra indomable bravura basta d impedir que osen intentar siquiera realizarlos. No consen- tir^is, no, que se escarnezca la f^ que profesais, ni que plantas im- plas hollen el templo del Dios ver- dadero, ni que la incredulidad der- roque las santas imdgenes que adorais; no profanaran los agre- sores las tumbas de Tuestros pa- dres: no satisfardn sus imptidicas pasiones d costa del honor de vues- tras esposas € hijas; no os arreba- tardn los bienes que vuestra virtud acumul6 para asegurar vuestra vida; no realizardn, no, ninguno de esos crimenes acariciados por su maldad y su codicia, porque vuestro valor y vuestro patriotismo bastan para escarmentar y abatir al pueblo que, llamdndose civiliza- do y culto, emplea el exterminio con los indlgenas de la America del Norte sin procurar atraerlos k la vida de la civilizaci6n y del pro- greso. I Filipinos! preparaos k la lucha, y unidos cuantos cobija la gloriosa bandera espanola, siem- pre cubierta de laureles, peleemos con el convencimiento de que la victoria coronard nuestros esfuer- tion of Protestantism for the Cath- olic religion you profess, to treat you as tribes refractory to civiliza- tion, to take possession of your riches as if they vi^ere unac- quainted vi^ith the rights of prop- erty, and to kidnap those persons whom they consider useful to man their ships or to be exploited in agricultural or industrial labor. "Vain designs! Eidiculous boastings ! "Your indomitable bravery will suffice to frustrate the attempt to carry them into realization. You will not allow the faith you pro- fess to be made a mock of impious hands to be placed on the temph; of the true God, the images you adore to be thrown down by un- belief. The aggressors shall not profane the tombs of your fathers, they shall not gratify their lustful passions at the cost of your wives' and daughters' honoii, or appro- priate the prbperty that your in- dustry has accumulated as a pro- vision for your old age. No, they shall not perpetrate any of the crimes inspired by their wicked- ness and covetousness, because your valor and patriotism will suffice to punish and abase the people that, claiming to be civil- ized and cultivated, have extermi; nated the natives of North Ameri- ca instead of bringing to them the life of civilization and of progress. Digitized by Microsoft® 30 FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. zos y contestemos k las intima- "Philipinos, prepare for the clones de nuestros enemigos con la struggle and, united under the decision del cristiano y del patrio- glorious Spanish flag, which is ta al grito de iVivaEspana! ever covered with laurels, let us Manila, 23 de Abril de 1898. fight with the conviction that vic- Vuestro General, tory will crown our efforts, and to Basilio Augustin y Davila. the calls of our enemies let us op- pose with the decision of the Christian and the patriot the cry of 'Viva Espana.' "Manila, 23d April, 1898. "Your General, "Basilio Augustin Davila." About noon on Wednesday the consul reached Mirs Bay, and prompt- ly the signal was made : "Get under way." . During the time since it had become apparent that war was inevitable the squadron had been engaged in preparations for an immediate fight, and the signal was answered with an alacrity that showed how welcome was the order to the ships^ companies. At two o'clock the flagship Olympia led the way out of Mirs Bay, followed by the Baltimore, the Raleigh, the Petrel, the Concord and the Boston, in the order named, while in a separate line were the dispatch-boat McCuUoch, the Zafiro and the Nanshan. The slow speed of eight knots was set by the flagship, because the colliers were deeply laden, and it was not wise to push them to their best speed in the long, moderate sea then running. The course was laid for Cape Bolinao, near the northern end of the island of Luzon, and we ran out of the ground swell before Thursday night, although there was still enough motion on the smaller ships to keep their decks wet and far from comfortable. Wednesday midnight the Commodore waked the boys up with a call to "quarters for action," just to see how quickly they could get their ships ready to meet the enemy. As the rapid and stirring notes of the bugle rang through the Olympia, followed by the hoarse call of the boatswain's mates, the silent beehive was instantaneously transformed into a scene of the greatest activity. The watch already on deck promptly began to clear the bat- tery for service. The watch below, roused out of their early sleep, quickly dropped from their hammocks or sprang from the deck where Digitized by Microsoft® FEOM HONG KONG TO MANILA. 31 they had been sleeping and hustled into their clothes. Soon they began appearing on the upper deck, each carrying two hammocks, to be stowed in the nettings or packed around the small rapid-fire pieces as a pro- tection against musketry. A Test of Readiness for Battle. The sea fastenings of the guns were hastily cast loose, the training levers shipped, the sights uncovered, the elevating screws worked and the sponge and rammer placed ready for use. In the powder division the magazines were opened, the hatches of the shell rooms taken off, the electric battle lanterns turned on and put in their proper places, the division tubs filled with water and the ammunition hoists set at work whipping up powder and shell. The master's division went to the wheel and the lead, hung up the battle lanterns and swiftly swung the search lights around to be sure that they were in easy working condition. The signalmen cleared away the Ardois lights and got out the Coston signals, ready to communicate with the other ships of the fleet as occa- sion might require. The engineer's division gathered at their stations in the fire rooms and engine rooms, ready to fire up under all boilers and put on any pressure of steam up to the maximum limit as called upon, at the same time closing the watertight compartment doors aM starting the forced-draft air blowers. Throughout the ship there was continuous movement and preparation, carried forward in silence and generally in darkness, the only noises being those caused by the working of the machinery and the guns. Suddenly, out of the silent gloom, the voice of the executive officer. Lieutenant Eees, was heard: "Man the starboard battery! Pivot to starboard!" The heavy turrets swung around on their centers till their guns pointed off to starboard, and the men quickly took their places at the guns on the starboard side of the ship. When each division officer had satisfied himself that not one small detail of preparation had been overlooked, he went to the upper deck where the executive officer was standing and reported his division. The ship's writer, acting as clerk for the executive — in the absence of naval cadets in the Olympia — took note of the time when each division officer made his report, thus keeping a record by which the captain could judge the promptitude of his crew in all its departments. Digitized by Microsoft® 32 FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. Spirited Work on the Olympia. In just seven minutes from the first note on the bugle, Lieutenant Kees reported to the captain: "The ship is cleared for action, sir," A rapid drill at the guns — "going through the motions" of loading and firing at an imaginary enemy, first on one side and then on the other — kept the men on the jump for twenty minutes, and then came the order: "Secure!" With a rapidity like to that with which the guns had been cast loose, the crew returned to the magazines and shell-rooms the ammunition that had been brought on deck, replaced the temporary fittings that had been removed and secured the guns for sea. Again the division officers had a brisk rivalry to be first in reporting their divisions secured, and when they had made their reports the executive officer sent word to the captain, "All secure, sir." This was followed by "Retreat!" sounded on the bugle, and the men left their battle sta- tions to resume the usual routine of the night watches. During the slow run across the China Sea, the men in our ships were exercised in all the duties pertaining to battle except the actual firing of the guns. There was never a moment after the time the "hands were turned to" — the navy phrase that indicates the waking up of every one aboard and the stowing of all hammocks in the nettings — when the crews were not busy about something that would be of use to them in the fight that was now so near at hand. When twilight hour came it was a fairly well tired-out lot of jackies that carried their hammocks be- low to get a night's rest, broken, of course, by the regular sea watches. Fatriotic Music at Sea. At the hour when the officers dined in the evening the band mus- tered on the deck just forward of the Commodore's cabin and played popular airs, the selections being made usually from the light comic operas and stirring march movements of favorite composers; but on Thursday, the day after leaving Mirs Bay, Bandmaster Valifuoco select- ed the music with special reference to rousing the patriotism of the "boys in blue," choosing many of the airs that had been popular in the north during our civil war. These were all favorably received, but it Avas not till the band struck up "Yankee Doodle" that the boys cheered. When the concert closed with "The Star Spangled Banner," the voices Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. 33 of at least fifty men took up the words of each verse, the young ap- prentices being particularly noticeable in the lead, and the chorus spread through the ship from forecastle to cabin with an enthusiasm that carried with it the hearts of all on board. Land was sighted Saturday morning, April 30th, the squadron hav- ing arrived off Cape Bolinao, near the north end of the Island of Luzon. That forenoon the Boston and the Concord were sent ahead of the rest of the fleet to enter Subig Bay, which is about thirty miles north of the entrance to Manila Bay. As it was thought that perhaps the Spanish squadron might have moved up to this bay, the Baltimore was sent to reinforce the other two vessels a little before noon. As the remaining ships came down the coast at easy speed, several small schooners were sighted along the shore and the Commodore or- dered the Zafiro to overhaul one of them to see whether she could give us news concerning the Spanish defences at Manila. When the Zafiro returned from this duty signal was made to her to come within hail of the flagship. Her captain, misgauging his speed as he came close alongside the Olympia, shot ahead and then made the mistake of putting his helm the wrong way. In consequence, the Zafiro swung straight across the flagship's bows, and a collision seemed inevitable. Lieu- tenant Strite, the officer of the deck — that is, the ofiicer having charge of the handling of the Olympia during that watch— was equal to the emergency. He quickly put the Olympia's helm over also, and the two vessels glided past each other without touching. As the Olympia's bow just cleared the Zafiro's stern by a distance of not more than three or four feet, the Commodore said to Captain Gridley : Commodore Dewey's Way. "Who has the deck. Captain Gridley?" and then, when informed, he added: "Give my compliments to Lieutenant Strite and tell him that I noticed and appreciated his coolness and skill in handling the ship so as to avoid a collision." It was not a matter of much moment in itself, since Strite did no more than his duty, but the incident was illustrative of Dewey's way of dealing with his officers. When we arrived off the entrance to Subig Bay, early in the after- noon, the Boston, the Baltimore and the Concord came out of the bay Digitized by Microsoft® 34 FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. and reported that the Spaniards had neither ships nor shore guns in the harbor. Our course for Manila was resumed. Now the final prep- arations for battle were made. All woodwork that could be removed without injury to the working of the vessels was thrown overboard, and it was interesting to see the men coming on deck in a steady stream, carrying in their arms tables, chairs, doors and bulkheads, which they would pitch into the sea as though they were enjoying the opportunity to dismantle the interior of their ship. In fact, the seamen were glad to get rid of everything that might endanger their lives by fire. In the Olympia the men had a number of board tables, made to swing from the beams above the berth deck, upon which they served their meals. The executive officer gave an order that these mess-tables should be "put over the side," meaning that they should be hung outside the ship by ropes in a position where, even if they should catch on fire, they would endanger nothing else. But the seamen chose to interpret the order to mean that the tables should go overboard, and the result was that, after the battle, the jackies had to eat either standing or lying down, since they had no tables. Giving His Captains Their Final Orders. A few miles north of the entrance to Manila Bay, Commodore Dewey stopped his flagship and made signal for commanding officers to repair on board. When every gig had been called away, and the captain of each ship was steering in solitary state toward the Olympia, no one needed to be told that we were on the eve of battle. "They're comin'," said one of the old seamen, "to hear the 'old man's' last word before we go at the Dons." "Not his last word," said one of the younger men. "Perhaps not his," was the reply, "but it's near our last words some of us are. There'll be many an eye will look at that sunset to-night that'll never see another." But such prophets of sorrow were rare. As a rule our men went into the action of Manila Bay with their minds more set upon reveno-e than foreboding. The sun went down on a sea as calm as if storm were unknown the deep sapphire surface being unruffled by even a ripple. Heaps of clouds in the southeast were colored in all the gorgeous pageantry of a tropical Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONG EONG TO MANILA. 35 brilliancy, and some of the more imaginative minds were able to see cloud-shapes that resembled the Maine. The war council was of short duration. Commodore Dewey had de- cided on his plans before it met, and he took little time in giving to each captain his duties for the night and next day. By seven o'clock the gigs were all hoiked at their davits, the flagship was again under way, and long before dark every vessel had taken her station, ready to run by the batteries at the mouth of the bay or to fight her passage, as circumstances might require. Aside from one light at the very stem of each ship, intended as a guide for the next in line, not a glimmer was to be seen aboard any craft in the fleet. As I looked astern from the Olympia's taffrail, I could just get a faint suggestion of a ghostly shape where the Baltimore grimly held her course on our port quarter, while the Ealeigh, somewhat further away on our starboard quarter, could be seen by only the sharpest eyes when the moon was wholly unob- scured by cloud. Entering Manila Bay. The Commodore decided to waste no time in useless delay; but, re- gardless of hidden mines and shore batteries, led the way into the harbor. With all lights out, and the crews at the guns, the warships in their grey war paint turned silently toward the Boca Grande, the larger entrance to the bay, the flagship, Olympia, leading. Following closely, in the order that was retained during the battle of the suc- ceeding day, came the Baltimore, the Kaleigh, the Petrel, the Concord, and the Boston. As the fleet approached the entrance it moved as slowly as was compatible with keeping the formation of the line. Half of the crew of each gun were allowed to sleep alongside their stations in order that they might be better fitted for what was to come. Ex:cept for the sleep- less eye on the bridge of the Olympia, and the alert gaze of the officers on watch, the ships seemed to slumber, as did the city and the forts. It was at 9 :45 o'clock that the men were, sent to their guns, but there was little needed in the way of preparation for battle. On the shore north of the other channel — Boca Chica, as it is named — ^we had seen a bright light, but there was no stir perceptible to indicate that we had been discovered by the Spaniards. Opposite the middle of Oorregidor— Digitized by Microsoft® 36 FEOM HONG KONG TO MANILA. the island that lies in the entrance to the bay — another light now began to flash at intervals, as if making signals, and soon the flight of a rocket from this island told us that we had been discovered. "We ought to have a shot from Corregidor very soon now," said the Commodore; and having been already sighted, our ships were permitted to increase their speed to eight knots. The Olympia could have moved at a 15-knot gait without any unusual effort, and all the warships could have made about twelve knots; but it would not have been safe for the fighting craft to run away from the non-combatant column led by the revenue cutter McCulloch, and as the Nanshan and the Zafiro were not capable of doing much better than eight knots that speed was never exceeded. Into the yawning blackness between Corregidor and the lone rock that is called El Fraile — the Monk — we passed, and still no hostile demonstration from the Spanish guns and torpedoes. The moon was now hidden in the western clouds, and the solemn stillness of the Olympia, as we steamed along in the complete darkness, made the passage of the entrance probably the most oppressive time of our whole operations. The First Shot from the Spaniards. On, on crept the mighty engines of war, but the batteries on shore gave no sign. Suddenly when the flagship had passed a mile beyond Corregidor Island, a gun boomed out, and a shell went screaming over the Raleigh and the Olympia, soon followed by a second. Three ships, the Ealeigh, the Concord and the Boston, replied, apparently with effect, for the firing ceased, and again the batteries lay silent. As Commodore Dewey had planned, the fleet arrived within five miles of Manila at daybreak. What must have been the astonishment in the Spanish lines when the sun rose, and they looked out on the Ameri- can ships that had come in during the night! While, as yet, the fleet retained the appearance of calm that had characterized its approach, now many eyes on board lighted with the fire of war, as they sighted the Spanish fleet, under command of Eear Admiral Montojo, lying off Cavite, and realized that the battle was at hand. During most of the battle the Spanish vessels' were moving about at full speed. The Spaniards had a well equipped navy yard called Cavite Arsenal, which had put the ships in first-rate fighting trim, and Digitized by Microsoft® FROM HONG KONG TO MANILA. 37 on Sangley Point they had two strong batteries containing three 6.2-inch and one 4.7-inch guns; so that, when we take into account the advantages that the Spaniards had in position, in their opportunities to lay mines, and in their knowledge of the bay, it may be seen that it was no trifling task that confronted the fleet. With the American flag flying from all mastheads, the ships moved on. No excitement was visible; the quiet man on the bridge of the Olympia was as unmoved, apparently, as though he were sailing into a peaceful harbor. For the first time in many years the stars and stripes were being borne aggressively into a foreign port. It was an epoch in history. The rapid changes of scene and the whole picturesque effect was something never to be forgotten. The underlying meaning of it all was too great to be readily understood. Nineteenth century civili- zation and fifteenth century medisevalism lay confronting each other. Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER n. THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. First Glimpse of the Enemy's Fleet at Cavite — Dewey Reserves His Fire — "You May Fire When You Are Ready, Captain Gridley" — The Story of the Conflict — That Withdrawal for Breakfast — Resuming the At- tack — Dewey's Official Report to the Navy Department — Dewey Fulfills His Instructions — How Captain Gridley Told the Tale — A Spanish Account of Our Victory. As the ships passed in front of Manila, action was begun by the Spaniards. Three batteries, mounting guns powerful enough to send shells to the distance of five miles, opened fire. The Concord replied, but Commodore Dewey, after two shots, made signal to stop firing, since there was danger of the shells carrying destruction and death into the crowded city beyond. . At six minutes past five o'clock, when nearing Oavite, there was a splash and roar, and two great jets of water were thrown high in air ahead of the flagship. The fleet had come upon the first of the sub- marine mines. Of course it was possible and probable that the whole harbor was filled with torpedoes. At any moment they were liable to explode beneath the ships; but Commodore Dewey had foreseen this when he entered the bay, and it ,did not now cause him to change his plans. Moreover, he had fought with Farragut at New Orjeans and at Mobile, and submarine mines had no termors for him. Contrary to ex- pectation no more mines exploded, and it is believed that no others had been placed by the Spaniards. We regarded these explosions as a sort of "blufE," intended to make us imagine that there might be other mines in front of Cavite. "They ain't so good at blowing up ships that come with their fighting clothes on as they are at murdering a crew in time of peace," said one of the Olympia's petty officers, as he saw the column of water and smoke subsiding ahead of us; and this reference to the Maine showed what was uppermost in the minds of our men as they were moving on for their first chance to avenge the crime perpetrated in Havana last February. Digitized by Microsoft® ;.. \ "''t ^HH -^ h ' '■^P v.^'.ri'y j , ■■ I'fl * V'-'v;« ': . . : :,;^ J 'v>;^j^n| '';'^; i^^H {..ySllliml J ^jflHHBHHHHHI X I ^ 0) j^ C C3 o o [/I '3 rl -i-> (1) >. >. ^ o bo M -d ° ,, !=> 2 rt o n ^-i i^ a rn cil Cl) rt T K a < z 1 1 ( ) cS tp U O o ■d rl <: _s z £ .9 1 — 1 "3 Oh a o w m 5 o 0) PQ o 0) S ^ ^ O o > o '3 a! W ■a ^ OJ ^ -a t— 1 > H s bo „ Digitized by Microsoft® < Oh o W X h Q < O CQ 2 O 2 & ^ .s- a O IS cc "cD w o M H -1 re c/1 •s S Z a O .C < >. 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He knew the exact distance to Manila and the speed his squadron would make; hence, on the afternoon of our sailing from Mirs Bay, he told me that the battle would take place on Sunday, May 1st. How the Admiral Appointed His Aide As a non-combatant, I felt that I had a right to no privileges except those granted me by the Admiral. On Saturday I asked him if I might be allowed a position on the forward bridge, if a battle should be fought. He answered: "I think you'll be satisfied." After the council of war, when the officers had returned to their respective ships, he sent for me to come to the quarter deck, and said: "Mr. Stickney, Mr. Caldwell [his naval secretary] has volunteered for duty at the guns, and I have decided to appoint you my aide. You will take station with me on the forward bridge." He paused and then added with a quizzical twinkle in his eye: "Satisfied?" During the first hour of the fight, as I stood near him on the bridge, I saw a torpedo boat come creeping out from behind Sangley Point and called his attention to her. "You look after her," he answered; "I have no time to bother with torpedo boats. Let me know when you've finished her." " Her commander must have been ignorant of modern guns or utterly indifferent to death, for not till twice hit by the secondary battery, did this daring craft turn back and reach the beach just in time to save her crew from drowning. In a case where every vessel was as efficient as were the American ships during the battle of Manila, it is difficult to draw distinctions, but when they passed each other close aboard, after the action, the heartiest cheers, after those for the Commodore, were those given for the little Petrel. Digitized by Microsoft® 54 THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. Casualties of the Battle. The only Americans wounded were on board the Baltimore — eight in number, all slightly, except two men, each of whom had a leg broken. As each captain reported on the flagship, he was eagerly asked: "How many killed?" And while each man could not conceal his satisfaction at the condition of his ship and crew, he was also desirous that this should be understood to be no proof that he had not been in danger. It was feared that some casualties might have taken place on the Boston, as she had been on fire, but her report was equally satisfactory, and the men on the Olympia cheered loudly. Nevertheless, there was great suffering among our men during the fight, owing to the terrific heat, and some of those shut up below would undoubtedly have succumbed had it not been for the excitement of battle. In the arsenal grounds a number of bodies of Spaniards were found unburied on Monday morning. A Roman Catholic priest was called in to read the burial service. The bodies presented a horrible sight. The head of one had been almost wholly carried away by a shell. Another -had been struck in the stomach by a large projectile which had cut everything away to the backbone. One very large man, apparently an officer, was not only mangled but swollen out of all proportion to his real size. To add to the horror several lean, wolf -like dogs had already visited the scene. The victory in Manila Bay was one of the most remarkable in the history of the world. Not an American was killed, and at night, after the battle, every American ship was fit to go into a similar action on the succeeding day. The result was almost incomprehensible, but it is probably what may be expected in all the affairs of life, where coolness and wisdom hold the balance against bravado and inefficiency. Admiral Dewey's Official Eeport. The following is the account of the battle of Manila sent by Admiral Dewey to the navy department at Washington. It was not made public until June 14th: "Flagship Olympia, Cavite, May 4, 1898. "The squadron left Mirs Bay on April 27th. Arrived off Bolinao on the morning of April 30th, and, finding no vessels there, proceeded down Digitized by Microsoft® THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. 55 the coast and arrived off the entrance to Manila Bay on the same after- noon. The Boston and Concord were sent to reconnoitre Port Subig. A thorough search of the port was made by the Boston and the Con- cord, but the Spanish fleet was not found. "Eiitered the south channel at half -past eleven p. m., steaming in column at eight knots. After half the squadron had passed, a battery on the south side of the channel opened fire, none of the shots taking effect. The Boston and the Concord returned the fire. The squadron proceeded across the bay at slow speed, arrived off Manila at daybreak, and was fired upon at a quarter past five a. m. by three batteries at Manila and two near Oavite, also by the Spanish fleet anchored in an approximately east and west line across the mouth of Bakor Bay, with their left in shoal water in Canacao Bay. "The squadron then proceeded to the attack, the flagship Olympia, under my personal direction, leading, followed at a distance by the Baltimore, the Ealeigh, the Petrel, the Concord and the Boston, in the order named, which formation was maintained throughout the action. The squadron opened fire at nineteen minutes of six a. m. While ad- vancing to the attack two mines exploded ahead of the fiagship too far to be effective. "The squadron maintained a continuous and precise fire, at ranges varying from 5,000 to 2,000 yards approximately parallel to that of the S'panish fleet. The enemy's fire was vigorous but generally ineffective. "Early in the engagement, two launches put out toward the Olympia with the apparent intention of using torpedoes. One was sunk and the other disabled by our fire and beached before an opportunity occurred to fire torpedoes. Driving the Reina Cristina Back. "At seven a. m. the Spanish flagship, Reina Cristina, made a des- perate attempt to leave the line and come out to engage at short range, but was received with such galling fire, the entire battery of the Olympia being concentrated upon her, that she was barely able to return to the shelter of the point. Fires started in her by our shells at this time were not extinguished until she sank. "The three batteries at Manila had kept up a continuous fire from the ■ beginning of the engagement, which fire was not returned by this Digitized by Microsoft® 56 THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. squadron. The first of these batteries was situated on the south mole head, at the entrance to the Pasig Eiver; the second, on the south bastion of the walled city of Manila, and the third at Malate, about one- half mile further south. "At this point I sent a message to the Governor-General to the effect that if the batteries did not cease firing the city would be shelled. This had the effect of silencing them. "At twenty-five minutes to eight su m. I ceased firing and withdrew the squadron for breakfast. At sixteen minutes past eleven a. m. re- turned to the attack. By this time, the Spanish flagship and almost the entire Spanish fleet were in flames. "At half-past twelve p. m. the squadron ceased firing, the batteries being silenced and the ships sunk, burnt and deserted. At twenty min- utes to one p. m. the squadron returned and anchored off Manila, the Petrel being left behind to complete the destruction of the smaller gun- boats, which were behind the point of Cavite. This duty was per- formed by Commander E. P. Wood in the most expeditious and com- plete manner possible. Vessels Lost by the Enemy. "The Spanish lost the following vessels: Sunk, Keina Cristina, Gas- tilla, Don Antonio de Ulloa. Burnt, Don Juan de Austria, Isla de Luzon, Isla de Cuba, General Lezo, Marques del Duero, El Correo, Velasco and Isla de Mindanao (transport). Captured, Rapido and Her- cules (tugs) and several small launches. "I am unable to obtain complete accounts of the enemy's killed and wounded, but believe their losses to be very heavy. The Reina, Cristina alone had 150 killed — including the captain — and ninety wounded. "I am happy to report that the damage done to the squadron under my command was inconsiderable. There were none killed, and only seven men in the squadron very slightly wounded. "Several of the vessels were struck, and even penetrated, but the damage was of the slightest, and the squadron is in as good condition now as before the battle, "I beg to state to the department that I doubt if any commander- in-chief was ever served by more loyal, efficient and gallant captains than those of the squadron now under my command. Digitized by Microsoft® THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. 57 "Captain Frank Wildes, commanding the Boston, volunteered to re- main in command of his vessel, although his relief arrived before leaving Hong Kong. Assistant Surgeon Kindleberger, of the Olympia, and Gunner J. C. Evans, of the Boston, also volunteered to remain after orders detaching them had arrived. The Commodore's Staff. "The conduct of my personal staff was excellent. Commander B. P. Lamberton, chief of staff, was a volunteer for that position, and gave me most excellent assistance, and Lieutenant Brumby, flag lieutenant, and Ensign W. P. Scott, aide, performed their duties as signal officers in a highly creditable manner. "The Olympia being short of officers for the battery. Ensign H. H. Caldwell, flag secretary, volunteered for and was assigned to a sub- division of the 5-inch battery. "Mr. J. L. Stickney, formerly an officer in the United States navy, and now correspondent for the New York Herald, volunteered for duty as my aide and rendered valuable services. "I desire specially to mention the coolness of Lieutenant O. G. Calkins, the navigator of the Olympia, who came under my personal observation, being on the bridge with me throughout the entire action, and giving the ranges to the guns with an accuracy that was proven by the excellency of the firing. "On May 2, the day following the engagement, the squadron again went to Cavite, where it remains. "On the 3d the military forces evacuated the Cavite arsenal, vrhich was taken possession of by a landing party. On the same day the Ea- leigh and Baltimore secured the surrender of the batteries on Oorregidor Island, paroling the garrison and destroying the guns. On the morning of May 4 the transport Manila, which had been aground in Bakor Bay, was towed off and made a prize." Captain Gridley's Account of the Battle. Below is a short account of the Battle of Manila, given by Captain Gridley of the flagship Olympia, who bore a conspicuous part in the battle, and died about a month afterward. Digitized by Microsoft® 58 THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. "My Dear Mother: "Excuse pencil, but I am writing on the deck aft, under the awning, and ink is not handy. Well, we have won a splendid victory over the Spaniards. We left Hong Kong on April 25, Mirs Bay, April 27, and arrived off Manila Bay at midnight on April 30. We steamed in with our lights all out, and by daylight we were off Manila, where we found the Spanish fleet, or rather, at Cavite, seven miles from Manila. We attacked them at once, the Olympia leading, and, being flagship, she was of course the principal target, but we (our fleet) were too much for them, and after fighting two and a half hours, hauled off for breakfast, giving them another hour of it afterward. We succeeded in burning, sinking and destroying their entire force. They were also assisted by shore batteries. Their loss was very heavy, one ship, the Castilla, losing 130 killed, including the captain. "And now as to ourselves. We did not lose a man in our whole fleet, and had only six wounded, and none of them seriously. It seems a miracle. Everybody fought like heroes, as they are. The Olympia was struck seven or eight times, but only slightly injured, hardly worth speaking of. "Stickney, New York Herald correspondent, and a former naval officer, was on board by permission of the department and acted during the battle as Dewey's secretary. His account in the Herald will be full and complete, so you had better get it. His reports will go in the same mail as this. "We have cut the cable and can only communicate via Hong Kong. The McCulloch will go over in a day or two, carrying Commodore Dewey's dispatches and this mail and bringing our mail I hope. I am truly thankful to our Heavenly Father for His protection during our battle, and shall give Him daily thanks. Manila, of course, we have blockaded. We can't take the city, as we have no troops to hold it. "Give my love to all and accept a large share for yourself. "Your loving son, "CHARLEY." Captain Gridley did not mention his own part in the great battle, an indication of modesty characteristic of this brave officer and most lovable man Digitized by Microsoft® THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAY. 59 From the Spanish Point of View. The following is the story of the Battle of Manila from the Spanish standpoint. It was published in the Diario de Manila, the leading news- paper of the city, on May 4, the first time it was issued after the de- struction of the Spanish fleet: "When the enemy's squadron was sighted in perfect line of battle through the clouds of the misty dawn on the morning of May 1, gloom and surprise were general among the people of Manila, "At last these ships had strained their boldness to the point of ap- pearing on our coasts and defying our batteries, which showed more courage and valor than effect when they opened fire upon the squadron. "It needs something more than courage to make projectiles pene- trate, indeed it does. The inequality of our batteries, compared with those of the American squadron which alarmed the inhabitants of Manila at five o'clock in the morning, was enough to transform the tran- quil character of our tropical temperament. "While ladies and children in carriages or on foot fled in fright to seek refuge in the outlying suburbs and adjacent villages around the capital from the dangers multiplied by their imaginations, every man, from the most stately personage to the most humble workman, mer- chants, mechanics, Spaniards, natives, soldiers, civilians, all, we repeat, sought their stations and put on their arms, confident that never should the enemy land at Manila unless he passed over their corpses. Superior Strength of Americans. "Although from the first moment the strength of the enemy's armor and the power of his guns demonstrated that his ships were invulner- able to our energies and our armaments, the hostile squadron would never have entered our bay had not its safety been guaranteed by its manifest superiority. "The city walls, the church towers, the tops of the high buildings and all the high places convenient for observation, were occupied by those who were not retained by their military duties within the walls, on the bridges or at the advanced posts. Digitized by Microsoft® 60 THE BATTLE OF MANILA BAT. "The slightest details of the enemy's ships v/ere eagerly noted as they advanced toward Cavite, in a line parallel with the beaches of Manila, as though they had just come out of Pasig River. "There were no gaps in the line, but the curious public hardly realized the disparity between their great guns and the pieces mounted on our fortifications. Some had glasses and others were without, but all seemed to discern with their eyes these strangers, who, while brave, were not called upon to show their courage, since the range of their guns and the weakness of our batteries enabled them to preserve immunity while doing us as much harm as they pleased. "All who appreciated the impunity with which the hostile ships man- oeuvered, as if on a harmless parade, were full of such rage and desper- ation as belong to a brave man who can make no use of his courage and to whom there remains no remedy except an honorable death rather than cowardly inactivity. Wishing for a Fight Ashore. "A soldier of the first battalion of Cazadores gazed at the squadron sweeping over the waters out of reach of the fire of our batteries and then turned toward Heaven saying: 'If the Holy Mary would turn that sea into land the Yankees would find out how we can charge in double time.' And a crouching native, staring at the ships, said: 'Just let them come ashore and give us a whack at them.' "On they stood at full speed, in column of battle, heading for Cavite, with a decision due to a sense of safety and a firm assurance of success. For more than an hour and a half the bombardment held in suspense those whose souls followed the unequal struggle in which a Spanish ship went down with glorious banners flying. "What was going on in the waters of Cavite? From Manila we saw through glasses two squadrons almost mingled in clouds of smoke. This was not a triumph for our side, considering the weakness of our batteries, for once alongside the enemy the cry of 'boarders away' and the flash of cold steel might have enabled our devoted seamen to disturb the calmness in which the watches and instruments were regulating and directing those engines of destruction. "In the blindness of our rage how can we paint the heroic deeds of prowess or the wave of valor which burst forth from the men of war? Digitized by Microsoft® w a ^,. ^s "J ic .2 ^ w w y-r a:x>. f.^ UH< 6 y §5< CD W> •3 -S l^ctid O DZ be 1) .■2 fe OLYMPI LTIMOR OF a> 'p. - a n< Ji a W nn K ^ H _a) t/l ;i! -1 j3 CU OJ ^ C/) Oi "-^ ^ [II K o 2 & bo •S a -M ^ 2: O f- >* > be a cr: c J >. UJ m u H 1- o 5- if] U :3 , y: UJ § H >. 1'^ S c:) bi c> O J3 "u OJ a S •" o O O Pi Digitized by Microsoft® < (—1 < U m I H J O f 1^ >. w M ? J3 ^ 0) -C s w H H < QJ O rf ,-i iii < t:3 Z ri w ^n CO ct; u < w ti 1— « j:3 > ^ < u 43 Digitized by Microsoft® THE BATTLE OF MAlflLA BAY. 6^ Those who fought beneath the Spanish flag bore themselves like men, as the chosen sons of our native land who dare measure forces and not yield to a superior force in the hands of the enemy, who rather die with- out ships than live in ships which have surrendered. "To name those who distinguished themselves in the battle would require the publication of the entire muster rolls of our ships from captain to cabin boy. To these victorious seamen of ours we offer our congratulations ; laurels for the living and prayers for the dead, and for all our deepest gratitude. Enthusiastic Spectators. ''When the hostile squadron turned toward Cavite the crew of the steamer Mindanao heard drums beating to quarters and answered with enthusiasm with three rounds of cheers for the King, for the Queen Kegent, and for Spain, which was echoed along our line. "Later and until a quarter to five o'clock absolute silence reigned. Everything was ready. The idea of death was lost in the ardor for the fray, and every eye was fixed on the battle flags waving at our mast- heads in perfect and majestic order. Why should we deny this? "The nine Yankee ships advanced in battle array. The Olympia, bearing the Admiral's flag, led the column, followed by the other ships, steering at full speed toward Cavite. "The Olympia opened fire, and an instant reply came from the bat- tery on the mole, which kept on firing at five-minute intervals, while the ironclad shaped her course for the Oristina and the Castilla. Into both of these she poured a steady and rapid fire, seconded by the ships which followed in her wake. "Another ship which directed a heavy fire on our line was the Balti- more, and so the cannonade went on until a quarter to eight. "At that moment the Juan de Austria advanced against the enemy intending to board the Olympia, and if a tremendous broadside had not stopped her self -devoted charge both ships might perhaps have sunk to the bottom- "The captain of the Cristina, seeing that the resolute attempt of his consort had failed, advanced at full speed until within about. two hun- dred yards of the Olympia, aiming to ram her. Digitized by Microsoft® 64 THE BATTLE OP MAHILA BAY. Did Not Like Our Shells. "Then a shower of projectiles swept over the bridge and decks, filling the ship with dead and wounded. A dense column of smoke from the bow compartment showed that incendiary projectiles, such as the law of God and man prohibits, had set fire to the cruiser. "The ship, still keeping up her fire on the enemy, withdrew toward the arsenal, where she was sunk to keep her from falling into the hands of the Yankees. The desperation of the men of the Cristina was aggravated by the sight of the Castilla, which was also in a blaze from the similar use of incendiary projectiles. "The principal ships of our little squadron having thus been put out of action, the Yankee vessels, some of them badly crippled by the fire of our ships and the batteries of Point Sangley, stood out toward the entrance of the bay, ceasing their fire and occupying themselves with re- pairing their injuries until ten o'clock, when' they began a second attack to complete their work of destruction. "In this second assault the fire at the arsenal was extinguished, and they continued to cannonade the blazing gunboats. One gunboat, which seemed to have nothing more venturesome to undertake, detached herself from the squadron and set herself to riddle the mail steamer Mindanao. "Now that his ships were in flames Admiral Montojo, who had shown his flag as long as there was a vessel afloat, landed, and the hostilities ceased. "The only Spanish ship which had not been destroyed by fire or by the enemy's projectiles sank herself so that she could in no wise be taken. "The killed are: The captain, chaplain, clerk and boatswain of the Cristina, the captains of the Castilla and the Ulloa, the executive officer and chief engineer and second surgeon of the Cristina, a lieutenant of the Juan de Austria, the paymaster of the Ulloa and the chief engineer of the Juan de Austria. "That battery that did most harm to the enemy was one on Sangley Point, made up of Hontoria guns. From one of these came a shot which the Boston received, while four ships, which had altogether sisty-five guns, were pouring their fire on this battay to reduce it to silence. Digitized by Microsoft® THE BATTJjE of MAIsHLA. BAY. 65 Praise for Spanish Gunners. "One gun having been crippled, the other kept on playing, firing whenever damage could be done and avoiding waste of ammunition. To one of its shots must be attributed the hurt which turned the Baltimore from the fight. This gun must have greatly annoyed the Yankees, to judge by the efforts they made to silence its fire, following it up till six gunners had been killed and four wounded. "On this account it is proposed to demand the bestowal of laurel wreathed crosses of San Fernando on the valiant gunners who served this battery. "The Luneta battery at Manila, which assailed the Yankee ships with much vigor, was the object of the enemy's special attention, as he stood past the fortifications of Manila, heading for Cavite. Guns were also mounted at the entrance to the bay, on Corregidor and Caballo Islands, on El Fraile Eock, on the south shore at Point Eestigua, and at Mari- veles, Punta Gorda and Point Gasisi, on the north shore. "The guns on Corregidor Island were about six inches in caliber, sim- ilar to the guns mounted on the rock and on Point Eestigua. Other batteries had guns of smaller caliber and of short range. "Doubtless the civil commission arranged to obtain supplies for the city, but it is certain that since Sunday there has been a great scarcity of everything, and speculators have got what prices they cared to ask for articles of prime necessity. "The great masses of the rural population of the Philippines, as well as the leaders of the nation, have responded like loyal sons of Spain, sharing our pains and assisting our labors. "Admiral Montojo has received a telegram of congratulation from the Minister of Marine, who in his own namej and in the name of the Queen Eegent of Spain, felicitates the navy of this archipelago for its gallant behavior on the day of the Cavite battle in these terms: 'Honor and glory to the Spanish fleet which fought so heroically on that day!' " Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER III. AFTER THE BATTLE. Receiving the Surrender of Cavite Arsenal — Quibbles and Evasions to Meet — A Case for Haste — Journey to Hong Kong to Send Dispatches — Cap- ture of the Callao — Routine of Blockade Duty in Manila Bay — Arrival of Aguinaldo from Hong Kong — Establishing a Government at Cavite — Three Important Proclamations — Filipino Victories over the Spanish — Their Treatment of Spanish Prisoners — Insurgents Invest Manila. Early on the morning after the battle Commodore Dewey ordered Commander Lamberton and myself to go to Cavite arsenal and take pos- session. As the white flag had been hoisted the day before, in token of complete surrender, this should have been a mere formality; but it was soon proved to us that no dependence can be placed in the Spaniard. Aware of the treacherous character of the Spanish people, Commander Lamberton, before leaving the Petrel, which had brought us over from the Olympia, ordered Commander Wood to keep his men at the guns, and to open fire upon the arsenal if we should not return within an hour. It was then exactly nine o'clock. When we had approached within five hundred yards we discovered that the arsenal was still occupied by about eight hundred Spanish infanteria de marina (corresponding to our marines), all armed with Mauser magazine rifles. Admiral Montojo, having been wounded, had been carried to Manila, and Captain Spstoa of the Spanish navy, next in rank to the Ad- miral, was in command. This gentleman met us at the wharf and took us to the arsenal headquarters, together with Lieutenant A. !N". Wood, of the Petrel, who had accompanied us. We had no sooner reached the place, than it was surrounded by an armed guard. Dealing with Spanish Ofllcers. "Why," asked Captain Lamberton, "do we find the arsenal filled with armed men, when the white flag was run up yesterday, in token of com- plete surrender?" 66 Digitized by Microsoft® AFTER THE BATTLE. 67 With m.uch suavity and the manner of a man whose actions have been completely misunderstood, Captain Sostoa replied in Spanish: ''We hoisted the white flag yesterday only that we might have time to remove the women and children to a place of safety." Commander Lamberton answered: "That is not the construction we Americans put upon an action of that kind. When the Spanish colors were lowered, and the white flag raised in their place, we under- stood it to mean but one thing — unconditional surrender. Moreover, the women and children should not have been here anyhow. They should have been removed to a place of safety before the fight began." "But," replied Captain Sostoa, "we did not have time to do that. If the Americans had not come so early in the morning affairs could hare been arranged differently." Commander Lamberton reminded him that the Spaniards had fired the first shot. "However," he continued, "we are not here to waste time in discuss- ing past events. I come as Admiral Dewey's representative, to take possession of the arsenal. The Spaniards here must surrender as prisoners of war, or our ships will again open fire." "But I am not at liberty to submit to these terms," said Captain Sostoa. "Such an act is not in my power, and I must consult my superior officers before I take so important a step." Commander Lamberton, comprehending the subterfuge, answered: "We refuse to recognize any authority other than that of the senior officer stationed at this post. You are that man and must immediately comply with Admiral Dewey's conditions." The Conditions of Surrender. Seeing that further delay was useless, Captain Sostoa requested that the terms of surrender might be put down in writing. Accordingly T wrote the following: "Without further delay all Spanish officers and men must be with- drawn and no buildings nor stores must be injured. Admiral Dewey does not wish to continue hostilities with the Spanish naval forces. The Spanish officers will be paroled, and the forces at the arsenal must deliver up all their small arms." Again Captain Sostoa pleaded for delay. We had been so absorbed Digitized by Microsoft® fi8 AFTER THE BATTLE. in the discussion that we had not noted the amount of time we had already spent at the arsenal, but I suddenly remembered the orders that had been left with the Petrel to fire in an hour if before that we had not returned to the wharf. As it was within only a few minutes of the limit it is needless to say that we considered it advisable to cut the dis- cussion short and get away before we should be exposed to the Petrel's shells. Commander Lamberton then gave Captain Sostoa two hours in which to act, but said: "If the white flag of unconditional surrender is not again hoisted before noon, hostilities will be reopened." We then hurried back to the Petrel and started across the bay to give our report to. the Commodore. The white flag was raised at 10 :45 o'clock, but the Sj)aniajds did not carry out their agreement to the letter. When we went in the after- noon to take possession, we found that every seaman and marine had been marched off the Cavite peninsula to the mainland and had carried his Mauser rifle with him. During the evening of the same day in which we made our trip to the Spanish arsenal Admiral Dewey sent the merchantship Zafiro a short distance down the bay to cut the cable. We were not able to use it, as we had no instruments with which to work it, and the Governor would not permit the cable company to transmit our messages from the regular station in Manila. After the destruction of the Spanish fleet. Commodore Dewey moored his squadron in the bay just off the end of Sangley Point, near Cavite. On May 5th he sent the dispatch boat McGuUoch to Hong Kong with dis- patches for the government, and I took passage in her in order to send my cable messages to the newspaper with which I was then connected. The Callao Runs into a Hot Place. •A few days later the little Spanish gunboat Callao came into Manila Bay flying the Spanish flag in the face of our whole fleet, and, when two or three of our vessels began popping away at her with their 6-pounders, she paid no attention to this unusual reception but steamed right on toward the Olympia as though indifferent to results. But when one of our shells ripped her awning clear across from one side of the little craft to the other, Lieutenant Pau, who commanded the Digitized by Microsoft® AFTER THE BATTLE. 69 Callao, began to think there was something dangerous in our vessels. Then the "stars and stripes" at the peak or flagstaff of each of our ships caught his eye, and he hauled down his colors to find out what it all meant. He said afterward that he supposed he had got in the range of some of his own vessels engaged in target practice. He had been cruising for several months in the southern part of the archipelago and had not known that there was even talk about the possibility of war between the United States and Spain. When the McCulloch arrived in Hong Kong, May 7th, and the news of Dewey's great victory was made public in, the United States, the ex- citement reached such a height that we who were so far away could not, until long afterward, comprehend why our people at home should have been so much moved. Immediately the President promoted Commodore Dewey to be a rear admiral, and when the McCulloch arrived in Manila Bay on Tuesday, May 10th, the broad blue flag bearing two white stars was hoisted at the Olympia's mainmast head, and a salute of thirteen guns was fired by every warship in the bay, including the French cruiser Bruix and the British cruiser Immortality, which had arrived in the bay two or three days after the battle. Life During the Blockade. Admiral Dewey was now blockading the Bay of Manila, but was making no hostile demonstration against the city. In fact, there was an unexpressed understanding that, if the fleet did not fire at the city, the forts would not fire at the fleet. But there was no reason why this nominal armistice should continue any longer than it suited the con- venience or the interests of either of the combatants, and therefore we had to be prepared to meet any form of attack at all hours of the •.---/ or night. Torpedoes might have been used with a' considerable hope of success against our vessels if we had relaxed our vigilance in the least. Consequently we were always on the alert. At this time I wrote the following account of the usual routine of each night aboard the ships of our squadron : "Dead calm is over the whole sheet of water that stretches between our squadron and the City of Manila. A humid heat has made the ships almost unbearably sultry all day. But now the sun is nearing the horizon, and a faint ripple on the water, two or three miles away, Digitized by Microsoft® 70 AFTEE THE BATTLE. shows that at last we are to have an at least temporary relief. Heavy clouds are banked up to the northward, and, as the sun drops out of sight, the exquisite colors of a Philippine sunset reach half way to the zenith before the quickly oncoming night cuts short the panorama. Widespread flashes of heat lightning, varied by the forked bolts of a distant thunder storm, keep the west aglow at intervals. Then all brightness dies out, and the impenetrable gloom of a tropical night closes down over the ships. What will it bring forth? Ten miles away lie the forces of a defeated and sullen enemy. Since the battle of May 1st not a move against us has been made. All the bombast and bravado of the Governor-General has had no deed to back it up. There are, we are told, several thousand troops under the Spanish colors in Manila, besides a large body of seamen and marines, whom we drove out of Cavite. It cannot be possible that, among so many brave men — and they do not lack for daring when properly led — there are not a score or two capable of risking their lives to destroy our ships. At any rate, our admiral does not intend to take any chances; and, when night falls over the bay, the squadron prepares for its protection, exactly as though we were in the presence of an alert and determined foe. Night Scenes in Manila Bay. "Just before the last of daylight disappears, a swift steam launch or one of the captured tug-boats shoots away from the Olympia, passing around the squadron and giving the countersign for the night. By the time it has finished its circuit the deep darkness has fallen, and woe be to the boat that then ventures within gunshot of any of our vessels! Even the picket-boat that we keep out for our own protection does not care to roam about too near the forbidden waters, for an over- hasty lookout might hail and then fire, without waiting for a reply. In the first few nights there were several such incidents to enliven the existence of the young officers on picket duty, but', fortunately, no one was hurt. "All the night one-half of each ship's company is on watch along- side the guns of the secondary battery — that is, the 6-pounder, 3-pounder and 1-pounder rapid-firers and the automatic machine guns. At several points on each side of the ship are posted the keenest-eyed seamen of the watch. No glow of light is visible from any part of the vessel after Digitized by Microsoft® AFTEE THE BATTLE. 71 eight o'clock, but two or three men stand around each searchlight, ready, at a word from the officer of the deck, to turn a concentrated pencil of blinding electric rays upon any object within a range of 2,000 yards. Every few minutes these lights sweep the waters of the bay. The lights sometimes fall upon one of the remaining merchant vessels that have not yet succeeded in getting enough ballast aboard to enable them to go to sea, and the effect is magical. Under a sky of dense blue the horizon and the atmosphere just above the water seem of a Stygian. blackness, when suddenly a pencil of brightness shoots out from the side of one of our vessels and falls upon a full rigged ship, bringing into fairy outlines all the hull, masts, spars and rigging of the craft, silhouetted against an inky darkness, like a transformation scene in a spectacular play. This never occurs to a warship, as it is contrary to naval etiquette to throw a searchlight upon a man-of-war. Ready for Any Emergency. "The guns of the main battery are loaded with shrapne} and the smaller pieces with either shell or shrapnel. The 1-pounders and the automatic machine guns in the military tops are also nianned, with an ample supply of ammunition at hand. "These precautions are taken nightly — not because there is a special alarm concerning torpedo attempts, but because it is the custom of American naval officers to take nothing for granted in war time. The men not stationed as lookouts are allowed to sleep beside their guns, and of the officers only the one in charge of the watch is required to be on deck. "The moon is almost a negligible quantity. It is after three o'clock ill the morning before it rises, so that the greater part ol the night is as dark as Erebus. If ever the Spaniards intend to attack us they will do it before a new moon begins to rise eai^ly and light up the bay for a continually lengthening period of time. Every one on shipboard is a little more on the qui vive than has been deemed necessary before. More and more frequently the searchlights are swept over the face of the water, and the captain sleeps with an even greater readiness to waken than usual. "About ten minutes before the beginning of the first watch — that is, the time between eight o'clock and midnight— four red lights sud- Digitized by Microsoft® 72 AFTER THE BATTLE. denly flash into being along the backstay of the flagship's mainmast. This is the general call, and every vessel replies by turning the same arrangement of lights upon her Ardois signal system. Rapidly the red and white lanterns are turned on and off aboard the Olympia, while the other vessels repeat each combination as it appears on the flag- ship's mast, until we have read the message: 'Have reason to expect torpedo attack. Be ready.' As the message has been sent by the common 'wig-wag' code, with which most of the seamen and ap- prentices are familiar, the whole squadron instantly knows its purport, and there is a little buzz of interest throughout the vessels. The effect is not noticeable except on close scrutiny, however. There is no excite- ment, no noise, and, apparently, no change in the arrangements usually made. But a careful and experienced observer will see that the execu- tive ofllcer is going through the ship giving personal attention to the selection of lookouts at the more important posts; that the navigator is inspecting each searchlight and battle lantern to be sure that the electric current is working satisfactorily; that each division officer is supervis- ing the loading of his guns and the working of all the battery mechan- ism; that a specially fast launch has been detailed for picket duty; that the men — ^without being so ordered — are grouping 'round their guns in fighting rig — a pair of trousers only — with no thought of sleeping until the other watch comes on at midnight; and, finally, that the captain is pacing the bridge in cool contemplation of all the work, giving frequent orders in low tones, showing that nothing has escaped his ceaseless vigil- ance. "Watching for Spanish Torpedoes. "In the dense darkness the Concord and the Callao get underway — as we learn next day — but no one knows of this manceuver at the time, for no light betrays their movement, either from within or without It is not necessary nor proper to say where they go or what they do, for there is no telling of war secrets countenanced in this command. It is enough to say that it would have been a very sad night for any Spanish torpedero who had tried to get within range of our ships that night or any other night, for that matter. "The ship is as dark and as silent as the grave. The night wears on with no sign that there is anything on foot out of the usual run of blockade routine, except that the searchlights are ceaselessly active, Digitized by Microsoft® AFTEE THE BATTLE. 78 sweeping the sea in every direction. The clouds pile up heavier and denser, and the heat grows more and more oppressive, until the accumu- lating storm bursts in tropical fury directly over the squadron. Vivid flashes of lightning so dazzle the eye that the arc rays seem like mere tallow candles. Accompanied by terrific thunder and a deluge of rain the storm hangs close above our mastheads, as though resolved to give our enemy every chance that he could wish for a favorable moment in which to steal upon us unawares. - "Through the masses of rain, now driven fiercely in our faces by the squall attending the cloud storm, it is impossible for the searchlights to penetrate far. The light is so diffused and refracted by the rain drops that its rays are stopped at a distance of 500 or 600 yards. Now, if ever, is the time for a watchful and vindictive foe to come at us. Search Lights Ineffective During the Storm, "Suddenly the forward searchlight falls upon something on the port bow. In this work it is not necessary to differentiate between objects and determine what they are. It is enough if the light touches some- thing that forms a contrast with the sullen, greenish grey of the water. A dozen eyes are following the sweep of the light. Half a dozen guns swing quickly around till they bear on the point where the rays touch the water. The captain speaks a word in a voice-tube, and away aft on the poop deck the officer in command at that place gives a low order to the men at the after light, which quickly veers around till it, too, is focused on the spot where the forward one is pointed. It is nothing — merely the wreck of an old boat that has been floating about the bay ever since May 1st. Other similarly unimportant discoveries are made, but they bear witness to the watchfulness of our seamen, and are, therefore, not as unimportant as they may seem. Nearly every man is wet all over, and the breeze — now fresh and cool — makes the remainder of the watch anything but comfortable; but there is no relaxation of the vigil. "And so wears the night away. Dawn comes upon a calm sea, blue sky and zephyrlike airs off the land. No enemy has appeared, and no disturbance has made an even temporary excitement. The ships' com- panies take up the customary work of the morning without a murmur, Digitized by Microsoft® 74 AFTER THE BATTLE. apparently indifferent to the strain and hardship of a whole night of waiting for the torpedo that never came." A Voyage with Aguinaldo. On May ITth the McCulloch, having returned to Hong Kong with dis- patches, again sailed for Manila Bay, having on board as passengers, with the consent of Admiral Dewey, Emilio Aguinaldo and about forty of his subordinate followers, who had begged permission to come to Cavite and resume their insurrection against the Spaniards. I re- turned to the fleet myself in the McOulloch on this trip, and was thus able to make Aguinaldo's acquaintance under very favorable circum- stances. General Aguinaldo landed in Cavite May 19th and issued three proclamations on May 24th. In the first, he gave as the reason for his return to Luzon the fact that the Spaniards seemed powerless in the hands of the priests, who constantly placed obstacles in the way of progress. None of the promised reforms in the government had been carried out. He also stated that he had surrendered his arms and handed over a strong army believing it would be more beneficial to the •country than carrying on an insurrection with poor resources, x^ow, he said, as the great and powerful United States had come forward to offer disinterested protection that the natives might gain liberty for their country, he had returned to command the army, and proposed to estab- lish a dictatorship, with an advisory council, until the islands were com- pletely independent. In the second proclamation he forbade all negotiations for peace be- tween the rebels and the Spaniards, in view of the failure, both civil and military, of all previous negotiations. He also announced that all Spaniards coming to parley without credentials and a flag of truce would be shot as spies. If a Filipino undertook such a commission he would be condemned to be hanged with the placard "Traitor to his country" attached to his body. Aguinaldo's Proclamation to the Filipinos. The third and most important proclamation, because of its humane intentions, addressed directly to the Filipinos, read as follows: Digitized by Microsoft® AFTER THE BATTLE. 75 **The great North American nation, a lover of true liberty, and there- fore desirous of liberating our country from the tyranny and despotism to which it has been subjected by its rulers, has decided to give us disin- terested protection, considering us suflaciently able and civilized to gov- ern ourselves. "In order to retain this high opinion of the never to be too highly praised and great nation of North America, we should abominate such acts as pillage and robbery of every description, and acts of violence against persons and property. "To avoid international complications during the campaign, I decree: "1. Lives and property of all foreigners are to be respected, includ- ing Chinese and those Spaniards who neither directly nor indirectly have taken up arms against us. "2, The lives and property of our enemies who lay down their arms are to be equally respected. "3. In the same way, all hospitals and all ambulances, together with the persons and effects therein, as well as their staffs, are to be respected, unless they show themselves hostile. "4. Those who disobey what is set forth in the three former articles shall be tried by summary courtmartial and shot, if by such disobedi- ence there has been caused assassination, fires, robbery, or violence." Aguinaldo's Movements against the Spanish. As the prospects for fighting between the United States naval forces and the Spanish troops on shore were now practically nil, I devoted my time to watching the proceedings of the Filipinos under Aguinaldo. AVithin a week after his arrival in Cavite he had about 1,000 men under arms. Admiral Dewey gave him a large number of Mauser rifles and a considerable quantity of ammunition, captured from the Spaniards, and in a day or two a small steamer called the Faon — an assumed name, by the way — came into port from Canton, bringing about 3,000 stand of Eemington breechloading rifles and a large stock of cartridges for these pieces. On the night of May 26th Aguinaldo sent 600 men across Baker Bay to land between the detachment of Spaniards who were holding Ca- vite Viejo (Old Cavite) and the detachment quartered in the powder magazine, a little to the east of Cavite Viejo. The garrison in each Digitized by Microsoft® 76 AFTER THE BATTLE. of these strong positions was about 300 men, so tliat the insurgents were represented by a force equal to that of their enemy. But, while the Spaniards had fully 1,000 men and several pieces of artillery within easy call of both these positions, the natives had no artillery and no possibility of getting reinforcements. Once landed on the Old Cavite side of Bakor Bay, they must fight it out for themselves. On the morning of May 28th a detachment of Spaniards attacked the insurgents and were not only repulsed but forced to surrender, the insurgents capturing in two skirmishes 418 Spaniards, including fifteen officers. The country where these affairs took place was covered with a thick tropical undergrowth, while numerous streams and swamps per- mitted no military order to be maintained. Watching a Battle from the Bay. On May 29th, before the sun had yet risen, General Aguinaldo rein- forced his troops on the mainland with about one thousand men. I ex- pected to witness a charge over the narrow neck of land that connects Cavite peninsula with the mainland, where the Spaniards were known to have at least one field gun and the bulk of their troops. Before noon, however. General Aguinaldo told me he had changed his plan, because the Spaniards held the peninsula with such a large force that he feared an assault would not be successful. If he failed he would not be able to reinforce his men on the other side of the bay without taiing great chances from the Mausers of the Spaniards stationed at the Bakor magazine and at Old Oavite. Also, in case the Spaniards should bring heavy reinforcements from Manila, his men would be caught between two fires, where they might all be captured or killed. As this was the situation he refused to give me any assistance to get to the front, and would not even give me a guide to show me where to land my boat on the other side. I then tried to cross the neck of land leading from the peninsula to the mainland, but having drawn the fire of the Spaniards as soon as I came out from the cover of the trees, where I was wholly exposed on a narrow sandy beach, I returned to Cavite to ask Aguinaldo again for a boat and guide. As nothing could persuade him to alter his decision I hired a native canoe and started to cross the bay without a guide. When nearing the shore between Old Oavite and Bakor, zip ! the Mauser Digitized by Microsoft® AFTER THE BATTLE. 77 bullets gave warning that the S'paniards were watching for the approach of boats from the rebel side. Filipinos against Spanish. Suddenly a sharp pattering fire, followed by the continuous rattle of a machine gun, broke out on the extreme right of the Spanish posi- tion. It was evident that the Spanish troops from Manila were coming down the road well back from the bay. As I was only about a mile from the magazine on the beach I could hear the cheers of the Spanish soldiers stationed there, and see them waving their hats wildly in the air in ex- pectation of the reinforcements from Manila. The steady rattle of the machine gun continued for twenty minutes and showed that a hot action was in progress. Then it stopped as suddenly as it had begun. Present- ly a slender column of smoke rose in the air near the scene of the fight. It was evidently a signal to Aguinaldo in Oavite. As I was intently watching the events on shore I did not notice what was happening behind me and was suddenly surpriced to hear the roar of a heavy gun. I could tell by the scream of the projectile as it passed over me that it came from a rifled gun of large calibre, and for a moment I thought the Petrel must have entered into the fight. I could not discover where the shot struck; but looking back to CJavite, I distinguished a group of rebels surrounding four muzzle-loading rifles that pointed toward the Spaniards from the Oavite wall. In front of the guns a long stovepipe was throwing out a column of signal smoke like the one on the beach near me. This was the plan Aguinaldo had been keeping in reserve, and he was now letting his men at the front know he was ready to take part in the fight. With the aid of strong glasses, I was able to watch the movements of both parties far better than from any point on shore. For two miles along the water I could see brown-skinned men, wearing very few clothes, running toward the Spanish positions. The rebels took ad- vantage of every point of cover, and in groups of ten or twenty they would make short rushes. Victory for the Insurgents. The shots from Mauser rifles that came skipping into the water in large numbers told me that there must be many Spaniards out of sight Digitized by Microsoft® 78 AFTER THE BATTLE. inland, wliose firing was more commendable for its rapidity than for its accuracy. Once in a while a man would fall on the beach. Some- times he would lie motionless and again he would crawl painfully to cover. Unfortunately the sky was so overcast that I was unable to take any photographs. Meantime the Spaniards had stopped cheering, but I could see that at all their posts they were keeping more tenaciously under cover than were the insurgents and were thus saving themselves from many casualties. All this time a field piece at Bakor Church was firing frequently and trying to sweep the beach to the westward. At ten minutes past two o'clock one of the heavy guns of the Cavite battery roared out again, and this time the shot struck the water closje to the magazine. Its effect was positively ludicrous. Twenty men seized a flagstaff about thirty feet long, bearing a large, white flag, and raised it to a standing position. They were in such haste that they lost their hold and it fell to the ground. A second time they lifted it, and a second time it fell. But finally with a third attempt it was elevated in plain sight of the Cavite guns. The Spanish garrison, however, tried to escape to Bakor with all their arms and a quantity of stores that they took from the magazine buildings, but they were captured and forced to surrender. Like ants now, the little brown men swarmed along the beach toward Bakor Church. This was the only place where the Spaniards seemed to be strong except at Old Cavite. It was evident that the rebels were pressing upon them harder from the land side than from the beach; for, while the field piece fired a few shots and reports of rifles were frequent, fewer bullets came in my direction. Bakor Church Carried by Assault. On an arched stone bridge near Old Cavite the rebels raised their flag, and presently another rebel force was seen pursuing about fifty Spaniards along the beach. These men surrendered far to the left of the general fighting ground, and were marched back toward Bakor. On toward Manila a great column of smoke rose in the air to the height of a thousand feet, showing that the Spaniards retreating in that direction had fired the town of Las Pinas. Upon the Spanish position at BaJior Church frequent charges were Digitized by Microsoft® .».----i:i-. ■ i^iiiiiiiiiii"""" P9 P^ ^^1 ■/ ■'■ inH HRp^^^^^^^BI ■ /■ ^^^ijfli M^^^H f. ■' ^**— /n ^^^K^'.j^^^^l^^^^^^^^^^^^^^H jNr— Hh^H ? > ■■■ .. / ^B^^^H i / l^^^^^^^l 2 O H O Da w C/3 I — I >, '—I ■£ i; aC O OS ^^ 1 H ft < ■£ O 6 " m bo o o M ffl be a 01 0) o H -S M rt ^§ t; w) 0) a !=l 3 Ai " o 3 w J r , u o tr' ^^ < ^•3 CQ W J3 u K &, 3 at cr H ;h t- Ct! ture, ph gunboat the battl < ft J3 H O g 1-1 '3 O s 6 Digitized by Microsoft® •a i> as -^ o m ^ O p. (, ; cil m t ^ m X Of < 5 H r^A O > "3 O 'S n O w 3 w n O <; < C^ o Q < Q > W "3 hi -*-' tqW Q O u a, w CO O 5 X! 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V 1^^^; ^- ^-^.dl^w !^^KH ■"■■■;■■"■-■■■-,' -*^Si ^>P^K li) V '^"'^^afMi.-M^ *^ ^^m ^^^HiKteBi^'7*'4'-'3^-A<)i<«tiS Kfi^^=«^MM|^Hp^^ 1 ;"-'."• ^■■Ti^y.^i^^l^^ K!r I ■■{■i^i^^ffi ^ DEWEY'S FIRST CRUISE When his father began to chide him for his rashness he replied, "You ought to be thanlcful that my life was spared." Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY SAVING THE LIFE OF A SAILOR AND THE EXPLOSION ON THE MISSISSIPPI Digitized by Microsoft® GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR 143 and under the guns of Farragut's squadron the troops landed, and order was re-established in the city. For several months the "Mississippi," in conjunction with other ves- sels of the fleet, patroled the river between New Orleans and Vicks- burg, frequently ascending the bayous, and doing good work for the Federal cause. Lieutenant Dewey was still second in rank aboard the "Mississippi," a favorite of the admiral, even then showing himself to be a man, not only of great personal bravery but of remarkable executive ability as well. From January, 1863, the "Mississippi" was employed in assisting General Banks to force his way into the interior of Louisiana, and bring- ing all of the country that could be secured under subjection. This was a difficult task, for the enemy opposed the Federal forces at every step with a courage and determination very difficult to overcome. In March it was decided by Eear-Admiral Farragut and General Banks that the former should move with his fleet past Port Hudson, which was at that time well fortified with nineteen heavy guns bearing on the water approaches. General Banks was to make a diversion with his army against the forts, and the mortar flotilla was to open on the bat- teries prior to and during the passage of the fleet. Movement Against Fort Hudson. Farragut brought with him from New Orleans for the purpose of passing Port Hudson the following vessels: Hartford, Captain J. S. Palmer 28 guns Richmond, Commander James Alden 25 " Monongahela, Captain J. P. McKinstry 11 " Mississippi, Captain Melancton Smith 19 " Essex, Commander. C. H. B. Caldwell 7 " Albatross, Lieutenant-Commander J. E. Hart 7 " Genesee, Commander W. H. Macomb 8 " Kineo, Lieutenant-Commander John Waters 6 " Sachem, Lieutenant Amos Johnston 5 " Five mortar schooners 5 " Total 121 guns The first four were sloops-of-war, the "Essex'? a river iron-clad, the other four were gunboats. The order of battle prescribed that each of Digitized by Microsoft® 144 GEOROE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. the larger vessels — except the "Mississippi," which was a side- wheeler — should take a gunboat firmly lashed on the port side, away from the batteries, and that they should proceed up the river in the order named above, the Hartford in the lead. The mortar-boats were anchored near the east bank, about a mile below the batteries. The captains were reminded that the object of the movement was to pass the batteries with the least possible damage to their vessels, so as to secure as eflflcient a force as possible for patroling the river above. Desperate Night Engagement. At 9 o'clock, on the night of March 14, the signal was made for the ships to get into line, and as soon as this was accomplished the Hartford slowly steamed ahead. At 11:20 p. m. two rockets were fired on the east bank, and almost immediately the batteries opened fire. The fleet and the mortar-boats quickly answered and for more than an hour the noise of 150 guns firing as rapidly as possible was incessant. The enemy built bonfires at different points, to perfect their aim, and these added to the illumination and enhanced the grandeur of the scene. The "Hartford" passed within one hundred yards of the muzzles of the enemy's guns, delivering an effective fire as she steamed up the river. The "Richmond," with the "Genesee" as her consort, reached the last battery in safety, and Avas about to pass when a shot carried awa.y the safety valves of her boilers and allowed so much steam to escape into her fire-room that she was entirely deprived of her motive power. Her consort was not able to drag both vessels against the current of the stream, and they were allowed to float down again below the forts, where they were anchored. The "Monongahela" and "Kineo," the next in line, also met with dis- aster. The firing from the "Hartford" and "Richmond" had by this time so filled the air with smoke that it was impossible to distinguish objects near by, and the pilots were completely at sea. At 11:30 the "Monongahela" grounded on the west shore of the river and was ex- posed to severe fire for nearly a half an hour. Her consort finally suc- ceeded in pulling her off, and she in turn drifted down the stream and anchored beside the "Richmond." Digitized by Microsoft® GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. 145 Loss of the "Mississippi." The "Mississippi" followed in tlie wake of the "Monongahela," firing wherever her guns could be brought to bear. At 12:30 a. m. she grounded hard and fast, and it was found necessary to abandon her. Her engines were destroyed, small arms thrown overboard, the sick and wounded landed on the shore, and fires kindled in several parts of the ship. When these were well under way the captain left the ship, and with his crew in open boats went past the batteries to the fleet below. The task of getting the men to safety devolved on Lieutenant Dewey. Twice he went to the "Richmond" and twice came back, until at last he and Captain Smith stood alone on the deck. "Are you sure she will burn, Dewey?" the captain asked as he paused at the gangway. Dewey risked his life to go to the ward-room for a last look, and to- gether they left the ship, sorrowfully, with the shot splashing all around them. Captain Smith's report of the catastrophe was in part as follows: "Our approach was signalled by the rebels on the west bank of the river, and at 11 o'clock p. m. the batteries opened fire upon the flagship. At this time the 'Essex' engaged the lower batteries, the bomb-vessels com- menced shelling, the flagship opened fire, and the engagement became general as the vessels came in range. At 11:30 p. m, the 'Richmond' passed down the river and owing to the darkness and smoke was for some time taken for an enemy by the crew of the 'Mississippi,' who were with difficulty kept from firing into her. When the "Mississippi" Grounded. "The 'Monongahela,' which was the one next ahead, could not at this time be seen. Supposing that she had increased her speed, the order was given to 'go ahead fast,' that we might close up. We had now reached the last and most formidable batteries, and were congratulating ourselves upon having gained the turn, when the 'Mississippi' grounded and heeled over three streaks to port. The engine was immediately reversed and the port guns (which had not been fired) were run in, to bring her on an even keel; after which her own fire from the starboard Digitized by Microsoft® 146 GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. battery was recommenced. The engine was backed for thirty-five min- utes, and the steam was increased from 13 to 25 pounds, which was con- sidered by the chief engineer the greatest pressure the boilers would bear, when the pilot stated that it would be impossible to get the vessel off. I then ordered the port battery to be spiked, and the pivot-gun to be thrown overboard; but the latter was not accomplished before I deemed it most judicious and humane to abandon the vessel, as the enemy had obtained our range and we were exposed to the galling and cross-fire of three batteries, their shot hulling us frequently. Abandoning the Wrecked Vessel. "The sick and wounded were now ordered up, at which time we ceased firing, and three small boats (all we had) were immediately em- ployed in landing the crew, while preparations were being made to destroy the vessel. Up to this time the men had been working the guns in the most splendid style, and aiming at every flash, which was the only guide to the location of the rebel works. It was by no means certain that the ofiScers and crew would not, even after landing, fall into the hands of the enemy, as musketry had been fired from the west shore on our passage up; but, as this was of less consequence than the capture of the ship, the crew were directed to throw overboard all the small arms, the engineers ordered to destroy the engine, and the ship set on fire in the forward store-room. To be positive that this was effectually done, the yeoman was sent below to make an examination, when three shots entered the store-room, letting in the water and extinguishing the flames. She was then fired in four different places aft between the decks; and, when the combustion had made sufficient progress to ren- der her destruction certain, I left the ship, accompanied by the first lieu- tenant, all having now been landed, and passed down to the 'Richmond' under the fire of the rebel batteries. High Praise for Lieutenant Dewey. "At 3 o'clock a. m. the 'Mississippi' was observed to be afloat and drifting slowly down the river, and at half past five she blew up, pro- ducing an awful concussion, which was felt for miles around. "I consider that I should be neglecting a most important duty should I omit to mention the coolness of my executive oflficer, Mr. Dewey, and Digitized by Microsoft® GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR 147 the steady, fearless and gallant manner in which the officers and men of the 'Mississippi' defended her, and the orderly and quiet manner in which she was abandoned after being thirty-five minutes aground under the fire of the enemy's batteries." Dewey is next found in the capacity of first lieutenant of a gunboat used by the admiral as a dispatch boat. This established closer relations between the two men, and Farragut formed a sincere regard for the young lieutenant. The Confederates had a trick of suddenly appearing on the high banks of the river with a field piece, firing point blank at any boat that might be within range, and disappearing as quickly as they came. Upon one of these occasions a shot came within a hair's- breadth of Dewey, and involuntarily he jumped aside trying to escape' it. The admiral happened to be near at the time, and said : "Why don't you stand firm, lieutenant? Don't you know you can't jump quick enough?" When Admiral Farragut Dodged a Shot. Soon afterward Farragut dodged a shot under similar circum- stances. The lieutenant smiled but held his tongue. But the admiral had a guilty conscience. He cleared his throat, shifted his position and finally said : "Why, sir, you can't help it, sir. It's human nature, and there's an end to it!" Dewey was afterwards given the command of the "Monongahela," a post made vacant by the death of her commander, Abner Reed, who Avas killed by a rifle-shell fired from the batteries a few miles below Donald- sonville. La. This appointment was only temporary, however, as the lieutenant was shortly afterwards transferred to the steam gunboat "Agawam," which was attached to the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron. At the time of the two attacks on Fort Fisher he was first lieutenant of the "Colorado," Commodore Henry Knox Thatcher commanding. Operations Against Fort Fisher. At the entrance of Cape Fear Eiver, North Carolina, the Confederates had erected a huge fortification, which was called Fort Fisher, and here the principal operations of the blockade runners were carried on, supply- ing the Southern armies with clothing, food, arms and munitions of war. Digitized by Microsoft® 148 GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. It finally became evident to the United States Navy Department that unless these supplies were cut off the war would necessarily be greatly prolonged. The Secretary of the Navy made an application to the War Department, in September, 1864, for troops to co-operate with the navy in an attack on the Cape Fear River defenses, and being encouraged to expect assistance, began to assemble a proper force of vessels for the occasion. The command of the squadron was tendered to Rear-Admiral Farragut, but on account of failing health the offer was declined, and Rear-Admiral Porter was detached from the Mississippi squadron and assigned to the enviable position. By the 15th of October about one hundred ships of war were assem- bled at Hampton Roads. Many of them were from other squadrons, which had been depleted for the occasion. There was a great variety of vessels, as every class in the navy was represented, from the lofty frigate down to the fragile steamer taken from the merchant service; but all mounted good guns. Then came a delay in the attack, caused by the fact that the army co-operation which was so necessary to the success of the plan was not forthcoming at the time it had been promised. First Naval Attack on the Fortress. After a tedious delay of over two months the forts were finally en- gaged by the fleet on December 24. During the heavy fire from the fleet an explosion took place within the main fort, and immediately flames were observed streaming high above the walls. The Federals were cer- tain that they had fired the barracks and other tenements connected with the forts. During the continuance of this blaze, which lasted for hours, not a gun was fired by the enemy, except from an isolated section of the fort called the "Mound Battery." The attack was resumed on the following day, and as the range was shorter the firing of the fleet was much more accurate. Commodore Thatcher in his official report of the siege says: "It is my belief that not a shot or shell was flred by the advanced line of ships that did not either penetrate the earthworks of the enemy or explode within them. On the first day, 1,569 projectiles were fired from the 'Colorado' into the fort. This ship ('Colorado') planted 230 shots into the enemy's works on the 25th, and exploded 996 shells." Digitized by Microsoft® GEORGE DEWEY EN THE CIVIL WAR. 149 Admiral Porter was greatly disappointed in the support given him by the army in this affair, and claimed that had it been properly man- aged by General Butler, who was in command of the land forces, Fort Fisher could have been taken easily. Be that as it may, there can be no question regarding the good work done by the navy. Second Assault on Fort Fisher. About two weeks later a force of 8,000 men, under General Terry, was sent to assist the fleet in taking the fort. They were landed, on January 13, as fast as 120 boats could put them on shore. It was deter- mined before the army made its assault on the fort that there should be no guns within reach to impede its progress. At 9 a. m., on the 15th, the fleet was directed by signal to attack in three lines. The vessels all reached their stations about 11 a. m., and each opened fire when anchored. The fire was kept up furiously all day, and in the meantime the land forces were making a gallant struggle to carry the fort by storm. They chased the enemy from traverse to traverse until the Con- federates broke and fled in panic before them. Thus ended a battle in which the Confederates lost one of their safest strongholds, besides 1,800 men taken prisoners and 700 killed and wounded. Dewey Scores Another Triumph. Towards the end of this fight Admiral Porter signaled to Commo- dore Thatcher, of the "Colorado," to close in and silence a certain part of the works. The ship had already been struck several times by the shells of the enemy, and Dewey saw instantly the advantage to be gained by the move. "We shall be safer in there," he remarked, "and the works can be taken in fifteen minutes." The signal was obeyed and Dewey's prediction proved a correct one. When Admiral Porter came to congratulate Commodore Thatcher, the latter disclaimed any credit for the success of the maneuver, but gen- erously said: "You must thank Lieutenant Dewey, sir." Immediately after the Fort Fisher engagement Commodore Thatcher was named as acting rear-admiral, and a few weeks later was ordered to Mobile bay, wh^re he relieved I'arragut. He recommerided Dewey for Digitized by Microsoft® 150 GEORGE DEWEY IN THE CIVIL WAR. his fleet captaincy, but the department did not see fit to follow the sug- gestion. At the End of the War. However, March 3, 1865, his ability was recognized and his bravery rewarded by a commission as lieutenant-commander. Dewey thus reached in eleven years from the time he entered the academy a rank to attain which in time of peace frequently requires a service of thirty years. His association with Farragut, Porter, Thatcher, Smith and many other naval heroes of the times did much to give him a prac- tical knowledge of warfare on river and sea; and his natural ability, his fertility of resource, and his quickness of comprehension under try- ing circumstances, were qualities which he was then developing, and which brought him the praise of a world in after years. Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER Vni, DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. When the Civil War Ended — On the European Station — Incidents of the Cruise — Marriage and Bereavement of Dewey — Service in Asiatic Waters — Successive Promotions — Shore Duty in Washington — Ordered to Command the Asiatic Squadron — The Thanks of the Nation — Presents and Honors — Dewey an Admiral. The qualities which Dewey demonstrated in the Civil War, and the reputation which he-brought out of that conflict, gave him high standing in the estimation of his superior officers, and many creditable assign- ments fell to him in the years intervening before the next conflict in Avhich he was to be engaged. Immediately following the war Lieutenant-Commander Dewey served for two years on the European station, flrst in the "Kearsarge," which had gained fame by sinking the Confederate cruiser "Alabama," and which was lost, thirty years later, on Roncador reef in the Caribbean sea. Next he was assigned to the frigate "Colorado," the flagship of the squadron, under command of Rear- Admiral Goldsborough. J. C. Wat- son, who was then a lieutenant-commander like Dewey, and who is now a rear-admiral, was one of Dewey's messmates in the same vessel. W. W. Stone, who was ship's writer on board the flagship, relates an inci- dent which involves not only the two lieutenant-commanders, but the admiral as well. An Irishman in this Story. Admiral Goldsborough's valet, John, who at one time had been a ser- vant of President Lincoln in the White House, was a witty but bungling Irishman. One morning the admiral sent word down to John that he wanted his glass, meaning, of course, his spyglass. John, as usual, how- ever, misunderstood, and came tramping up to the bridge with a goblet in his hand. "John, you're the devil's own valet," growled the admiral when lie saw him coming. Digitized byWcrosoft® 152 DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. "Faith, sor, I didn't think I'd come to that same when I took service wid ye, sor." ^ "Throw that blamed goblet overboard and go and get me my spy- glass as I told you, you infernal idiot." "Yes, sor," said John, calmly tossing the glass over the side. In doing so he narrowly escaped dashing it upon the upturned face of the executive officer, Lieutenant-Commander George Dewey. Mr. Dewey was on a tour of inspection, circling the frigate in one of the cutters. The "Colorado" had just arrived from Trieste. The passage down the Adriatic sea had been a stormy one, and the painstaking executive offi- cer of the vessel wanted to see for himself how the old ship looked after her battle with the waves. Dewey Wants to Know About It. "It was a lovely spring Sunday morning," says the narrator. "We had dropped anchor in the beautiful bay of Naples, and I had crept up into the mizzentop to drink in with boyish zest the delights of our glor- ious surroundings. Off our beam lay Ischia and Capri, standing like stern Roman sentinels on guard, at the horns of the bay. Ahead lay old Vesuvius, from M^hose grim apex I could see floating upward a hazy wreath, significant of the unrest beneath. I watched the old admiral with a great deal of interest. Had I been a kodak fiend I should then and there have forfeited my appointment by taking a snap shot at the irate officer as he glared at the sleek, unconcerned menial. " 'Go below, you blundering Irishman, before I have you tossed over after the glass.' The man disappeared with just the suspicion of a smirk on his innocent looking face. " 'Mr. Dewey would like to have you find out, sir, who is heaving ■crockery over the side of the ship, sir,' one of the crew of the cutter said to Lieutenant-Commander John Crittenden Watson, at the time officer of the deck. The admiral overheard the message of the angry executive and laughed quietly. " 'Tell Mr. Dewey that it was the admiral, my man,' said he soberly ; then, turning to Mr. Watson he remarked, 'He can't very well put the admiral in the brig, though I may deserve it.' " 'He may look around for a substitute, admiral,' answered Mr. Watson, smiling. Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. 153 " 'Oh, no, Dewey has too keen a sense of justice for that. Besides, I remember him saying once that he had no use for substitutes.' Dewey's Dignity Involved. "A few moments after this Mr. Dewey himself came over the star- board gangway, saluting the admiral with rather a haughty air. You see, a 32-pounder may spin merrily past a fellow's head aboard a man- o'-war and serve merely as a hook on which to hang the old time jest about a 'miss being as good as a mile,' but when a plain matter of fact, plebeian tumbler shoots past you, contrary to the articles of war and in direct violation of established naval etiquette, the circumstance that you have escaped mutilation is only an excrescence alongside of the glar- ing fact that your dignity has been very violently assaulted. "The admiral looked down and took in the situation. Descending to the quarter deck, be approached Dewey and said with a friendly air, 'I say, Dewey, did you ever read Handy Andy?' " 'Yes, sir,' rather shortly. " 'Well, now, I must have his cousin aboard.' And the admiral re- lated the glass incident. The two laughed over the blunder, Mr. Dewey having recovered his usual good nature by this time. When John Served President Lincoln. " 'You see, Dewey, I have a sort of interest in the fellow. The secre- tary recommended him to me as a good, faithful serving man. He had been attached to Mr. Lincoln as his personal attendant, and I took the scamp partly on that account. Ah, here he comes at last with my glass! John, did Mr. Lincoln ever score you for your awkwardness?' " 'No, sor, he never did. Many the time he tould me that it wor a mercy that we were tegither, because, said he, his mind wor taken off affairs of state by thinkin' did he wurruk harder tellin' me how to do things than if he wint and did them himself.' " 'Doubtless, doubtless,' said the admiral, laughing. " 'I want you to remember, John,' said Mr. Dewey severely, 'that it is strictly against the rules of this ship to throw anything over the sides. You came very near striking me in the head, with your glass tossing.' " 'That wor a pity, sor.' Digitized by Microsoft® 154 DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. "'A pity!' exclaimed Dawey savagely. 'By Jim, I'd have come up and had you put in double irons.' " 'No, sor, axin' yer pardon, I hope not.' " 'What's that?' roared the future admiral angrily. " 'Troth, sor, d'ye mind the mornin' tellin' me that ye wor to do the thinkin' an' I wor to obey orders, even if I bruk owners?' "The two laughed heartily at this hit, and John went below with colors flying." George Dewey Meets His Present Wife. Eeturning to the United States, Dewey was sent to duty at the Kittery Navy Yard, just across the river from Portsmouth, New Hamp- shire. He was a handsome and popular fellow, and a welcome visitor in the homes of the citizens of Portsmouth. Here it was that he met the young woman who became his wife, whose death a few years later was the greatest grief that has come into his life. Ichabod Goodwin of Portsmouth was the war governor of the state and to this day is spoken of as "Fighting Governor Goodwin." It was the daughter of the governor who became Mrs. Dewey. Governor Goodwin was himself a popular hero of the times. He had been one of the most loyal and ener- getic of the supporters of the Union during the days of strife and his favor was ready for any worthy man who had served his country. Dewey Has a Rival. Town gossip named two gallant naval officers as rivals for the hand of pretty Miss Susie Goodwin. One was young Dewey and the other Commander S. 0. Rhind. The latter was nearly twenty years the older of the two and of equally worthy service. He it was who took the powder- boat "Louisiana" almost to the walls of Fort Fisher, a deed of daring equal to that of Gushing with the "Albemarle." He had commanded the "Agawam," on which Dewey himself served for a short time during the war. But the young woman chose the young man, and Rhind sailed away, to become a rear-admiral in 1883, fifteen years before Dewey's great victory. Nowadays the people of Portsmouth recall that the odds were against the older and more dignified officer because, in addition to the great favor which the young lieutenant had won in the eyes of the Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. 155 young woman, there was the aid which was thrown into the balance by her father, the "Fighting Governor." "George is sort of reckless sometimes," the old gentlema^i once re- marked, "but hang me if I can help liking him. He's honest and full of grit, and he'll be heard from one of these days." Domestic Affairs and Promotion. Lieutenant-Cbmmander Dewey and Miss Susie Goodwin were mar- ried October 24th, 1867, and following the wedding a reception was held in the fine old Goodwin homestead, which is still standing on one of the quiet, elm-shaded streets of Portsmouth, occupied by members of the Goodwin family. In 1868 and 1869 Dewey was detailed for service at the Annapolis Naval Academy as an instructor, and at the end of that duty he obtained command of the "Narragansett," which was nearly all the time on special service of various sorts for five years. His commission as "com- mander" came on April 13, 1872. It seemed a promising, happy year of his life. A son was born on December 23, but the young mother lived but one week after that date. The child was christened George Goodwin Dewey. The father was never re-married. George Goodwin Dewey was graduated from Princeton College in June, 1898, and since that time he has been in the office of Joy, Langdon & Co., commission merchants, of New York City. Commander Dewey's service in the "Narragansett" included an in- spection of torpedo stations and then some years in making surveys of the Pacific coast. In 1876 he was made a lighthouse inspector, perform- ing the duties attached to such a post for two years, after which he be- came secretary of the lighthouse board, a position which he filled for more than four years. First Service in Asiatic Waters. Dewey's first service in Asiatic waters was in 1882, when he was assigned to the command of the "Juniata," on the Asiatic station. The events of 1898 proved that he used the two years allotted to him in the Orient at that time to good advantage by learning all that he could of the people and the ports of the West Pacific. Digitized by Microsoft® 156 DEWEY EROM WAE TO WAR. When the four vessels which formed the original "White Squadron" were completed,* the smallest of them, the "Dolphin," was placed under the command of Dewey and he was given his commission as captain September 27, 1884. A writer in a recent magazine relates an incident as having happened while Dewey commanded the "Dolphin," which cer- tainly never occurred, but which nevertheless reads well. "It was in New York harbor," he says, "while in the 'Dolphin,' that Captain Dewey showed how thoroughly he knew the vagaries of human nature as well as the principles of good discipline. Perhaps he bore in mind some lesson inculcated in early youth by a wise father. At any rate, the admiral has always been noted for his ability to deal with 'Jack.' The 'Jack' in question was a paymaster's yeoman, or something of the kind, and he refused to obey an order of the first lieutenant, be- cause, he said, it was outside the line of his duty. The lieutenant, after vainly remonstrating with him, reported the matter to Captain Dewey, who sauntered out on deck and looked his man through and through, which made the yeoman exceedingly uncomfortable. Nevertheless, he remained stubborn. "'What,' said the captain, 'you refuse! Do you know that that is mutiny? When you entered the service you swore to obey your superior officers.' "The man was silent and made no move, whereupon the captain very quietly told the corporal to call the guard, stood the obdurate yeoman on the far side of the deck, and bade the marines load. Then he took out his watch. " 'Now, my man,' said he, 'you have just five minutes in which to obey that order,' and began to call the minutes. At the fourth count the yeoman moved off with considerable alacrity, and has since been one of the strongest opponents of the policy of tampering with 'the old man,' as the admiral has been for some time affectionately called in the fore- castle." Commanding the Flagship in Europe. In 1885, Captain Dewey was placed in command 6t the "Pensacola," the flagship of the European squadron, remaining on that station for three years. In this time he visited all the principal European ports, and gained familiarity with many of the European naval conditions, officers and fleets. Digitized by Microsoft® Dewey feom ^a"r 1:0 war. 157 A blue-jacket who made a cruise with him tells this characteristic story in the New York Sun: "We hadn't been to sea with him long before we got next to how he despised a liar. One of the petty officers went ashore at Gibraltar, got mixed up with the soldiers in the canteens on the hill, and came off to the ship paralyzed. He went before the captain at the mast the next morn- ing. He gave Dewey the 'two-beers and sun-struck' yarn. Dewey Has No Patience With. Lying. " 'You're lying, my man,' said Dewey. 'You were very drunk. I my- self heard you aft in my cabin. I will not have my men lie to me. I don't expect to find total abstinence in a man-o'-war crew. But I do expect them to tell me the truth and I am going to have them tell me the truth. Had you told me candidly that you took a drop too much on your liberty, you'd have been forward by this time, for you, at least, re- turned to the ship. For lying you get ten days in irons. Let me have the truth hereafter. I am told you are a good seaman. A good seaman has no business lying.' "After that there were few men aboard who didn't throw themselves on the mercy of the court when they waltzed up to the stick before Dewey, and none of us ever lost anything by it. He had to punish us in accordance with the regulations, but he had a great way of order- ing the release of men he had to sentence to the brig before their time was half worked out." In 1889, Captain Dewey was made chief of the Bureau of Equip- ment and Recruiting, with rank of commodore. Four years later he Avas made a member of the Lighthouse Board, of which he had been secretary in 1877. In 1896 he got his commission as commodore and was made president of the Board of Inspection and Survey. This is the place that he held when ordered to sea duty in the late fall of 1897, with in- structions to assume command of the Asiatic station, where he hoisted his flag on the Olympia on January 3, 1898. Sent to Command the Asiatic Squadron. It is said that Admiral Dewey was reluctant to go to the station chosen for him. If it was to be peace, shore duty in Washington was Digitized by Microsoft® 158 DEWEY PROM WAR TO WAR. quite as tempting as dull service in the Orient. If it was to be war with Spain, he regretted being sent so far from the probable field of action in the Atlantic. However, he made no protest. His friends felt, as he did, that his health would be improved by a return to sea duty. He noted the fact in conversation with friends when leaving New York that he was to be the first commodore in Asiatic waters since Perry, who opened Japan to the world. The remark was significant. He proved to be the right man for the place. Farewell Banq.uet to the Commoaore. Commodore Dewey's long residence in Washington made him a prominent figure in oflicial and social circles there, and no officer .in the navy is perhaps more widely or agreeably known than he. On his de- parture for Yokohama last November, a dinner was given for him at the Metropolitan club, at which the following verses — then scarcely ap- preciated at, perhaps, their true prophetic worth — were read by Colonel Archibald Hopkins: Fill all your glasses full to-night; The wind is off the shore, And, be it feast or be it fight. We pledge the commodore. Through days of storm, through days of calm. On board Pacific seas. At anchor off the Isles of Palm, Or with the Japanese, Ashore, afloat, on deck, below. Or where our bulldogs roar. To back a friend or beat a foe, We pledge the commodore. We know our honor'll be unstained. Where'er his pennant flies; Our right respected and maintained, Whatever power defies. Digitized, by Microsoft® 'GEORGE DEWEY WAS THE LAST MAN BURNING MISSISSIPPI" TO LEAVE THE Digitized by Microsoft® ¥ mm AN INTERESTING MONUMENT This monument is standing in the old cemetery at Westfield, Mass., and was erected in i6go to the memory of the first Dewey born on American soil. Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY PROM WAR TO WAR. 161 'And when lie takes the homeward tack Beneath an admiral's flag, We'll hail the day and bring him back, And have another jag. (Dolonel Hopkins afterwards added this postscript to his toast: Along the far Philippine coast, Where flew the flag of Spain, Our commodore to-day can boast 'Twill never fly again. And up from all our hills and vales. From city, town and shore, A mighty shout the welkin hails: "Well done, brave commodore! "Now, let your admiral's pennant fly; You've won it like a man Where heroes love to flght and die- Right in the battle's van." What McKinley Said About Dewey. When the victory of Manila bay fully dawned upon the minds of the American people, there was a unanimous call from press and pulpit for some prompt and official recognition for George Dewey and his gal- lant associates. President McKinley responded to this popular feeling with the following message to Congress : To the Congress of the United States: On the 24th of April I directed the Secretary of the Navy to tele- graph orders to Commodore George Dewey, of the United States Navy, commanding the Asiatic squadron, then lying in the port of Hong Kong, to proceed forthwith to the Philippine Islands, there to begin operations and engage the assembled Spanish fleet. Promptly obeying that order, the United States squadron, consist- ing of the flags.hip Olympia, the Baltimore, the Ealeigh, the Boston, Digitized by Microsoft® 162 DEWEY ^BOU WAR TO WAR. the Concord and the Petrel, with the revenue cutter McCulloch as an auxiliary dispatch boat, entered the harbor of Manila at daybreak on the 1st of May and immediately engaged the entire Spanish fleet of eleven ships, which were under the protection of the fire of the land forts. After a stubborn fight, in which the enemy suffered great loss, these vessels were destroyed or completely disabled, and the water bat- tery of Cavite silenced. Of our brave officers and men not one was lost, and only eight injured, and those slightly. All of our ships escaped any serious damage. By the 4th of May Commodore Dewey had taken possession of the naval station at Cavite, destroying the fortifications there and at the entrance of the bay and parolling their garrisons. The waters of the bay are under his complete control. He has established hospitals within the American lines, where 250 of the Spanish sick and wounded are assisted and protected. The magnitude of this victory can hardly be measured by the or- dinary standards of naval warfare. Outweighing any material advan- tage is the moral effect of this initial success. At this unsurpassed achievement the great heart of our Nation throbs, not with boasting nor with greed of conquest, but with deep gratitude that this triumph has come in a just cause, and that by the grace of God an effective step has thus been taken toward the attainment of the wished-for peace. To those whose skill, courage and devotion have won the fight, to the gal- lant commander and the brave officers and men who aided him, our country owes an incalculable debt. Feeling as our people feel and speaking in their name, I at once sent a message to Commodore Dewey, thanking him and his officers and men for their splendid achievement and overwhelming victory, and informing him that I had appointed him an acting rear-admiral. I now recommend that, following our National precedents and ex- pressing the fervent gratitude of every patriotic heart, the thanks of Congress be given Acting Rear- Admiral George Dewey, of the United States Navy, for highly distinguished conduct in conflict with the enemy, and to the Officers and men under his command for their gallantry in the destruction of the enemy's fleet and the capture of the enemy's fortifica- tions in the bay of Manila. WILLIAM M'KINLEY. Executive Mansion, May 9, 1898. Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. 163 Congress Thanks Dewey. The message was received by both Senate and House with marked enthusiasm, and, acting on the suggestion of the President, the follow- ing joint resolution was introduced and unanimously passed by a rising vote, every member standing : "Joint resolution tendering the thanks of Congress to Commodore George Dewey, U. S. N., and to the officers and men of the squadron under his command. "Kesolved, by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that in pursuance of the recommendation of the President, made in accordance with the provis- ions of section 110 of the Eevised Statutes, the thanks of Congress and of the American people are hereby tendered to Commodore George Dewey, U. S. N., commander-in-chief of the Asiatic station, for highly distin- guished conduct in conflict with the enemy as displayed by him in the destruction of the Spanish fleet and batteries in the harbor of Manila, Philippine Islands, May 1, 1898. "Section 2. That the thanks of Congress and the American people are hereby extended through Commodore Dewey to the officers and men under his command for the gallantry and skill exhibited by them on that occasion. "Section 3. Be it further resolved that the President of the United States be requested to cause this resolution to be communicated to Commodore Dewey and through him to the officers and men under his command." Dewey's Honors Multiply. But the official recognition of George Dewey did not stop with the adoption of these resolutions. Senator Hale of Maine at once intro- duced, and the Senate unanimously passed, a bill increasing the number of rear-admirals in the navy from six to seven, and the President im- mediately promoted Acting Rear- Admiral Dewey to the rank of rear- admiral. Senator Quay of Pennsylvania proposed that a jeweled sword be pre- sented by the government to Commodore Dewey, and Senator Lodge of Massachusetts responded by offering for adoption the following reso- lution: Digitized by Microsoft® 164 DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. "That the Secretary of the Na^^y be and he is hereby authorized to present a sword of honor to Commodore George Dewey, and to cause to be struck bronze medals commemorating the battle of Manila bay, and to distribute such medals to the officers and men of the ships of the Asiatic squadron of the United States, under command of Commodore George Dewey on May 1, 1898, and that to enable the Secretary to carry out this resolution the sum of |10,000 is hereby appropriated." This resolution was also agreed to without debate. Choice of a Sword for Dewey. In response to the publication of the resolution a great many de- signs were submitted. The committee consisted of Assistant Secretary of the Navy Charles H. Allen, United States Senator Henry Cabot Lodge, of Massachusetts, who introduced the joint resolution, and Pro- fessor Marshal Oliver, of the United States Naval Academy at Annap- olis. The design chosen was that of Mr. Paulding Farnham, of the house of Tiffany & Co., a member of the National Sculpture Society. The sword, with the exception of the steel blade and the body metal of the scabbard, is made entirely of pure gold, 22-karat fine; the grip is covered with fine shark-skin, bound with gold wire and inlaid with gold stars. Above the shark-skin the handle terminates in a richly carved and enamelled gold collar and pommel; a narrow band of oak leaves unites the shark-skin to the collar; then come the arms of the Admiral's native state, Vermont, with the motto, "Freedom and unity;" and above this, and spreading toward the top, is the Great Seal of the United States, with the blue field of the shield in enamel. The shield in the arms of Vermont is also enamelled. The collar is surmounted with a closely woven wreath of oak leaves, the standard decoration for rank, and the intervening spaces between the decorations are studded with stars. On the pommel is carved the name of the battle-ship Olympia and the zodiacal .sign for the month of December, when Dewey was born. Elaborate Decorations. The guard is composed of a conventional eagle, terminating in a claw clasping the top, the outspread wings forming the guard proper. The eagle bears a laurel wreath in its beak. The scabbard is of thin steel, damaskeened in gold with sprays of Kos Digitized by Microsoft® DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. 165 Marinus, signifying fidelity, constancy, and remembrance. The sprays are interlaced in the form of a series of cartouches, with a star in the center of each, while dolphins fill the outer spaces. Sprays of oak leaves and acorns secure the rings and trappings of the scabbard; above these, on the front of the scabbard, is a raised monogram in brilliants (dia- monds) entwining the letters "G. D.," and immediately under them are the letters "U. S. N.," surrounded by sprays of Eos Marinus. The ferrule, or lower end of the scabbard, terminates in entwined gold dolphins. An Inscription of Honor. The sword blade is damaskeened with the inscription: "The Gift of the Nation to Rear- Admiral George Dewey, U. S. N., in memory of the victory at Manila bay, May 1st, 1898." A Phoenician gallery, representing the first craft of the world's navies, supplies the rest of the ornament on this side of the blade. On the other side of the blade is shown a flight of the eagles of victory, bearing festoons of laurel. The mountings of the belt and trappings are the regulation buckles, pierced slide-rings and swivels — all of 22-karat gold ornamented with oak leaves and acorns. The bullion tassel and embroidered belting were especially made, and are mucb superior to those usuallj^ employed. The Congressional resolution was placed in the hands of one of the most expert of the many engrossing clerks employed by the Department of State, and, after several weeks of painstaking labor, was finally for- warded to Rear-Admiral Dewey on July 24, 1898. Acknowledgments from the Departments. The resolution was beautifully embossed and prefaced by a formal attestation of its authenticity by Secretary of State Day, the whole being enclosed in richly gilt and ornamented Russia covers. It is to be remarked that Secretary Long, in his letter of transmission, makes reference to a letter from the Secretary of State complimenting Admiral Dewey upon his direction of affairs, since the great naval victory, a for- mal evidence that the State Department is thoroughly well satisfied with the diplomatic qualities he has exhibited. The letter of Secretary Long is as follows : Digitized by Microsoft® 166 DEWEY FROM WAR TO WAR. "The Navy Department, Washington, July 24, 1898. — The depart- ment has received from the Secretary of State an engrossed and certified copy of a joint resolution of Congress, tendering the thanks of Congress to you and the officers and men of the squadron under your command, for transmission to you, and herewith encloses the same. "Accompanying the copy of the joint resolution the department received a letter from the Secretary of State requesting there be con- veyed to you his high appreciation of your character as a naval officer, and of the good judgment and prudence you have shovs^n in directing affairs since the date of your great achievement in destroying the Span- ish fleet. I take great pleasure in doing this, and join most heartily on behalf of the Navy Department, as well as personally, in the com- mendation of the Secretary of State. "JOHN D. LONG. "Rear- Admiral George Dewey, U. S. N., Commander-in-Chief United States Naval Forces, Asiatic Station." Admiral George Dewey. When Congress reconvened for the short session in December, 1898, Representative Livingston of Georgia introduced the following bill to revive the grade and rank of Admiral of the Navy for George Dewey, as a still further mark of consideration and reward for his services to his country: "Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, that, to provide prompt and adequate reward to Rear-Admiral George Dewey, the grade and rank of Admiral in the United States Navy be, and it is hereby re- vived, with the same duties, pay and privileges appurtenant thereto that were by law given to the former appointees to said rank, the said grade and rank to exist only during the lifetime of this officer." This bill passed both houses of Congress without opposition and was signed by the President with alacrity. Pursuant to the desire of the Nation, thus expressed, President McKinley commissioned Rear-Ad- miral Dewey as Admiral, and that rank is again held in the United States navy for the first time since it was vacated by the death of Ad- miral Porter, who succeeded Admiral Farragut in this rank when Far- ragut died. Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER IX. THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. The Orient Always an Object of Interest and Desire — Writers of Authority on the Philippines — Magellan's Famous Voyage under the Flag of Spain — The Ladrones Discovered — Arrival at Mindanao — Relations with the Natives — Legaspi Sails from Mexico for the Philippines — The Subjugation of the Islands — ^Revolt and Insurrection — The British Invasion. Far in that eastern ocean which was the object of so much daring venture for the navigators of the fifteenth, sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, lie those islands in which we are beginning to discover an interest — ^the Philippine archipelago. Then the Orient was a mysterious region, marked on the map by fabulous monsters, tempting men's cu- pidity by tales of fabulous wealth. Japan, Giina, the East Indies and the Indian and Burman peninsulas, with their coasts and adjacent is- lands, were considered then the treasure-house waiting to be despoiled by whatever European monarchs could reach them first, with adven- turous captains leading plundering expeditions. Cathay, Tartary, the Indies, the Spice Islands, were the names that appealed to men then, but they meant the same regions that are now the objects of rivalry among those interested in the "Eastern Question." In the last few hundred years, men have learned that no country offers wealth without work, but they are none the less anxious for commercial and political dominance over those lands of the Orient that were so obscurely known in the earlier day. The people of the United States find themselves thrust into a position where every interest de- mands that they possess the fullest information possible concerning the conditions they will have to meet in dealing with the strange races with which they will come in contact. This is equally true whatever solution of the involved problems is to be finally accepted as correct. Thus justified by the evident needs, I have not hesitated to draw Digitized by Microsoft® 168 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. upon the information gathered by other writers than myself concerning the Philippine islands, and for this service I desire to offer full acknowl- edgment. It is not possible now to Ivrite concerning the history, the resources, the races and the conditions of the Philippines without mak- ing use of the labor of John Foreman and Dean O. Worcester. , For many years the work of the former was the only one of consequence concerning the Philippines. Historically it still remains an essential contribution to the literature of the islands. Prof. Worcester made studies throughout the archipelago which will be of immense value in aiding to a solution of problems that may arise. His writings are those of the student and they form the most acceptable and recent authority on details of the characteristics and conditions of the people and the islands. From a recent work by Trumbull White, too, many of the descriptive and historical facts have been drawn. The acknowl- edgment is made thus definite here, because this book will be more indebted to these works than can possibly be indicated by quotation marks. Notable Era of Exploration. It was only twenty-seven years after the first voyage of Columbus that another voyage under Spanish auspices began, the results of which are now intertwined with our own history. The period of ex- ploration which made the fifteenth century notable and which was crowned by the voyages of Columbus, stimulated the navigators of Spain, Portugal, Holland, England and France to the utmost rivalry in their search for new lands and new seas. Balboa's discovery of the Pacific ocean induced many efforts to find the passage which pre- sumably would give access to it from the Atlantic, but venture after venture ended in failure. Spain was to profit once more by the work of an alien, who, like Columbus, had turned from his own country to a strange monarch for encouragement and means. Ferdinand Magel- lan or Hernando Maghellanes, as the name stands in its original form, was a nobleman of Portugal, who had campaigned for his king in wars at home, fighting bravely and winning fame. Jealdus companions attacked him, discrediting his service and the wounds that rendered him a cripple. Eesenting his sovereign's ingratitude, Magellan left Portugal, became a citizen of Spain and finally won the favor of King Charles I. In those days monarchs were not exempt from the commercial Digitized by Microsoft® 01 o bo a o a o < b» Z > <3 .2 a oj o >» 5 13 a o & at 4S Digitized by Microsoft® Digitized by Microsoft® < l-H < < > Q 2 D O D O Digitized by Microsoft® ■"" bo En's bo 6 n o ci3 a) frt' o bo ^■« g O'S <" O H i^ o Q W H O < N lU -.2 5 o B «^ ^ U] ■^ • 3 r^ n. ^ O ^ 1> — m^ •S "> C ^ E = w bo " t^ ^ -t-» aj -^ dm "■ a «> "P 3 > J5 •"* '-HI .2 >,-S S « « g,& » if. " ° oTbo-S ^,-5 a, a! Digitized by Microsoft® THE PmLIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. 173 spirit, and an agreement was made by which Magellan undertook the discovery of new spice islands. The king provided five vessels fully equipped and was a partner in the venture to the extent of sharing the larger part of the prospective profits. It was on the tenth day of August, 1519, that the explorer set sail with his modest fleet, and four months later the first stage of the voyage terminated with safe arrival at Rio de Janeiro. Hardships of Magellan's Voyage. Magellan had to undergo an experience like that of his illustrious predecessor and face a mutiny. Sailing from the Brazilian capital southward, in the endeavor to find a passage to the Pacific, he encoun- tered severe cold weather and resultant restlessness. The commander planned to enter one of the rivers which came down to the ocean from the interior of South America and there pass the winter, but his officers and crews disagreed on this proposition, some wishing to sail for home, some willing to follow their leader's plan, and others anxious to form plans of their own. It was the captains themselves who were most difficult to discipline. One of them was executed, in punishment for an attack made upon the commander, and another was set ashore in irons. Then the fleet entered the river as Magellan willed and passed the winter there in safety and comfort. The expedition moved slowly southward after spring opened, losing one ship by desertion and an- other by wreck, but on the 28th of October, 1520, the remaining three reached the straits separating Patagonia from Tierra del Fuego, which ever since has been known by the name of this first European com- mander who passed through them. Sailing westward and northward for many weeks, on the 16th of March, 1521, Magellan discovered what we now know as the Ladrone or Marianne islands. Magellan gave them a more musical name, call- ing them the Islas de las Velas or islands of the sails, because of the resemblance of some of the sharper hills, from a distance, to the sails of his vessels. After a short stay on these islands Magellan sailed southwestward, reaching for his next landfall the north coast of Min- danao, the largest island of the southern Philippines. Digitized by Microsoft® 174 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTOEY. Natives Welcome the Strangers. Like Columbus in the West Indies, the explorer found the natives friendly and glad to furnish the Spaniards with plentiful provisions. The local chief, vs^ho was, perhaps, the king of the island, related enticing tales of the riches of the other islands in the archipelago, par- ticularly of Gebu, and offered to pilot the expedition there because the king was a relative of his. Naturally this generous proposition was ac- cepted with alacrity, and Magellan, after taking formal possession of Mindanao in the name of his Spanish patron, sailed away for the neighboring islands. He reached Cebu on the 7th of August, his arrival spreading alarm among the natives who saw from the beach the strange craft. The chieftain from Mindanao, however, gave them assurance that the strangers were but seeking food and were without any hostile design. The king of Cebu thereupon proposed to make a treaty with Magellan with both Spanish and native ceremony. This proposition was wel- comed by the Spanish commander, who brought his men on shore, where impressive ceremonies were performed. The Spaniards erected a hut and celebrated mass in it, much to the interest of the impres- sionable natives. The members of the royal family and their retainers and other influential men were baptized and swore allegiance to their new master, the King of Spain, Then the native custom followed and the ceremony of exchange of blood in token of brotherhood was cele- brated. No time was lost in beginning the activities which were to follow this offensive and defensive alliance. The king was in the midst of war with some of his neighbors and Magellan entered into the con- flict with his own men and arms with apparent pleasure. The result was fateful to him. Within a few months he was wounded during an unimportant skirmish on the little island of Mactan, and died there in a short time. First Circumnavigation of the Globe. When the dominant force of Magellan's personality was lost, the expedition's difficulties began to multiply. Trouble rose between Spanish and natives and twenty-seven of the former were slain jy Digitized by Microsoft® THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. 17S treachery at a banquet where they had been guests of honor. The total number of men for the three ships was now reduced to one hun- dred, an altogether insufficient number for the long homeward voyage. As a measure of prudence, one of the vessels was burned and the other two sailed westward again, this time discovering the large island of Palawan and touching a part of north Borneo. At Tidor a cargo of spices was taken aboard, but one of the vessels sprang a leak and had to be abandoned. The other continued the voyage and finally reached Spain again, after undergoing many more hardships and adventures for her crew, thus completing the first circumnavigation of the globe. Although the results of this notable voyage were sufiicient to stim- ulate King Charles to the organization of two more expeditions, neither of them accomplished anything commensurate with the expense, labor and time involved. It was more than forty years later before any serious attempt was made to reduce the lands to possession. Although the Philippines were nominally a part of the Spanish realm, their value was a matter of doubt, no commerce with them was organized, they produced no revenue, and there was not even a Spanish officeholder in the whole of the archipelago. It was Philip II., in whose honor the islands were to be named, inspired by religious zeal, who set out to conquer and convert to Catholicism the millions of islanders. From Mexico to the Philippines. The expedition was equipped in the American colonies of Spain, four ships and a frigate being made ready on the west coast of Mexico. Four hundred soldiers and sailors were gathered as an army of inva- sion under the famous leader, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, with six Augus- tine monks to introduce Christianity and look after the spiritual wel- fare of the native races who were to be conquered. The date of this expedition was 1563, but its progress was slow and some years inter- vened before the islands came under extended influence of the Span- iards. Legaspi took possession of Magellan's Islas de las Velas on the way, changing the name to the Ladrone or "robber" islands, as a tribute to the expert thievery of the natives, who" adroitly stole a boat from one of his ships, Legaspi reached the Philippines first at Camaguin, and after Digitized by Microsoft® 176 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. touching at Bohol and sending one of his boats to Mindanao, decided to begin liis invasion of Cebu. Tlie ruling monarch, who had succeeded the king of Magellan's time, was much exercised upon the arrival of the squadron, and, selecting one of his bravest subjects, sent him as a spy to report on the Spaniards. The man came back deeply im- pressed by what he had seen, to assure his sovereign that the ships were manned by giants with long pointed noses, who were dressed in magnificent robes, ate stones, drank fire and blew smoke out of their mouths. With such a report as that filed for his official consideration, the king could do little but make peace with the powerful strangers. When Legaspi landed on the 27th of April, l665, to take possession of the town, he met a welcome, but the natives soon became suspicious of his motives and made energetic attacks upon him. At one time his force was in great danger of extermination, but he held on bravely while the people grew accustomed to the new conditions. Then the Portuguese appeared on the scene and set up a claim for the islands, but they were soon driven off and the pacification of Cebu and the neighboring islands proceeded steadily. In 1569 Panay was invaded and the next year Legaspi's grand- son, Salcedo, was sent with an expedition to subdue Luzon. June 24, 1571, the first city council of Manila was established and forms of government were enacted. One year later Legaspi died. The remarkable energies and abilities of this first conqueror of the Philippines cannot be ignored. His achievements were almost incredible. In Spain to-day he is still named as one of their notable heroes of conquest. ' Spanish and Chinese at War. The Spaniards were hardly more than comfortably settled in pos- session of their easily acquired new domain, when troubles began to brew. The rulers of China and Japan both claimed rights in the archipelago, and the former made a strenuous effort to enforce his rights and expel the rival conquerors. The most desperate of these attacks was that under the Chinese general and pirate, Li Mah Ong. The records are somewhat confusing as to his identity and status. At any rate he chanced to fall in with, a Chinese trading junk which was returning from a trip to Luzon. This Digitized by Microsoft® THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. 177 he captured and forced her crew to pilot him to Manila. He brought with him a formidable fleet of sixty-two armed junks. Hurried prepa- rations were made for the defense of Manila against the threatened raid. The Chinese attacked the city immediately upon their arrival, forcing their way within the walls of the citadel itself. Hand to hand combats lasted for several days. The Spaniards fought with bravery, finally repelling the Mongolian invaders. Many vessels of the Chinese fleet were destroyed and large numbers of the soldiers and sailors killed. Li Mah Ong next landed on the west coast of Luzon, establishing a settlement at the mouth of the Agno river, where he remained un- disturbed for several months. Then a strong force was sent against him and again he was driven out. With the larger part of his force he left the archipelago for good. Many of the soldiers, however, were driven into the mountains as fugitives. With characteristic Chinese philosophy they settled in the fertile valleys of the interior and started communities which are still flourishing at the present time. They took wives from among the savages and to-day their descendants are hardly distinguishable from other Malays, although they take deep pride in their descent and look down upon their neighbors as being of an inferior race. Mongolians Massacred in the Philippines. The Spanish conquerors did not forget their antagonism to the Chinese, and at various times there were general massacres of the Mongolians which cost them thousands of lives. One of the more nota- ble massacres of the Chinese took place in 1662. There was a Mongol chief in China who refused to yield at the time of the Tartar invasion in the middle of the seventeenth century. Instead he sailed to Formosa ■with, his troops. At that time Dutch settlements had been founded in the island and 2,800 of the Europeans were attacked by about 100,000 Chinese and were forced to surrender. Word reached Manila that the Chinese were contemplating a descent upon the Spanish colony and the governor of the Philippines accused the Chinese among his own sub- jects of conspiracy in the contemplated attack. All the available forces were concentrated and when everything was ready the Chinese were incited to rebel and a general massacre followed. Men, women and Digitized by Microsoft® 178 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. cliildren were killed indiscriminately, the Spaniards at first intending to kill every one of the Chinamen. Before they had carried out this intention it fortunately occurred to them that the resulting lack of tradesmen and mechanics Would cause inconvenience, so those who re- mained alive were graciously pardoned on condition of laying down their arms. Some of the Chinese escaped to Formosa. In 1709 another massacre of Chinese occurred, this time only a few hundreds of the luckless Mongolians being killed. The rest of them, however, were deported, and after the fashion that had been estab- lished, all their property was confiscated and divided between the church and the state. Between 1628 and the middle of the next century nine attempts were made by the Spaniards to conquer the Sulu islands, but in every in- stance they were repulsed with heavy losses. Three Centuries of Insurrection. The history of insurrection and revolt in the Philippines does not begin with 1896. Although our interest has not been sufficient to be directed to the Philippines until recently, the population of those islands have had to contend with oppression which they have resented by up- risings frequently and energetically. The first noteworthy uprising was made by the natives of Bohol in 1622. The causes which led to it were the same that have provoked many of the more recent revolts- — namely, the tyranny of the church and the burdensome taxes levied by church and state alike. The rebels were dispersed by troops under the governor of Cebu. So far as the causes of the outbreak of insurrections are concerned, they do not need to be reiterated in the successive revolts. Sometimes some special feature of oppression stim- ulated the outbreak, but the seeds of discontent always lay dormant under Spanish dominion ready to germinate at the slightest signal. The people of northeast Mindanao broke out with another revolt in 1629 and were promptly suppressed. Twenty years later, the people of Samar rebelled on account of an attempt to force them into mili- tary service. Under the leadership of a chief named Sumoroy they killed a priest and sacked the churches along the coast. The governor of the island dispatched native emissaries to bring in Sumoroy's head, but they sent him instead the head of a pig. The revolt spread and Digitized by Microsoft® THE PHILIPPINE ISLiVNDS IN HISTORY. 179 troops were dispatched into the interior to quell it. They failed to take Sumoroy, but found his mother in a hut, and, true to Spanish traditions, literally tore the defenseless old woman to pieces. Sumoroy was at length betrayed by his own people. This uprising spread to other provinces and trouble arose in Masbate, Cebu and Mindanao. In the latter island things assumed so threatening an aspect that a large force of infantry was sent against the rebels. The officer in command, being a diplomatist, first published a general pardon in the name of the king. He then made prisoners of the crowds of insurgents who flocked to his camp and sent them to Manila, where a few of them were par- doned and others executed, the majority, however, being made galley slaves. Revolt at the Cavite Arsenal. The natives of Pampanga province grew weary of being obliged to cut timber for the Cavite arsenal without pay, and in 1660 they revolted. Neighboring provinces joined in the rebellion and a native named Malong was declared king. He organized an army which was re- cruited to the number of nearly 40,000. Many Spaniards were killed, but the natives were finally defeated and scattered. The Jesuit priesthood in the Philippines was_the stimulus for one of the more successful insurrections. In 1744 the despotism of a Jesuit priest caused an uprising in Bohol. The priest had not only ordered his parishioners arrested when they failed to attend mass, but had directed that the body of one of them should be left unburied to decay in the sun. The brother of this man organized a force, captured the priest and paid him in his own coin, killing and exposing his body for four days. The rebel forces were rapidly augmented by men who complained that while they were risking their lives in military service for the eovernment, their homes were wrecked and their wives and families maltreated to secure the payment of tribute. The insurgents main- tained their independence for thirty-five years, at the end of which time the Jesuits were expelled from the colony. Insurrections of the Present Century. The famous revolt led by Novales and Ruiz occurred in 1823. Under these officers a body of native troops tried to seize Manila and place Digitized by Microsoft® 180 THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. their leaders at the head of the government. It is needless to say that the attempt was an utter failure, but it was very fierce and blood- thirsty, although short, and is said to have cost the lives of 5,000 people within a week. Among the other uprisings which may be mentioned are one in Cebu in 1827 and one in Negros in 1844. The latter is said to have resulted from the governor's compelling state prisoners to work for his private advantage. Until the rebellion of 1896 broke out, the most formidable insur- rection occurred at Cavite in 1872. There were conspirators both at the arsenal and in the capital and it had been agreed that when the opportune moment arrived, the Manila contingent should signal the fact by discharging a rocket. .The Cavite insurgents mistook fireworks sent up at a local celebration for the expected signal and began opera- tions prematurely. They were forced to retire to the arsenal and all were eventually killed or captured. Hostility to the Spanish friars was at the bottom of this uprising also. A certain Dr. Burgos had headed a party which demanded ful- fillment of the decisions of the Council of Trent prohibiting friars from holding parishes. These provisions had never been carried out in the Philippines, and the various orders were steadily growing more rich, powerful and arrogant. It is commonly believed that churchmen were the real instigators of this revolt, desiring to involve Burgos and his followers in treasonable transactions and thus bring about their death. However this may have been, the 'friars insisted t-hat they should be executed and were able to enforce their desire. The English Capture of Manila. In the latter half of the eighteenth century, when all Europe was at war, the Philippines did not escape the consequences of those far-away hostilities, Great Britain declared war against France and Spain in 1761. Havana was captured by the British, and a fleet was dispatched under Admiral Cornish with orders to take Manila. On the 22d of September, 1762, this fleet arrived before the doomed city, and land forces were disembarked under command of General Draper. After a stout resistance upon the part of the Spanish garrison, which was brave but far inferior to the Ehglish force in numbers, the city finalljr fell. Digitized by Microsoft® H ci Z w ^ S o Q o 0^ OJ < a CQ > S 0, C) 0) m ^ >« .s pa H OJ o D oi o 1-. cc; 1 ^ o Z > u H -a U ^ Ui •rt Cti 0) H CO ^ W o Q CJ r; m a a- Q J2 >" o ct; -tJ w o > f:* m ^ .c n ol a, C/J Digitized by Microsoft® THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS IN HISTORY. 183 The terms of capitulation were drawn up by Draper and the arch- bishop of Manila, who in the absence of a governor-general was serving in a double capacity. The agreement called for freedom in the exercise of religion; security of private property; free trade for all the inhabi- tants of the islands, and the continuance of the courts for the main- tenance of order. The Spanish were to pay an indemnity of |4,000,000. In harmony with a custom then sadly common among victorious armies, the city was given over for pillage. The English troopers are said to have shown moderation, but the Sepoys, of whom Draper had brought 2,200 from India, outraged, robbed and murdered the inhabitants in the very streets. On the following day there was a similar scene, where- upon the archbishop protested and Draper restored order. British Occupation Incomplete. The surrendered territory included the whole archipelago, but the English never occupied more than that part of it which lay immediately around Manila. Even there they were not left undisturbed. One of the justices of the supreme court named Simon de Anda escaped in a native boat to the province of Bulacan. He declared himself governor- general and raised an army, but the desultory fighting which ensued between his forces and the British had no decisive results. A con- spiracy to assassinate Anda. and his Spanish followers was discovered among the Chinese in Pampanga province and a massacre of the Mon- gols followed. Anda was so enraged with them that he issued a procla- mation declaring them all traitors and ordered them hanged wherever found. Thousands who had been in no way concerned in the conspiracy are said to have been executed. The war indemnity which had been agreed upon was not forth- coming. The British forces were harassed by attacks from without the city and by fear of treachery within, and at last the officers fell to quarreling among themselves. Meanwhile the war had come to an end in Europe, and the evacuation of Manila had been provided for by the terms of the treaty of Paris concluded on the 10th day of February, 1763. Anda, however, refused to consider the war ended until his authority was recognized, and hostilities in the Philippines continued for some months. Finally a new governor-general came from Spain. The British commanders were quite ready to turn the difficult problem Digitized by Microsoft® 184 THE PHlLirrlNE ISLAls^DS IN HISTORY. over to him, and tliey promptly evacuated the city and sailed away, although a considerable portion of the indemnity still remained unpaid. It is more than likely that England would have kept the Philippines at that time if the European war had continued much longer, but Spain and France both sued for peace and the same treaty which ended the French and Indian war, as it was known in the American colonies of Great Britain and of France, provided for the restitution of Manila to the- government at Madrid. The Cholera Panic in the Philippines. A crisis of another form came to the Philippine islands in 1820, which almost destroyed civilization in the colony. For the first time in its modern history the archipelago was invaded by Asiatic cholera. It began at Sampaloc, near Manila, spread to the capital city and thence went into every part of Luzon. The mortality was frightful, some records declaring that over one-half of the population died from the disease. In the height of the epidemic the ignorant Spaniards and natives were seized with the idea that the disease was the result of a wholesale plot to poison them in the interests of the foreigners of the community. Mobs rose all over the island and massacred Chinese, French, English, Americans, and finally the Spaniards themselves. Houses. were burned, citizens robbed and buildings looted. Ultimately the disorders were quelled. Since the revolt of Novales and Ruiz in 1823, the career of the Philippines has been comparatively calm and quiet except the Burgos rebellion at Cavite in 1872. There have been many minor uprisings, riots and revolts, but the policy of the government has grown sterner with the years and merciless measures have been put in effect. The smallest riot has been the signal for martial law. Small gunboats have made it possible to rush troops to the scene of every insurrection and not too much care has been taken to be sure of the guilt of those ar- rested. Every one involved or suspected usually has been tried by court martial and shot without delay. It was this condition that led up to the revolt of 1896. Beginning with that revolution the history of the Philippines has an American point of view to be considered. Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER X. ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. The Native Tribes of the Philippines — Islands Comprising the Group — ^Oll matic Conditions — Safeguards Against Disease — Earthquakes and Volcanoes — Animal and Vegetable Life — Land and Water Reptiles — Beasts and Birds in Countless Numbers — Extensive Pearl Fisheries — Mineral Wealth of the Islands — Chinese Interests in the Mines — Valuable Discoveries and Future Development. It> has been the general impression among travelers in the Orient that the Philippines contained little of interest to them outside of the island of Luzon, and. to many of them the city of Manila has been the only objective point. Possibly the tourist would make a few trips into the interior of Luzon, and on rare occasions a hurried visit to one or two of the adjacent islands might be included in the itinerary. The traveler who has made these excursions is usually of the opinion that he has seen all of importance that is to be seen. This popular con- ception of the islands is greatly at variance with the facts in the case. There are more than eighty distinct tribes of the natives who form the bulk of the eight million inhabitants of the island. They are scattered over hundreds of islands, large and small, and wide travel is necessary if one wishes really to know something of the country and its people. It is true in the Philippines, as in every other country, that the traveler who confines his observations to the cities and towns will fail to gain intimate information and knowledge of the essential characteristics of the whole people. In the Philippines, more than in most other places, it is necessary to turn one's back upon the cities and towns and turning from the beaten path, push into the almost unex- plored regions where the wild tribes are to be found. In the study of these primitive peoples and in the wonders of the tropical forests one will find ample repayment for the risks and hardshit)S he certainly will be forced to undergo. Among the islands, opf^egf jgij? M/a»aigOjW^cation are limited and in 186 18G ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. many instances primitive. Between the more important cities of the group there are lines of mail and merchant steamers, which afford tolerably frequent and even comfortable communication, but the dif- ficulties multiply when one attempts to visit the interior of the larger and less explored islands or to reach ports where vessels do not call. Native sailboats must be called into service and extreme discomfor-t sometimes undergone. The carriage roads, even in the vicinity of the larger towns, are usually in bad condition, impassable in the rainy sea- son, and little improved in the dry. On many a path, called by co»rtesy a road, one finds it impossible to travel even on horseback. Bridges are few and fords are frequently infested by man-eating crocodiles. Every traveler in the Philippines has ultimately to employ the water buffalo or coolies to carry himself and his baggage, or to walk, by choice, for greater comfort. & The Islands Composing the Group. The number of islands in the archipelago has been given all the way from six hundred to two thousand, a surprising variance of infor- mation suggests Professor Worcester, which should be approximately accurate. The larger estimate is extravagant unless the Carolines and Ladrone islands are included in the count with the Philippines proper. If they are excluded, the number of islands remaining certainly cannot count more than twelve hundred, even if every uninhabited rock and sand-pit that projects above sea level be reckoned. The following is a list of the more important islands, with their approximate area in square miles: Luzon 41,000 Leyte 3.090 Mindanao 37,500 i^egros 2,300 Samar 5,300 Cebu 1,630 Panay 4,600 Masbate 1,315 Palawan 4,150 Bohol 925 Mindoro 4,050 Catanduanes 450 The following islands have areas ranging from about 100 to 250 square miles: Basilan, Basuanga, Culion, Marinduque, Tablas, Dina- gat, Sulu, Guimaras, Tawi Tawi, Siquijor, Balabac, Sibuyan, Panaon, Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. 187 Camiguin, Eomblon, Ticao, Burias, Biliran, Siargao, and Polillo. The total land area is approximately 114,000 square miles, Luzon and Mindanao including more than half of it. Too much dependence cannot be placed upon the foregoing figures, even though they are taken from Spanish official estimates. The Pacific ocean side of the archipelago is so little known that an accurate statement of area is hard to be made. The extreme extent of the archipelago from north to south, count- ing all the outlying islands and including the Sulu archipelago, is about 1,300 miles, and the extreme breadth about half that distance, the lim- its of latitude being from five to twenty degrees north of the equator and of longitude from 117 to 127 degrees east of Greenwich. Storms of Wind and Eain. It is difficult to advise as to the best season for a journey through the provinces, for this varies with the locality to be visited. The whole archipelago except the southerly islands is affected by the trade winds. The southwest monsoon, beginning in April or May, blows for about five months. Then, after a short season of variable winds and calms, follows the northeast monsoon for a similar length of time. The south- west winds usually bring the i*ains, but the conditions of locality, altitude and surrounding mountain ranges may make weeks of difference in the beginning of the wet season. Elvers often overflow their banks during the months of the rains and extensive floods occur, but even these are much less feared than the destructive whirling storms of wind and rain known as typhoons. The more southerly islands are virtually exempt from these storms, but those islands and channels where they, do occur suffer great loss of property and life from the violent hurricanes. The force of the wind is almost incredible; huge trees are uprooted, houses are unroofed or carried away, and the stanchest ship may suffer destruction if it be in the vortex of the storm. In an ocean group extending through such a distance, it is neces- sarily true that the conditions of climate vary considerably, and it is impossible to generalize with accuracy. There is but one place in the islands where reliable temperature records have been kept, and it is from the observations of the Jesuit observatory in Manila that -the fol- lowing statistics are taken; The mean annual temperature in the cap- Digitized by Microsoft® 188 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. ital is 80 degrees, the thermometer almost never rising above 100 in the shade nor falling below 60. There is no month in the year during which it does not rise as high as 91, while the mean monthly tempera- tures are as follows: January 77, February 78, March 81, April 83, May 84, June 82, July 81, August 81, September 81, October 80, Novem- ber 79 and December 77. In addition to the fact that the mean temper- ature of the year is 80 degrees, falling to only 77 in the coolest months, it must be remembered that during most of the time the humidity of the atmosphere is great, which makes the heat doubly trying. Through the winter months the nights are usually fairly cool, but during the hot season there, is little relief from one week's end to another. The climate of the Philippine islands may be wholesome or trying to Americans, according to the place selected for residence and the local conditions, as well as the care that the individual may be able to take of himself. Malaria is very prevalent in some of the islands, notably in Mindoro, Balabac and portions of Talawan, Mindanao and Luzon, but there are many localities entirely free from it. Physical Effects of the Climate. One who has made a special study into the climatic conditions as they interest Americans, Professor Dean C. Worcester, speaks concern- ing those things as follows : "I have never yet experienced at sea level a day when a white man could endure severe physical exertion without suffering from the heat. If one is permanently situated in a good locality where he can secure suitable food and good drinking water; if he is scrupulously careful as to his diet, avoids excesses of all kinds, keeps out of the sun in the middle of the day, and refrains from severe and long-continued physical exertion, he is likely to remain well, al- ways supposing that he is fortunate enough to escape malarial infection. I knew an old Spaniard who at the end of a residence of thirty-nine years in the Philippines was able to boast that he- had not been ill a day. He had always been so situated that he could take care of himself and he had done it. But how is it with the explorer, the engineer, the man who would fell timber, cultivate new ground, or in some other way develop the latent resources of the country? Any one really exposed to the cli- mate under such circumstances will find it severe. He cannot humor his digestive apparatus, for his bill of fare will be limited to what he can Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. 189 carry and what the country affords, and he will be fortunate indeed if sooner or later he does not suffer severely from bowel trouble. He will be more than fortunate if he escapes malaria, which is especially preva- lent where forest land is being cleared or new ground broken. Fevers of Common Occurrence. "Our work sometimes made it necessary for us to visit localities where fever was known to be prevalent and we came to look upon it as one of the necessary evils of existence. A temperature of 106.5 was not comfortable, but it did not occasion us any alarm. After our third trip to Mindoro the temperature of one member of our party touched that mai'k on ten consecutive days; and I may add that, al- though I have visited Mindoro three times with other white men and have each time had considerable numbers of natives in my employ, I have never yet escaped malaria nor was any other member of our party, white or native, more fortunate. The traveler soon learns to recognize several types of fever: one recurs every third day, another every second day and a third daily. If promptly and energetically taken in hand, any of these may be shaken off, but the much dreaded calen- tura perniciosa is a very malignant disease, running its course in a few hours and frequently terminating with black vomit and death. Fortunately la perniciosa is very local in its occurrence, and the places where it is known to exist are shunned by natives and whites alike. "It has been shown in a number of instances that malaria was due to causes that could be remedied. Before the time of General Arolas, Sulu was a fever center. By improving the drainage of the town and by filling in low places with coral sand, he succeeded in almost com- pletely stamping out the disease. Still more striking results were ob- tained at Tataan, in Tawi Tawi, by an officer who had worked under General Arolas in Sulu. The garrison at this point had suffered ter- ribly and two governors had died there, but after the forest was cleared away for half a mile around the block house and the ground thor- oughly cleaned up, fever almost completely disappeared. Native Superstitions Regarding Disease. "It is unfortunately true that the climate of the Philippines is espe- cially severe in its effect on white women and children. It is very doubt- fu} ij^ jnj Judgment if manj^ successive generations of European or Digitized by Microsoft® 190 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. American children could be reared there. We must then, I think, necessarily admit that we have here a serious, though not necessarily insurmountable, obstacle to the development of the great resources of this remarkable country. Malaria and digestive troubles aside, the health of the colony is fairly good, and the danger from epidemic dis- ease is comparatively slight. Smallpox is always present, but it seldom spreads rapidly, as a large percentage of the natives have it during childhood, so that there is hardly material for an epidemic. Cholera is infrequent, but when it once starts cannot be controlled. The natives believe that a black dog runs down the streets and the disease breaks out behind him. They declare that it is the will of God and refuse to take the simplest precaution. Leprosy occurs, but is not common. There is a great deal of biri-biri in Balabac, and I have seen it in Mindoro. The bubonic plague has, fortunately, never gained a hold in the Philippines." Earthquakes and Volcanoes. The forces of nature which raised the Philippine islands from the sea are not yet at rest. Evidences of the action of earthquakes and volcanoes are visible on every hand throughout the archipelago, while elevation and subsidence are going on with great rapidity at the present time. It is not unusual to have a native assure one that he now fishes where his grandfather used to live, or vice versa. Some of the islands, notably Cebu, are covered with limestone caps and give indisputable evidence of having been heaved up from beneath the sea, while in other parts of the archipelago extinct volcanoes, sulphur deposits, old lava beds and boiling springs afford mute witness to the state of things which must have existed in the past. There yet remain many active volcanoes in the island. The most famous of these is the Mayon, an absolutely perfect cone about 8,900 feet in height, which is in a state of constant activity. It is situated in the island of Luzon, which suffered materially from its last de- structive eruption in 1888. Apo, in Mindanao, which is more than 10,000 feet in height, is the tallest of the mountains. The most de- structive of the volcanoes is Taal, also in the island of Luzon. It has been in destructive eruption repeatedly within the past two centuries and is still smoldering. With a height of but 900 feet, it is one of the lowest volcanoes in the world. It lies in the midst of a fresh-water Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. 191 lake and has the form of a very much truncated cone, its entire top having been blown off by a terrific explosion at the time of the last great eruption. Other active volcanoes are found in Mindanao, Cami- guin, Luzon, and the islands further northward of Luzon. Earthquakes are unknown in the Palawan group, but elsewhere in the archipelago they occur frequently and at times have been the cause of considerable damage to life and property. In all of the larger islands of the Philippines, moderately high mountains are found, there being many peaks ranging between 6,000 and 10,000 feet. Those which are not volcanic are for the most part clothed with vegetation. The peaks of northern Palawan are very rugged and much resemble the American Rockies. In Luzon and Min- danao there are fresh-water lakes and rivers of considerable size. The navigation of the rivers is greatly impeded by shifting sand bars at their mouths, so that A'essels drawing more than ten or eleven feet can- not safely enter them. Vast Areas of Forests3> Vast areas in many of the islands are still covered with magnifi- cent virgin forests, but the denudation of the country is going on steadily. When a native wishes to start a farm he clears away the trees on a tract of the desired size, burns them, and cultivates the ground thus laid bare. Sooner or later his plantation is invaded by a tall, rank grass known as cogon. With the simple implements at his disposal he cannot kill out this strong growing pest, so he aban- dons his ground and clears more. When the cogon once gets a hold nothing can compete with it, and the result is the great areas known as cogonales are overgrown with this almost useless grass, which has little utilitarian value. To some extent it is of service for thatch and for firewood, while at the close of the dry season, when the natives burn over the cogonales, the fresh green shoots which spring up after the first showers provide forage for cattle and horses. The astonishingly fertile soil of many of the islands produces crops year after year without thought of artificial enrichment. Animal and Vegetable Life. The animal and vegetable life of the Philippines offers a subject of endless interest to the traveler. Nature takes strange forms so Digitized by Microsoft® 192 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. universally that one sees hardly a single familiar thing in a Philippine landscape. The trees are different, the flowers are different, the birds and animals are different, while even the insects upon the earth and the fish witMn the sea are altogether novel. Parties of American zoologists who have traveled there have found the islands almost a virgin field for their labors, so little have the Spanish done to investigate scientifical]3^ Not all of the surprises are pleasant, nor does one have to be a zoologist to come early into contact with the animal life of the Philip- pines. It is necessary if one is to enjoy any comfort during his resi- dence in the islands, to rise superior to such trivial things as armies of cockroaches and plentiful mosquitoes and rats. The cockroaches grow to a size which justifies them in being classified as beasts of prey, those three or four inches in length being quite common. They are annoying pests for their destructiveness, playing havoc with every- thing of leather and paper. Snakes Used as Ratcatchers. In order to counteract the attacks of the rats, nearly all of the older houses in Manila possess what are called house-snakes. These are harmless but huge reptiles, generally twelve or fourteen feet long, which permanently reside in the roof and live on the rats. They live between the cloth ceilings and walls of the houses and the rafters, never leaving their abodes. The natives carry them about Manila for «ale, curled up around bamboo poles, to which their heads are tied. The Philippines contain several varieties of buffalo which are not found elsewhere. They are known in the language of the natives as carabaos. These water buffaloes are found wild in most of the larger islands. They are often caught young and tamed, after which they are employed for beasts of burden. They do most of the heavy haul- ing and carting of the country and are very docile although extrava- gantly slow. They require a daily mud bath and will not work without it. The price of the full-grown carabao broken to work is not more than thirty dollars at the outside and sometimes as low as ten dol- lars. There is a smaller buffalo, found only in the island of Mindoro, Vk^here it Jives jp the densest jungle, This little ai^imal, called tUf Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND EESOUECES. 193 timarau, is a creature of most vicious temper, apparently untam- able. It is graceful in shape and movement and runs very swiftly. Hair and skin are black and horns large and extremely sharp. The timarau if trapped will usually kill itself in trying to escape, and in any event will refuse to eat. It voluntarily attacks and kills the much larger carabao. Animal Foods in Abundance. Several species of deer are found in the archipelago, in some localities sufiiciently numerous to become a valuable addition to the meat supply. One species is hardly larger than a goat and another is still smaller. It is known as the chevrotain or mouse deer and i» ex- ceedingly rare. Wild pigs are found in the islands in great abundance. They live on food which produces very dainty flesh and the meat is much favored in Luzon. There are no wolves nor foxes in the islands and no wild dogs. Cattle are extensively raised for beef on some of the islands. They are of a small humped variety, and in the Visayan islands bullocks are often used as draft animals. Milk is always very scarce, while fresh butter and cheese are not to be had at any price. Goats are common and are prized both for their milk and their flesh. The Philippines are poor in carnivorous animals. A small wildcat and two species of civet-cats are the most conspicuous representatives of the order. The marsupials which are so numerous in the Austral- asian colonies are not found here. In Luzon and some of the other islands are numerous varieties of bats in great numbers. At nightfall in some places they are so numerous as to resemble a great flight of birds. The little vampire, which prefers blood for its diet, is there. Then the large fruit-bats occur in enormous colonies. Their fur has some commercial value and the natives occasionally eat them. Smaller insec- tivorous bats are numerous. Birds in Countless Numbers. Nature has been as generous to the Philippines in biras as she has been niggardly in animals. About 590 species have been identifled by ornithologists. Some of them are of great value as food and others are notable for their beauty. There are pheasants, pigeons, eagles, par- rots, ducks and song birds of great variety. Here in the Philippines Digitized by Microsoft® 19-1 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOUECES. is found that species of swift, or sea-swallow, which builds the nest so favored by the Chinese as a food. These nests are found at the proper season in caves or upon almost inaccessible cliffs, and the gathering of them is attended with considerable risk. They are made from a salivary secretion which rapidly hardens on exposure to the air into a substance resembling white glue in appearance. The best of the nests bring almost their weight in gold from the Chinese epicures. The reptiles of the Philippines are abundant in variety and num- ber. Crocodiles are found in the fresh-water lakes and streams, where they grow to great size. Every year they kill many men, horses, buf- faloes and smaller animals. Then there are iguanas or large land and marsh lizards, the largest of which grow sometimes eight feet in length. These, however, are altogether harmless, and they are considered very good eating by those who are willing to try them. Iguana eggs are almost exactly like turtle eggs. There are other smaller varieties of lizards, some of them living on the ground and others in trees, while in the houses of Manila the smallest are very common and are not considered to be an annoyance. Some of the species of snakes are very venomous, although the loss of life from snake bite is not great. Pythons and other snakes of the constrictor family are plentiful, but as they are not poison- ous they are in no way dreaded. The skins of these make a capital leather and are used a great deal for decorative work sold in shops. There are cobras in Samar, Mindanao, and the Calamianes islands. Tlien there are venomous varieties known as the rice-leaf snake and the alinmorani, the bite of which is as fatal as that of a rattlesnake. Besides these there are many water-snakes which are A-ery poisonous, some of them even in Manila bay. Extensive Pearl Fisheries. The fish-markets of Manila offer many varieties of fish in great quantity, nearly all strange to the American eye. Most of them, how- ever, are salt-v/ater fish. They form the staple animal food of the natives. Fresh-water fish are less important. Then there are several kinds of shell fish and crustaceans, all palatable and nutritious. Near Sulu there are extensive beds of pearl-oysters which yield beautiful shells and very fine pearls as well. At present the fisheries are entirely in the hands of More divers, and all pearls above a certain size Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. 195 go by right to the sultan of Sulu. Chinese buyers purchase the rest of the pearls and the shells. From another oyster, handsome black pearls are obtained. The fruits, flowers and trees of the Philippines are as varied and novel as the birds. There does not seem to be a spot in the Philip- pines, excepting around active volcanoes, where there is not exuberant vegetation. The climate is such as to encourage nature to do her best. Flowers seem to be more gorgeous than in any country within the tem- perate zone. Not only are the flowers indigenous to the Philippines found everywhere, but many transplanted to these islands have far outstripped their original growth. The geranium becomes a perfect weed in the gardens and fields of Manila, while the heliotrope grows as a great bush six feet high and a dozen feet in diameter, weighed down with a load of blossoms. Roses and tulips grow on trees. Oranges and lemons are grown here and produce their exquisite blos- soms in enormous quantities. Every yard is a blaze of blossoms, and flowers are so cheap that it is hardly necessary to pay for them. Fruits in Greatest Varieties. The fruits are even more novel than the flowers, hardly any of the northern varieties being found in the Philippines. The mango is found in its perfection and the banana will win favor from those who have never cared for it before. Paw-paws, shaddocks, oranges, lemons, limes, citrons, guavas, pineapples, cocoanuts, figs, grapes and tama- rinds are names most of them familiar to us at home, although the fruit in the Philippines is superioi;. Less familar dainties are the durien, the finest fruit of all, which has an exquisite flavor, but an odor like that of limburger cheese, the chica, the lomboy, the loquot, the mangosteen, the lanzon, custard apples, the santol, bread fr-uit, jack- fruit the mabolo, the laichee, the macapa and the avocado or alligator pear. The forests of the Philippines contain an inexhaustible supply of woods of many valuable sorts, which offer commercial opportunities as soon as the islands are opened for development. Perhaps no commer- cial opportunity is better than the one that will be found in the forests. The woods range from the quick-growing palm to the hard woods that require a century for their full development. Many are Digitized by Microsoft® 196 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIOXrt AXD RESOURCES. of remarkable beauty in color and grain, taking a high polish and undergoing the heaviest strains or severest wear without susceptible damage. The narra or Philippine mahogany is a beautiful wood, which grows to very great size. The banaba is hard, tough, and of a beau- tiful rose-pink color. There are many ebony trees of fine quality. The lanotan is often called ivory wood on account of the remarkable resem- blance it bears to ivory. A dozen others might be named, each with special qualities which give it great value and each found in quantity sufficient to justify deal- ing in it as a business enterprise. Under the Spanish regime the im- mense natural wealth in timber has not brought one-tenth of the in- come to the colony that it would under better conditions of trade. Yet, notwithstanding red tape and costly governmental interference, the profit is so large that a steady trade is done by Manila and Iloilo with other parts of the world. Mineral Wealth of the Islands. Three objects of search stimulated the energy and the cupidity of those monarchs of the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries who fostered the exploration of remote lands and seas. They wished to discover new races which might be converted to Christianity for their own gloi-y and the aggrandizement of the Church; they sought the islands that would produce rich spices and silks in order to pour the treasures of the Orient into their own coffers and their own kingdoms; further- more, they wanted to find gold and other precious metals which tradi- tion always locates in the least known and least accessible countries. Less attention, however, has been given by Spanish explorers to the mineral wealth of the Philippine islands than to any other phase of their natural riches. The Spanish government throughout almost the entire period of its possession, has not only refused to examine and develop its own resources, but has actually discouraged every one else who has attempted to do what it declines to do itself. Gold has long been known to exist in the Philippines, and was mined by the natives long before the Spanish discovered them. They say that the yellow metal has been extracted from the rocks and tht soil from time immemorial, and they still continue to dig it in a hap- hazard way, using the rudest and most wasteful methods. They know Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, COXDITIONF? AND RESOURCES. 197 nothing of amalgamation, nor do tliey understand tlie value of pyritic ores. They have neither powder nor dynamite, and work only rich quartz and alluvial deposits. For the latter they use washboards and riat wooden moulds, losing all the float-gold. The gold-bearing quartz is crushed by hand or ground between heavy stones turned by buffaloes and is then washed. The shafts are bailed by lines of workmen who pass small water-buckets from man to man. Even by these primitive methods, they obtain the precious metal in considerable quantities. Chinese Interests in the Mines. The gold of the Philippines was better known in the past than it is to-day. The Chinese books refer to the archipelago as a land of gold and many precious ores, and as a matter of fact one can learn more about the mineral resources of the country in Hong Kong than in Manila. As early as 1572 there were mines in North Camarines, which lies to the southeast of Luzon, and in the same century the natives practiced quartz mining in northern Luzon. In 1620 an army officer found out that some half-caste Chinese were extracting large quantities of gold from mines in the provinces of Ilocos and Pangasinan, in north- ern Luzon. The Chinese were attacked and killed, but the victorious soldiers never found the mines. Within recent years gold deposits were found on the east coast of Mindanao, and the captain of a steamer trading in that neighborhood reported that the output of the washings was at least ten pounds a day and that nearly all of it went to Chinese traders. Even in Manila province the natives washed the sand in the river near Montalban and obtained enough gold dust to pay them for their trouble. The Sulu warriors bring gold dust and nuggets to Borneo and claim that there is an inexhaustible supply on their island and Basilan. Valuable deposits of gold have been found in several other islands of the group. There are old alluvial workings in Cebu, and Mindanao has rich gold-bearing quartz in addition to its placer mines. On Panaon there is known to be at least one vein of gold-bearing quartz. The name of Mindoro is said to be derived from mina de oro (gold mine), and natives often offer travelers in that island a chance to see places where rich deposits are found. Digitized by Microsoft® 198 ISLAND GEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOUEOES. Foreign Capital Interested. No serious and systematic effort ever has been made to develop tlie great mineral wealth of the Philippines. There have been spas- modic attempts at different times, but they have almost invariably re- sulted in failure, owing to insufficient means of transportation, the dif- ficulty in securing labor, and especially to lack of capital. Within the last few years a British company called the Philippines Mineral Syndi- cate, Limited, has been conducting systematic explorations, and it is from their reports that the accompanying information has been taken. The operations of the syndicate have proved the alluvial deposits in Luzon to be extensive as well as rich, while the auriferous formation from which they have been derived is believed to extend throughout the "backbone" of the island. The mountain peoples nearly all traffic in gold. Many of the deposits on the Pacific slopes of Luzon are very near the sea, and it is fair to believe that if modern ma- chinery were introduced and transportation lines opened, the Philip- pines might become a great gold-producing center. Silver is found in the Philippines, though not to so wide an extent as gold. There are very large deposits of silver lead at Acsubing, Panoypoy, and Eiburan on the island of Cebu. There is galena, bearing both gold and silver, in Dapitan and Iligan, in the island of Mindanao. Other Minerals Found in Abundance. True coal has not been discovered in the Philippine-s, but very ex- tensive beds of excellent lignite have been found in Luzon, Cebu, Mas- bate, Mindanao, Negros, and Mindoro. Experimental tests have shown it to be a fairly satisfactory fuel for steamers, and nothing except the complete lack of suitable means of transportation prevents the develop- ment of these deposits. Although a large supply of coal has been maintained at Manila, which has been imported from Great Britain, Australia and Japan, the Spanish administration has preferred to pay ten or twelve dollars a ton for 25,000 tons every year rather than build a small railway on the island of Cebu from Compostella to the coast, which would deliver the lignite in unlimited amounts at a cost of not Digitized by Microsoft® ■3 fTl u ■u cu a < V ^ (/) Q h 1-1 <^ J (/) a. I — 1 rt o W m Z CL, J3 0. 1— t ^ DC D-, OJ J W ■4-) E o H tt; Ei, < to w 2 03 C/J nt 0) ^ to Digitized by Microsoft® PERFORATED BY SHELLS This house, which stands immediately in rear of Ameriean trenches, shows the effect of trun fire. EMILIO AGUINALDO This portrait was talcen at the outbreak of the insurrection against Spain, when Aguinaldo was younger both in age and experience than he is to-day. Digitized by Microsoft® ISLAND aEOGRAPHY, CONDITIONS AND RESOURCES. 201 more than |1.50 a ton. It is hardly to be doubted that systematic ex- ploration would lead to the discovery of true coal. Copper ore occurs in Luzon and Mindanao in large outcrops and is utilized by the natives, but it has not been successfully mined by Europeans. In Mindanao there are also quicksilver, platinum and tin. Iron ore of excellent quality, yielding up to 85 per cent of pure metal, exists in Luzon, and other excellent iron districts are found elsewhere in the island. In the last century, iron mines were worked with great success in Morong, but were finally closed by the government on the ground that the workmen, who were Chinese, were not Christians. The luckless owner was obliged to send all these workmen to China at his own expense, and the government refused to jjay him for the iron_he had already delivered, on the ground that he had insulted the Church in employing pagans. The iron mines of Angap in Bulacan are richer and purer than the best Spanish ore, which is so popular in the iron foundries of England. Valuable Discoveries and Future Development. In different parts of the archipelago, large deposits of sulphur and arsenic are found, in the volcanic regions sometimes of the utmost purity and sometimes mixed with copper and iron. Explorers report valuable discoveries of slate, borax, plumbago, granite, coral rocks, sandstone and limestone. There are deposits of gypsum on a small island opposite the village of Culasi in western Panay and also Min- doro. Large beds of good marble are found both in Luzon and Eom- blon. Mines of natural paint, probably red lead, are found in Mindoro. Petroleum occurs in several of the islands, one of the best districts being in western Cebu near Toledo, where free flowing wells have been opened. Once American industry and enterprise obtain a foothold in the Philippines and enough discoveries are made to stimulate more active search, it seems reasonably certain that valuable mineral wealth will be found in commercial quantities. It has been the history of the world that the discovery of gold was the most influential factor possible in inducing rapid immigration, settlement and the development of civili- zation and all its kindred industries. California, Australia, South Africa and Alaska are the latest and most notable examples of this historical truth. Diptized by Microsoft® CHAPTER XL MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. The Walls of the Ancient Citj — Picturesque Parks and Public Grounds — ■ The Chinese and Their Work — Tragic Memories of the Luneta — Beauties of the Night — Amusements of the Natives — Italian Opera and American Circus — ^Spanish Bull Fights and English Horse Races — The Hotels of the City — Native Shops and Their Keepers — The Town of Cavite — Steamship Service of the Island. Like nearly all Oriental cities the ancient Manila was enclosed by a wall which gave it protection from attacks of foes. The city outgrew this boundary many years ago, and the neglected fortifications have long since ceased to be regarded as of any use. However effective they may have been in centuries gone by in protecting the people against invaders, they would be of no avail against modern military methods and implements of war. Fortunate it was for the Spaniards and equally fortunate for the tourist who is to come, that Admiral Dewey did not find it necessary to bombard the place on that August day when General Merritt's forces entered the city. On the northern side of the walled city the river serves as a moat and on the west the waters of Manila bay approach the walls. On the other two sides moats have been constructed which can be filled with water in the event of an attack. The last time they were em- ployed was in the war with Great Britain in 1762, when General Draper captured the city. The walls altogether encircling the city measure more than two miles in length and are from ten to twenty feet thick. Ancient cannon of picturesque pattern are mounted on top, some of them dating from the end of the thirteenth century. There are, how- ever, a few modem guns. The masonry of these fortifications has proved its worth. It has withstood the onset of many an assault in olden time, while the hun- dreds of earthquake shocks that have shaken it have done little damage. The moats have been the receptacle of stagnant water and refuse for 203 Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. 203 many a year and must have been a soiu'ce of mucli of the fever which has oppressed the city. Within this wall were the Spanish forces who were surrendered by their commander to Dewey and Merritt when de- fense was no longer possible. The walled city has eight gates equipped with portcullis and draw- bridge after the medieval fashion, but for fifty years they have not been raised. Within the Malls are found many of the government offices, a post-office and telegraph office, the old custom house, convents, col- leges, a cathedral, eleven churches, an observatory and an arsenal. Many shops and small stores are situated here. Picturesque Parks and Public Gardens. The old city of Manila offers picturesque sights for the tourist, but is not the one where he would choose to stay after he had exhausted the sights. In the "new" city outside the walls there are more cleanli- ness, more fresh air, more modern buildings, and a number of very pretty parks and public gardens. This is on the other side of the Pasig river from the walled city and is known as Binondo, a great trading center, where all the foreign merchants have their places of business. Here many of the streets are fairly well paved and in some instances as wide as those we are accustomed to at home. The retail shops are nearly all in the hands of Chinese merchants, manj^ of them of great wealth and prominence. Their countrymen of humbler station are seen on every street, performing much of the manual labor of the city. Chinese coolies carry burdens, drive carts and do much of the heaAdest work. Chinese tradesmen are the leaders in most of the mechanical industries and trades, this in spite of the fact that Chinese labor is supposed to be discountenanced by the people and the laws as they have existed under the Spanish rule. The great show places of Manila are the Santa Lucia and the Luneta. These drives run from the Pasig river, along the sea front of the walled city, and then out across the immense open parade ground which separates the walls of Manila from the suburbs of Ermita. They are practically dne continuous road, but the mile that fronts the city Avails is called the Lucia and the broader oval park-like extension is the Luneta. Kows of waving, stubby palm trees mark the edges of the drives and electric-light poles line the borders throughout their entire Digitized by Microsoft® 204 MAXILA AND LUZON UNDER KrANISH RULE. leugtli. In the old days these avenues were famous fox- their beauty and display. It is doubtful whether any other city in the Orient could rival them for brilliance and fashionable luxury. Tragic Memories of the Luneta. It is also doubtful whether another drive exists which is so grim in tragic memories as the beautiful Luneta. Hundreds of Filipinos have been executed there. In the mornings the crowds would throng the drives to see the Filipinos shot and in the evening they would gather again to hear the music at the bandstand. But the war stopped all of that. The Luneta became neglected as the insurgents kept advanc- ing closer and closer to the borders of the city. The Spanish officials who had robbed and murdered to their hearts' content were afraid to venture out at night beyond the walls of the city for fear of being assassinated by natives who hungered for revenge. Strong barricades Avere built at the corner of the walled city just where the Lucia merges into the broader Luneta, and the Spaniards never ventured beyond that barricade of railroad iron and sacks of earth. When the Americans took the city it was days and days before the proud Spaniards would show themselves. In the evening when the sun is sinking behind the Mariveles moun- tains the wealth and fashion of Manila emerge from the gloomy streets of the walled city and show themselves on dress parade on the water front. Carriages roll up and down and back and forth through the short length of the Lucia. Rows of other vehicles are drawn up along the edges, the occupants smoking and lazily watching the passing show. Pretty women, bareheaded, and dressed in cool, refreshing white, look enchanting to one who has seen nothing but yellow and brown Malay girls all summer and whose experience in society has been confined to young, barefooted Philippine ladies who smoked cigars and wore gauze waists with rags reefed around them. Beauties of a Summer Night. The surf rolls in long curling ridges, the palm trees wave in the fresh evening air, the ships of the fleet lying out in the bay twinkle with lights, and the Mariveles mountains and Corregidor away to the west fade into Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH KULE. 205 purple shado-n-s. When the full moon comes out it lights up the domes and towers of the city and spreads a radiance of white across the bosom of the bay. The air is full of the music of crickets and grasshoppers, and the fragrance of flowers steals out of the verdure along the drive. The Americans take little part in the showy display which comes each evening along the Santa Lucia. Occasionally a soldier in service-worn buff clatters along on a little Philippine horse, but there has been no general inclination to mix with the brilliant show on the avenue. Dr. Farrell, one of the surgeons of the 1st California, as- tounded the Spaniards by appearing on the Lucia driving a carriage four-in-hand. When it is considered that the Spanish laws here forbid any one besides the archbishop and the governor-general appearing behind a four-in-hand, the extent of the sensation that Dr. Farrell caused may be imagined. At 8 o'clock it is all over, for that is the dinner hour in Manila. The carriages gradually disappear within the somber sallyports of the old moss-covered walls. At 8 :30 hardly one remains, and then the Lucia and Luneta are quiet. Only an occasional caromata rattles over the beautiful drive. Between the Luneta and the district of the city where the work- ing classes live, the contrast is startling. The filth of the latter is ap- palling and the houses are hovels crowded with human beings, animals and vermin. Here start the epidemics which are so fatal to the city population. Modern Improvements are Found. The public improvements of the city have not been as meager as might have been expected. There is an excellent system of waterworks and a fairly good fire department. Fortunately the comforts that are most essential are the least expensive, and consequently in reach of many people. Rents are very low; servant hire is so cheap that one can have a retinue at the cost of a single house maid at home. Carriages and horses are likewise inexpensive, whether one keeps his own vehicles or hires them at his will. The equipages, however, are very queer in appear- ance measured by American standards, and the horses by no means equal to those we drive at home. The sports of Manila are materially different from those to which we are accustomed, for their favorites have been bull-fighting and Digitized by Microsoft® 206 MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. cock-fighting. The bull ring of Manila, in the suburb of Paco, draws great crowds Avhen the entertainment is offered, in spite of the fact that the performances are by no means spirited. Neither Spanish bull fighters nor Spanish bulls are brought to the island, so that native talent has to be obtained to plaj both roles. The bulls are timid and lazy, the bull-fighters are little better, so that the traveler does not see bull- fighting of the same sort that he Avould in Spain, Cuba or Mexico. The Sports of the Natives. Cock-fighting, on the other hand, is maintained at as high a station as its rival is low. The clergy of the island haA^e been among the best patrons of the sport. Thej^ are successful breeders, skillful handlers and regular bettors. The galleries are always well patronized and on Sundays and feast days crowded to suffocation. Music and the drama are popular in some forms and in otliers are neglected. The three theaters of Manila give rather dull performances of comedies, farces and melodramas. When the city is visited by real dramatic companies from Hong Kong or/ by an Italian opera company, patronage is generous. Military music is specially favored by the peo- ple and some of it is of more than average quality. The Filipinos have organized at least one notably fine band of ninety pieces. The most popular of all amusements brought by strangers to the city is the American circus. As is well known, every circus in the far East is called American in order to obtain the advertising which ac- companies the name. When these organizations come to Manila from Hong Kong or Amoy, they are almost overwhelmed by the warinth of their reception. No' company plays a shorter season than three weeks, while some remain two and three times that Ions. Race Week in Manila. Horse-racing in Manila is directed by the jockey club, which holds a week of races every year. The membership includes nearly all of the European and American colony, as it was constituted before the war. The club has a fine track and generous purses are awarded. The riding is done by gentlemen jockeys, there being no professionals in the country. The animals are very small, mucli after the fasliioii of Ameri- Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. 207 can polo ponies, but the races are popular and afford excellent sport for the social world. The club entertains liberally during the race week. The water front of Manila affords interesting and picturesque sights for the stranger. The anchorage is usually crowded with steamers and sailing vessels. In the river, huge cargo barges or light- ers move slowly up stream conveying freight from the vessels in the harbor to the warehouses on shore. Along the banks of the river are the smaller steamers, schooners and other craft from the island provinces, which are of sufficiently light draft to cross the bar and reach the docks. Then there are huge canoes, small dug-outs, ferry- boats for Cavite and places up the river, so that the scene is always a busy one. When the passenger lands there is the same clamor for the privi- lege of driving him to the hotels that results from cabmen's rivalry the world over. There are three styles of carriages for rent in Manila. These are the two-horse carruage or barouche, the quells and the caro- mata. The carruage is the eminently proper thing to take. The quells is a little square two-wheeled trap, with the driver perched up in front and seats for four inside. The caromata or native cart, with its one dilapidated pony and rope harness, is a top-heavy, two-wheeled institu- tion which continually threatens to overturn. The driver rides inside with the passengers, sometimes sitting in their laps. The Hotels of the City. There are various hotels in Manila with varying degrees of ex- cellence, although none satisfy an exacting American traveler who is unv/illing to put up with Filipino customs. The best hotels in the city are the Hotel de I'Orient and H6tel de I'Europe, either of which will answer till something better is constructed. The others, however pre- tentious their names may be, such as Hotel de Madrid, Hotel de TUni- verse and La Catalanta, are of the next grade lower and hardly to be considered by the American traveler. As a result of danger of earthquakes, one seldom sees build- ings more than two stories high and the heavy tile roofs formerly in use have been replaced by lighter ones of galvanized iron. The con- sequence of this is that the heat within the houses, radiated from the roofs, sometimes becomes intense. Window glass is little used in the Digitized by Microsoft® 208 MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. houses. Little squares of translucent oyster shells are used instead, which soften the glare of the tropical sun. The sides of upper stories in the houses are often constructed almost entirely of frames filled with these little shells so arranged that they can be slid back, thus throwing the entire room open to the breeze. The living rooms are almost in- variably in the second storj'^, the ground floor being used for servants' quarters, shops, offices or store-rooms. Many of the streets of Manila are wretchedly paved or not paved at all. They are inadequately lighted, some by kerosene lamps and others even by wicks suspended in dishes of cocoanut oil. There is, however, an electric system, which is being extended rapidly. Diminutive street cars, each drawn by a single pony, run on two different lines into the suburbs. The principal business street is the Escolta, where the Span- ish, French and German stores are located. They have carried fair assortments of European goods, but the prices have been high on ac- count of the excessive import duties. The Chinese shops, on the other hand, are mostly found on the Eosario, another important business street. The city is entirely without any adequate system of drainage. Canals radiate from the Pasig river in various directions and into these the filth of the city is dumped whenever it is not allowed to accumulate about the houses. The Natives Inveterate Gamblers. The Manila lottery was one of the notable institutions of the islands, the Spanish government formerly deriving from it an annual profit of half a million dollars, the tickets being distributed not only through- out the archipelago, but in Hong Kong and along the China coast. The inborn gambling instinct of the Filipino is thus fostered and many a poor fellow spends his last cent for lottery tickets and then goes to jail for not paying his taxes. Estimates of the population of Manila have been varied and doubtful. The most authentic information, however, places the total population at about 300,000, of which natives number 200,000. The Chinese are credited with 40,000 of the remainder, the Chinese half-breeds 45,C00, the Spanish and Spanish Creoles 5,000, the Spanish half-castes about as many, and the Europeans and Americans other than Spanish about 400. Nearly all Europeans wear white duck suits over very thin under- Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. 209 wear. The Chinaman sticks to his national costume, while the people of mixed blood almost invariably adopt the native dress, which for men consists of hat, shirt, pantaloons and slippers. The dress of the native women is very pretty when good materials are used, and so well adapted to the climate that many European and American women adopt it for their home attire. It consists of a thiu waist, called the camisa, with huge flowing sleeves; a more or less highly embroidered white chemise showing through the camisa ; a largo kerchief folded about the neck with ends crossed and pinned on the breast; a gayly colored skirt with long train and a square of black cloth drawn tightly around the body from waist to knees. Stockings are not worn as a rule and the slippers which take the place of shoes have no heels and no uppers except for a narrow strip of leather over the toes. It is an art to walk in these without losing them, but the native belles contrive to dance in them and feel greatly chagrined if they lose their foot-gear in the operation. Attractive Native Women. Many of the Mestiza or half-caste women and girls are very attrac- tive, and, like the native women, they have beautiful hair, which not in- frequently reaches to their heels and of which they are inordinately proud. They also take pride in small feet, if they happen to possess them, and it is not at all unusual to see slippers which are quite too small for their owners and leave some of the toes dangling helplessly outside. On account of the climate, which is conducive to indolence, nearly everybody who can afford the time takes a nap or siesta in the middle of the day. Meals and business alike are arranged to suit this custom and the hours of labor are not burdensome in any calling. Coffee and fruit are served in the early morning. An exceedingly light breakfast is provided about 8 o'clock. Tiffin, which is a substantial luncheon with several hot dishes, is taken at noon, and dinner is served at 8 o'clock in the evening. In deference to the earthquake and the typhoon, architecture in Manila takes peculiar forms. The only high buildings are the churches, and these are built with very thick walls. The public buildings arc heavy and gloomy. In the business quarter the houses are of two Digitized by Microsoft® 210 MANILA AXD LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. Stories with enormously thick walls and partitions. The Malay bunga- lows in the suburbs are one-story, supported with tiles or stone founda- tions and covered with thatch. In the Chinese quarter the buildings are chiefly one-story and where two-storied have the lower one of great solidity and the upper one so light as to be almost fragile. Another enemy of houses never to be ignored is the white ant. This energetic creature, as well as two or three of his allies, is so vo^ racious that the wooden bpams and floors of houses frequently must be renewed after their attacks. Every effort has been made by the people to avert the ravages of the ants ; they have tried varnishing the woods and painting them with poisonous compounds, on all of which the ants seem to thrive. There are some woods which are less subject to the pest than others, but none is entirely exempt. Arrangement of the Dwellings. Houses follow the example of those in Spain and the Spanish- American countries for their interior arrangement. Almost always the dwelling is built around an open quadrangle or else there is a drive- way through the house with a courtyard in the interior or at the rear of the building. Sometimes the house sits back from the street, se- cluded by a high wall. Eooms, halls, carriageway and court j^ard are smoothly paved with blocks of stone brought from quarries in China. The walls ai'e covered with whitewash and stone stairways lead to the second floor, where the choicer living apartments always are found. Windows and doors are left open as much as possible and refreshing breezes moderate the heat of nearly all seasons. It requires no exer- tion on the part of a householder to make his home beautiful. Nature will do it all. Mosses, vines and flowers cover every wall, and trees sprout everywhere, all with blossoms and blazes of color in every place, expected and unexpected. Stocks of goods kept by the merchants of Manila are small, because of the excessive and indiscriminate taxation which was applied under the Spanish regime. The dealer made as little display as possible, in order to avoid the appearance of wealth and consequent taxation. How- ever, the stocks of goods are now fairly well selected and anything ordered can be obtained promptly from the bonded warehouses. Cloth- ing for men and women alike is made to order in less time than any- Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. 211 where else on earth, and the goods themselves are brought to the home of the customer for selection instead of requiring a shopping expedition. Native Mercliants and Their Wares. Silver and gold jewelry, made by native workmen and sold in the stores of Manila, is peculiarly interesting and attractive. Basket- work of all sorts and fancy matting are other offerings of the shops of peculiar interest to strangers. Confections of guava and other fruits prepared with native sugar, appeal to those fond of sweet- meats. Chinese stores offer fans of all sorts from the highest to the lowest price. Parasols and umbrellas, which are required by every- one, whether in dry or rainy seasons, form a large part of the wares of the shopkeepers. Altogether, the stranger in Manila may find plenty of novelties to buy for souvenirs of his journey, characteristic of the country and exceedingly interesting to the people at home. One of the most interesting spots of Manila is the old Paco ceme- terj-, with its massive walls suggestive rather of a defense for the liv- ing than of a last refuge for the dead. The cemetery is in a circular space inclosed by a huge wall of masonry eight or nine feet thick and ten feet high. The only entrance is through a gate of iron and wood of great strength, which still further adds to the appearance of fortifi- cation. Within this circular Avail is a second wall built in the same manner, presenting a solid front to the exterior. The interior is a honeycomb of crypts in which the coffins of the dead are placed, the entrance being sealed by small ornamental tablets of stone bearing the names of the dead. In many of the crypts there is a double door, the outer one being of glass, through which quaint images of the Virgin and the infant Christ or some other decoration such as rudely fashioned artificial flowers are seen. Each crypt rents for about |35 yearly — a small fortune for these people — and when the inmate is for- gotten or the relatives become impoverished or for any reason this rental is unpaid the remains are immediately swept from the tomb and cast into a common receptacle for all like unfortunates. The Town of Cavite. Just southwest of the province of Manila lies the province of Cavite, which is one of the most important on the island of Luzon. At the Digitized by Microsoft® 212 MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. northern end of the province the land runs out into Manila bay in a long peninsula, which in turn divides into two smaller ones pointing toward the mainland. This is the site of the city of Cavite, which, be- sides being the capital of the province, also has been the northern naval station of the Philippine government. Here was the scene of the de- struction of the Spanish fleet by the American squadron under Ad- miral Dewey. The city of Cavite is about eight miles and a half from Manila, measuring in a straight line across the bay, and is connected with the capital by frequent ferryboats. Luzon, with an area of 42,000 square miles, includes more than a third of the total extent of the land surface of the Philippine islands. In its northern portion are extensive chains of lofty mountains with many volcanic peaks, active and interesting. One of them, the Mayon volcano, in Albay province, is a perfect cone rising to a height of more than ten thousand feet. The volcano of Taal, on the other hand, in the same range, is one of the lowest active volcanoes known. In Luzon are river and lake systems second only to those of Mindanao. The Rio Grande de Cagayan, which rises near the center of the island, flows into the ocean at the northern extremity and drains an immense area of great fertility. Here is grown the best tobacco raised in the archipelago. The river is navigable for some distance, although the bar at the mouth obstructs the entrance for steamers of more than ten feet draft. The Pantanga river also rises in South Caraballo mountain but flows in the opposite direction, emptying into Manila bay by a delta with more than twenty mouths. The low ground along its banks is extensively ' cultivated and produces good crops of rice and sugar cane. Water Courses of Luzon. The Laguna de Bay, which is but a few miles inland from Manila, is the largest body of fresh water in the archipelago, although some of the Mindanao lakes approach it closely in size. Its greatest length is twenty-five miles and its greatest breadth twenty-one. It empties into Manila bay by the Pasig river, which separates the newer portion of the capital from the old, and is navigable to the lake for small, flat- lottomed steamers. Lake Borabon, from the center of which rises Taal volcano, measures fourteen by eleven miles. Digitized by Microsoft® MANILA AND LUZON UNDER SPANISH RULE. 213 The natural resources of Luzon are enormous. Rich deposits of gold and other valuable minerals have long been known to exist. The soil is very productive and yields the greater part of the sugar raised in the archipelago, together with hemp, coffee, cacao, rice, to- bacco, and, in fact, all the more important staple products of the colony. Luzon is the most populous island of all the Philippine archipelago, some estimates as to the numbers of its inhabitants running as high as 5,000,000. The most important of the numerous tribes into which the people are divided are the Tagalogs and the Ilocanos. Both are civil- ized and as a rule orderly, although brigandage is not uncommon in the Tagalog territory. It is from this tribe that the greater part of Aguinaldo's support in the insurrection of the Filipinos has been drawn. In a later chapter on the people of the Philippines, more detailed in- formation will be included on the races inhabiting this island. The absence of proper railway facilities is not as great a handicap in the Philippines as it might be in some other countries, for the remark- ably^ irregular coast -line and the extended interior water systems en- able the traveler to reach the greater part of the archipelago by boat. There are little, light-draft steamboats which go almost everywhere and which charge very low fares, while upon every navigable stream, lake and bay are small boats which can be hired for an insignificant sum. Steamship Service of the Island. A steamer runs from Manila northward along the west coast of Luzon nearly to Cape Bojeador. At any one of several ports the traveler who is willing to undergo discomfort may begin an excursion into the interior of the island, where scenery of great beauty will be found and native manners and customs may be studied in their most primitive condition. There' is very little danger to the traveler in the extreme north along the coast, for the natives are hospitable to the limit of their means and quite docile. The country is little culti- vated by civilized methods except in the more accessible portions. Digitized by Microsoft® CHAPTER XII. THE CENTRAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. The Visayan Archipelago — On an Island Steamer — A Typical Spanish Town — A Fort Without a Gun — Yellow Journalism in the Philippines — Beautiful Women Who Smoke — Cebu and Its Commercial Import- ance — The Island of Panay — The Sulu Sea and Its Boundaries — Prim- itive Modes of Life in Palawan — Among the Savage Tribes. Second to Manila in commercial importance and population is the city of Iloilo, which is situated on the island of Panay. Panay is one of that group of islands lying north of the great island of Mindanao and south of the eastern portion of Luzon, known as the Visayan archipelago. Other important islands of the group are Guimaras, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Samar and Leyte. Iloilo came into familiarity because of its importance in the Spanish- insurgent complications. After the capture of Manila by the American forces, Iloilo was the seat of Spanish government in the Philippines. It was then surrounded by the insurgents, who besieged the city until the Spanish commander surrendered to them. This situation was a con- siderable puzzle to the American authorities in the island. It placed the insurgent forces in possession of the second city in the archipelago, with an ample supply of arms and ammunition. They proceeded tc organize a government of their own, quite distinct from that of which Aguinaldo was the head, announcing it as the Visayan republic. When American troops were hurried to Iloilo from Manila, 300 miles away, they were forbidden the privilege of landing and the situation became more than critical. This was at the time the ratification of the treaty of peace with Spain was under discussion in the United States Senate and the state of affairs at Iloilo was brought into particular prominence. There was a general sentiment of reluctance throughout the countrj^ to see American arms turned against an insurgent body who had expelled their enemies from the second stronghold of the island, and were standing upon thoii rights as victors over the Spanish to demand consideration and inde- 314 Digitized by Microsoft® THE CENTRAL lyLA^DS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 215 peudeuce. Let Mr. McCutclieon, the artist correspoudent, describe liis interesting journey from Manila to Iloilo, made last September, wlien conditions were strained but before the insurgents had taken the city. On An Island Steamer. "The trip between the two cities is one of the most charming ex- periences that a traveler could ever hope for. Some day, when the army of tourists invades the Philippines and the red. guidebook and the personally conducted tour become established features, there will be pages and pages in the steamship prospectuses devoted to it. The island sea of Japan, the Thousand Islands of the St. Lawrence, the castle- capped peaks of the Rhine and the beautiful Golden Horn of Turkey will have a new rival. During the forty hours that it takes one of the small steamers of the Compania Maritima to make the run, the sight of land is never lost, and the scene is constantly shifting, and is always new and wonderful. The vessel passes by dozens of islands, every one of which is glorious in the richness of its foliage, the splendor of its mountain sides or the dazzling whiteness a o O p. 01 > c a! Digitized by Microsoft® w cd a < .;^ a. J^ Hh Q OJ Z < "o m f" S 0) o X c hJ ^ D ^ IL, U t-H H ^ ^ < o m CJ CQ <^ "u: Digitized by Microsoft© THE CEXTRAL ISLANDS OF THE AROHIPELAOO. 219 we began to entertain tlie prospect of being compelled to go back to Manila without landing. "A steam launch finally came out of the river and bore down on the Buluan. Presently a Spanish officer came aboard, and a long and earnest conversation was held between him and the captain. After some minutes we were informed by Mr. Balfour that it would be neces- sary' for us to get permission fi'om the governor-general allowing us to land. He kindly volunteered to see the British consul and endeavor to obtain that permission. The launch then steamed back to the city with him on board, and it was noticed with some interest that armed carabinieros were left on the ship, two posted at each gangway. Tliere was a terrific wait.' At nearly 6 o'clock the vessel got permission to proceed, and about 6:30 she drew up at the wharf in Iloilo river. We were then informed that we would be permitted to land and that the governor-general wished to see us at once. We were allov,ed to land our small luggage, and through the courtesy of the port officials it was not examined. An Interview with the Governor-General. "Our cards were at once sent to the governor and we were asked to come to him early in the morning. There were no hotels in town, but the English residents took us in with a kindness and hospitality that over- whelmed us. Early the following morning a small delegation of Amer- icans was ushered into the presence of Governor-General Eios at the official palace. The general is a large man of imposing military pres- ence, and was courteous in the extreme. It was explained through an interpreter that the visitors were American newspaper representatives, who were charmed with the beauty of the islands, and who wished before returning to America to make a trip among the southern islands. The general volunteered every courtesy and offered letters of intro- duction to various governors in Mindanao and the Sulu group, but he explained that steamers were running ver\^ irregularly, and that he did not want us to venture into the interior, out of regard for our per- sonal safety. A Defenseless City. "Conditions in Iloilo were critical. The inhabitants were almost terror-stricken, for the insurgents were expected to attack within two Digitized by Microsoft® 220 THE CEXTKAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. clays. The town was almost defenseless. An old fort, which was ancient a hundred years ago, commanded the harbor, but it spent all its time commanding, for there were no guns mounted in it. A line of stone breastworks extended along the beaches around the town, but they were ridiculous as protection against any force excepting infantry forces, which might attack by swimming across. The river was choked with Spanish steamers that were afraid to venture out under the Span- ish flag. A few troops were scattered through the town, but they were so few and badly organized that they onlj^ served to emphasize the fact that the city was practically defenseless. Big bodies of in- surgents w^ere known to be advancing from the north and west, and a titanic effort was being made to collect troops sufficient to stop their ad- vances. There were three Spanish gunboats in the river, the Samar, Mindow and El Cano. The two first named were small and of the same size as the Callao, but the last was much larger. Her engines were in bad order and it was common gossip that if her heaviest guns were fired the shock would shake the ship to pieces. "The day after our visit to the governor a transport arrived from Paragua having 150 troops. It was learned that General Rios was con- centrating all the Spanish forces of the other islands on Panay, in the hope of preventing the fall of the city before the conclusion of the Paris conference. During the following three days other transports arrived with troops, which were at once sent off to a secret destination. The inhabitants were given to understand that the troops were being sent to relieve other garrisons, but it was found that they in reality were being dispatched to Antigue on the west coast, where the insur- gents were advancing. Waiting for the Blue Jackets. "The English residents of Iloilo were eagerly hoping for the arrival of American warships, feeling that the presence of an American force would prevent the outbreak and massacre that othei*wise would surely result. The business interests are all hopeful that the Americans will retain the islands, for they feel that no peace can be expected as long as the Spaniards remain in Iloilo. "The three large towns of the island of Panay are Iloilo, Molo and Jaro, all of which are bunched together down at the southeastern cor- Digitized by Microsoft® THE CEXTKAL ISLANDt^ OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 221 ner. The first named is the big commercial center, where all the Euro- peans live, and it ranks even as gi'eat as Manila in the extent of some of its shipping. Along the river and the quay there are immense go- doAvns filled with hemp, sugar and copra, and in time of peace there are lines of steamers and sailing schooners constantly running between the town and the great sugar and hemp districts of Negros, Mindanao, Leyte and the coasts of the island of Panay itself. Just now there are only occasional steamers plying back and forth, and these fly some flag other than the Spanish flag. "The town of Iloilo is not especially interesting, the most attractive thing about it being that it is a little cooler than Manila. The official residence of the present governor-general of the Philippines overlooks the plaza and is not particularly imposing. On the other side of the plaza are the cathedral and the big building occupied by the priests. The chief business houses are all on the Calle Real, or chief street of the town, and with only two exceptions are owned by Englishmen or Chinese. The Spanish population is usually connected with the gov- ernment or army in some way, or else work for the English. There are three neAvspapers — the Por-venir de Bisayas, the Eco de Panay and the Heraldo. The Porvenir is the only one that is reputable and fairly trustworthy. The Eco is bitter in the most malignant form. On the day we arrived in Iloilo it printed an article stating that the American soldiers in Manila were bloodthirsty and were killing natives and tor- turing them with all kinds of barbarity. This has been the kind of news it has printed since the Avar began. Native Impressions Concerning Americans. "Among many of the natives of Iloilo there is an established belief that the Americans are Indians with long hair and an abnormal thirst for blood. This impression has existed because most of the natives have never seen an American. As a natural consequence of this the members of our party were objects of a good deal of concern and curiosity. In other words, from the time we heard what Americans Avere supposed to be in the eyes of the natives we felt that Ave Avere a sort of 'exhibit A,' and our object in life Avas to live doAvn the reputation of our countrymen and show AA^hat nice people Americans really are. Mr. Davis and Mr. Bass are not particularly ferocious looking, and I have some hope that his- Digitized by Microsoft® 222 THE CEXTLiAL INLANDS OF THE AEOHirELAGO. tory will not record me as one who lOves slaughter and gloats over the massacre of innocents. These personal confessions may be excused as having a definite bearing on the story. Therefore, in the history of the world there were probablj^ never before three individuals who so com- pletely embodied all the essentials of peacefulness, good behavior and high and loftj- conduct as we did while on exhibition during our mission of enlightenment. "There are two banks in Iloilo, the Hong Kong and Shanghai bank and the Banco Filipino Espanol. Tlie former is of course a branch of the great oriental bank of the same name and is almost as strong as the Bank of England. It is a silvtT bank, however, all its operations being conducted on that basis. Mr. C. H. Balfour, the manager, a first cousin of Eobert Louis Stevenson, was once stationed in New York city for six months in the interests of the bank. A Clash, with the Authorities. "Mr. Balfour had just brought down from Manila 150,000 Mexican dollars on the Buluan. The Spanish authorities examined this ship- ment very closely. For scA^eral years there has been a law prohibiting the circulation of Mexican dollars of a later date than 1877, and as among the present shipment were some of a later date for awhile there was great danger that the shipment would be confiscated by the au- thorities. After some discussion, supported by the high standing of Mr. Balfour with the Spaniards, the shipment was released and sent back to Manila. "There is an English club with a membership of about twenty-five, four or five of whom are Germans, six or eight English and the rest Scotch. Nearly all the Britons in Iloilo happen to be Scotch. Only one cat6 of any pretensions could be found, and that is purely a Spanish cafe, where dashing Castilian officers sit ten or twelve hours a day tell- ing how Sagasta ought to have run things. "About five miles out from Iloilo is Jaro, but it isn't pronounced that way. It sounds as if it were spelled Harrow, and for the first day or tAvo I thought people were talking about the English preparatory school. The road out is beautiful with tropical splendor, but the bridge is broken down and one has a good walk in the blazing sunshine before one reaches Jaro. And after a short residence in Iloilo a person acquires Digitized by Microsoft® THE CEXTUAL ISLAA'DS OP THE AECPIIPELAGO. 223 a wholGsome fear of the midday sun. The local foreign residents were earnest in their warnings against exposure to the sun, and about the first thing that is done when down there is to buy a large sun hat which closely resembles a Hindu pagoda. The Market Place in Jaro. "There was the regular Thursday market on in Jaro when we reached the town. A district five or six acres in extent was laid out iu irregular lanes of small shelter houses and several hundred natives were thronging up and down these lanes, bargaining and smoking tre- mendous 'cigarros.' The heat was intense, but in spite of the discom- fort of it the experience was one of the most enjoyable and wonderful we had ever been through. Certain sections were devoted entirely to cloth goods, others to hemp ready to be woven into the cloth, others to fish luarkets, milk, food supplies, baskets, tobacco and dozens of other native commodities. The people were extremely picturesque, and many of the young girls were very beautiful. It was strange to see how general it was for the women to smoke and to see to what gigantic cigars their fancy ran. The cigars were manufactured as occasion demanded, a roll of tobacco being wound about with a string, and the result was that Ihe extemporized cigar looked like a long, ragged torch. "The market lasted all during the forenoon and then the throng be- gan to dwindle away. The long rows of bull carts and caromatas scat- tered all through the country, and at 1 o'clock the scene of our financial conquests was quiet and sleepy and the thatched palm roofs of the nipa shelters slumbered in the deadly heat of the midday sun. "Molo — which, strange as it may seem, is pronounced as it is spelled —lies off from Iloilo in another direction. This is where the mestizos, or half-castes, live. Chinese who have married Indian girls make Molo their home. It is, like Jaro, a large settlement, and a gTeat number of wealthy Chinese have built it up to quite a respectable and substantial appearance. There are a number of factories there where different native fabrics are woven, but the Philippine idea of a factory is not ours. Three or four looms are in a residence, and the women members of the household go out and weave a piece of cloth whenever the mood possesses them. A purchaser desiring a cloth of a particular color ca» have it made according to his own design. It takes some time, because Digitized by Microsoft® 224 THE CENTRAL ISLAXDS OF THE AKCHIPELAGO. m this manaua land the uathes never believe in doing anything to- morrow that can be put off until day after to-morrow." An Important Commercial City. Cebu is now the third commercial city of the Philippines and the capital of the island bearing the same name. A line of steamers runs from Iloilo to Cebu in about twenty houf's, Avhile a more pretentious line runs from Manila to Cebu direct. For many years this citj' ranked next to Manila in commercial importance, but Iloilo finally passed it in the race and now stands second. However, until the recent insurrec- tion disturbed all commerce and agriculture, it was still the shipping center for much of the hemp raised in the Visayan islands. The popu- lation is about 10,000 and the foreign community consists only of agencies of two English, one German and three Spanish business houses. One man holds all the foreign consulates and the business houses represent all the insurance companies and banks as well. As the site of the first Spanish settlement in the Philippines Cebu is a place of some historic interest. From 1565 to 1571 it was the cap- ital of a colony. Up to 1759 it continued to have a municipal govern- ment, which was then abolished because there was but one Spaniard in the place capable of being a city -councilor, while the mayor had recently been turned out of oifice for attempting to extort money from a Chinaman by putting his head in the stocks. The municipal govern- ment was not restored until 1890. The islands of the Visayan group are more than varied in their characteristics of soil, climate and products. They are so near one another that navigation for small boats is easy and frequent, even though some of the channels between the islands are rough. Guimaras, for instance, which lies opposite Iloilo across a channel only six miles in width, is extremely healthful. It is rough and hilly, but without high mountains. The whole island is covered with a cap of limestone and the soil is apparently poor. Near the sea, cocoanut palms are abundant, and the nuts, Avith a mild intoxicant made from the sap of the blossom-stalks, are the principal products of the little island. The Island of Panay. The island of Panay itself, one of the larger of the archipelago, has been almost denuded of the trees which once covered it, and in the Digitized by Microsoft® THE CENTRAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 225 Vicinity of its principal city one finds only swamps, cultivated ground, and immense cogonales. The savage tribes have disappeared with the forest, either yielding to civilization or becoming extinct, but in the high mountains to the northwest, which are little explored, some wood- land and some wild men may yet be found. There have been no valuable mineral deposits discovered in Panay. The soil is fairly fertile over large areas and in some regions is very rich. There are extensive sugar plantations in the ConcepciOn dis- trict. Near Capiz large quantities of alcohol are made from the juice of the nipa palm. The blossom-stalk is cut off and the flowing sap caught, placed in large receptacles to ferment and finally distilled. The process is inexpensive and the product of excellent quality. Although Cebu is the thirci city of commercial importance in the islands, there are other native cities of larger population which are important market towns for agricultural products. Capiz, for in- stance, on the northeast coast Of Panay, has a population of more than 25,000, with a Spanish colony of nearly 100. The next neighbor island to the southeastward of Panay is Negros, the principal towns of which are Dumaguete, Bais and Bacalod. Negros is probably the richest island of its size in the archipelago and the fertile lowlands along the coast are extensively cultivated, although much good land still lies idle. Fine tobacco is grown in the Escalante region, but sugar is the mosf important crop. Although the most primitive methods of cultivating the cane and extracting the juice are commonly employed, there are a number of fine estates on which comparatively modern machinerj^ is used. The most southerly island of the Visayan group, except the south- ern extremity of Negros itself, is Siquijor, which lies about fifteen miles to the southeast of Dumaguete. One town is named the same as the island and another is called San Antonio, the former on the seashore and the latter on the highest ground in the hills. Like most of the limestone islands of the Philippines, Siquijor is quite free from malaria. Inasmuch as it produces a large quantity of excellent food products and the people are notable in the Philippines for their industry, it is a somewhat desirable place for a short visit. The island of Cebu lies directly east of Negros. The city, which is the capital of the island, has been a bishop's see, as well as. the resi- dence of the governor and a general of brigade commanding the gov- Digitized by Microsoft® _ 22(> THE CEXTKAI. lSLA^'DS OF THE AKCHIPELAGO. eruurs of all the Visayan islands. Cebu has no high mouutaius, but the surface of its interior is broken by steep and rugged hills. The island has been almost denuded of trees, and large areas are grown up in cogonales. The soil, which is often shallow, lies over limestone rocks. There is very little malaria, and the island is, on the whole, exception- ally healthful. There are no wild tribes iu Cebu. Brigands infest some districts, but as a rule the people are orderly 'and noted for their ami- ability and hospitality. A Healthful Climate. Samar, another of the larger A'isayans, and, in fact, the third island in size of all the Philippines, has for its capital a town called Catbalo- gan. It is a small, clean town, lying on the north shore of a fine bay on the west coast. Its main business is the buying, curing and baling ol hemp. There are several fairly good shops iu tlie place, but it is difficult to obtain food there, as fruit, poultry and eggs are scarce and dear. Fish is very abundant, however, and milk can be obtained daily — a rare luxury in the Philippines. There is a fine beach in front of the town where the surf bathing is delightful. Hemp is the chief product of the island and is raised in considerable quantities. There is also an immense amount of valuable timber still standing. The island is without high ]nountaius, but there are several rivers of some importance. The climate is healthful. These are the islands included in the Visayan republic, organized with Iloilo as caiiital, when the Spanish commander there surrendered his troops to an insurgent force. The Island of Palawan. Far to the southward of Luzon lies the Sulu sea, forming a great diamond-shaped body of water, of which the angles virtually coincide with the points of the compass. The southwestern side of the figure is bounded by British North Borneo; the southeastern by the Sulu archi- pelago, where the Moros have their stronghold, and by the island of ^Tiiiflanao, second in size of the Philippines; the northeast hj Negros, Piuiay and Mindoro; and the northwestern by the island of Palawan and its neighbors. Digitized by Microsoft® THE CEXTKAL ISLANDS OF THE AKOHIPELAGO. 227 This hitler islaud, the hfth iu size of all the Philippiues, Avith the smaller ones adjoining- it to the north and south, forms one of the greater divisions of the whole archipelago, known by the Spaniards under the name of Islas Adjacentes. Palawan is the native name for the island and the one which is considered geographicall.y correct, al- though the Spaniards long have dubbed it Paragua. The other isl- ands properly included iu the same general division are Busuanga, Calamianes, Culion, Nengalao, Linapacan, Ciiyo and Dumaran iu the northeast, and Balabac in the southwest. The traveler for the Islas Adjacentes sails from Manila on one of the inter-island steamboats, which carry the mail, passengers and freight throughout the archipelago. The first stop in the journey usu- ally is at the Calamianes islands. The same name is applied to one of the provinces, which includes the numerous islands lying between Palawan, Mindoro and Panay. ("uyo is the capital of the same province and the second port of the journey. Here, strangely enough, the popu- lation is composed almost altogether of Avomen, who consequently monopolize all the trade. They come off to the passenger steamers with fruit, provisions and curios and a man is seldom seen by the traveler. It is so difficult to gain a livelihood in this island that the boys and young men make their escape to more favorable islands as soon they are big enough to shift for themselves, and the result is that ninety per cent of the population are women. A Prosperous Town. Palawan is one of the least known and least settled islands of the Philippine archipelago, of which, except for some little neighbors to the southward, it is the westernmost. The island is nearly 300 miles in length, its breadth ranging from six to thirty-five miles, with an average of twenty miles. The capital is Puerto Princesa, which is situ- ated on the eastern side about midway between the northern and south- ern extremities. The town is a fairly prosperous place, situated on a good-sized bay, which affords safe anchorage. There is a lighthouse which marks the entrance to the excellent harbor and a little slip for repairing vessels. The island of Palawan formerly belonged to the sultan of Borneo. Early in the eighteenth century the Spaniards began to settle its north- Digitized by Microsoft® 1'28 THE CENTRAL ISLAN-DS OF THE AKCHIl'ELAGO C'Tn end, and in order to protect them from the warlike Moros who lived in its southern third, a. garrison was established. After beiny; maintained for a few years, it was left without the necessary supplie;; and was finally abandoned after many of the troops had perished miser- ably of hunger and want. A few years later the sultan gave the island to the Spanish. Troops were sent under a captain to take formal pos- session. All of them died ultimately, some from eating rotten food and others in war with the Moros. Still later a third garrison was estab- lished at Tay Tay. At first a little settlement grew up around it, which ultimatelj- shared the fate of its predecessor. After centuries of effort to settle the island and protect the set- tlers, a renewed attempt was made on the part of the Spanish authori- ties. In 1885 it was provided by royal order that military posts should be established in Palav/an for the protection of prospective settlers. All Spanish subjects Avho should migrate from Spain, as well as all civilized natives who should settle in these islands were promised ex- emption from the payment of tribute for six years. They were also offered free transportation to their destination and were provided with seed and implements. Efforts to Colonize an Island. As this offer failed to have the desired effect, it was later provided that the governors of neighboring provinces should promote the volun- tary migration of native families by still more generous oiS'ers. Twenty- five families were to be sent from each of the neighboring provinces i;nnually. All debts owed the government by these families were to be canceled. They were to receive free transportation for themselves and their cattle, to be given seven acres of land each, and practically sup- ported during tlie first six months after their arrival. The same royal order provided for the building of highways and the opening of free ports, but nothing came of it all. A few little military outposts were established in Palawan, but no highways were built, no free ports opened, nor did any voluntary immigrants arrive. Either it was omitted to provide funds for carrying out the tempting plans of settlement, or if provided the money was turned in,to channels altogether different from what had been intended. When the effort to stimulate voluntaiy immigration into Palawan Digitized by Microsoft® THE CENTEAL ISLANDS OF THE AECHIPELAGO. 229 failed, the Spanish continued to foster theix" policy of providiJig s^elilers by force. Puerto Princesa for a long time has been a penal settlement. From other parts of the colony convicts are sent to serve their term in the island. As in most other penal settlements, when their sen- tences expire they ha^e no money to pay for a passage back to their homes, so they make tlie best of it by remaining as colonists. While they are serving their terms in Puerto Prince:sa, they are obliged to work on government enterprises of various sorts. Formerly a sugar plantation was maintained to furnish them employment, and when that was abandoned they Avere set to clearing timber land near the city. As is to be expected, the convicts have suffered the same abuses that have been the curse of other penal settlements, aggravated per- haps by the fact that in this case the administration was Spanish. The convicts at Puerto Princesa suffer a very high death rate, amount- ing sometimes to about twenty-five per cent yearly, as the result of their hard labor, poor accommodation, insufficient food and ill treatment. Primitive Modes of Life. Manners of life in Palawan, even in the capital of the island, are essentially primitive. The servants are all convicts, who can be hired from the government, or by a special concession, "trusties," men who have a certain degree of libertj-, may be obtained. Their houses are poor, furniture scanty, and the markets provide an exceedingly lim- ited bill of fare, consisting chiefly of rice and fish. The water supply is contaminated by surface drainage, so that rain-water preserved in large tanks must be employed. A large part of the death rate of the con- victs must be charged against the water provided for them. The savage native people of Palawan include various tribes, some of them quite distinct from those found in the other islands of the archipelago. In the southern part Moros are found, in the northern mountain region Battaks, and in the central portion and along the northern coast Tagbannas. The latter are commonly believed to be a half-breed race, a mixture of the Negritos and some Malay tribe. They are quite dark and their hair is inclined to be curly. Under the advice and direction of a Spanish engineer who was constructing a highway across the island, they have established a village called Tagbarus, in Digitized by Microsoft® 230 THE CEXTKAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. which they show a surprising caijacity for civilization. They have actu- ally organized a form of local government under his advice and started small plantations of rice, bananas and cocoanuts. Among the Savage Tribes. The Tagbanuas of the remoter ])arts of the island are even more in- teresting than their partially civilized brethren. They are friendly to strangers and by no means as suspicious as most savage tribes. Their Aillage houses are built of palm and bamboo of quite small size and are built high in the air, on stilts of bamboo, instead of being within six or eight feet of the ground. They have their own simple alphabet, which is in common use, using fresh joints of bamboo in place of paper for their writings. The letters are scratched on the smooth surface in vertical columns. In former times the Tagbanuas were governed by a ruler who held office for life. If he proved a good chief his eldest son was allowed to succeed him; if not, a new one was chosen bj^ will of the people. At present, however, there is no ruler for the whole tribe. The affairs of each community are administered by a council of old men who render justice according to native conditions and their own ideas. If a person is charged with a serious crime, accused and accuser are conducted by the old men to the bank of some deep pool, and there in the presence of rehitives and friends the two dive beueatli the water at the same instant. The one who remains under the longer is held to have spoken the truth. It is in this island of Palawan that the most valuable deposits of dammar are found. Dammar is a vegetable gum which exudes from a large tree and has considerable value in commerce for various uses. It is abundant in Mindanao as well as Palawan. In some places there are extensive deposits which have run into the earth in bj^gone years or have been gradually covered with accumulating leaf mold. These are known as dammar "mines" and will be the source of considerable in- come and profit to some one who may attempt a systematic working of the deposits, something that has never yet been done. The dammar deposits of Palawan are near the coast and the j^early exports from the prcliipelngo vary from 200 to 500 tons, in spite of the crudity of the methods employed in gathering it. Digitized by Microsoft® • THE OEXTKAL ISLANDS OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. 231 Eflfects of Spanish Misrule. Palawan was the scene of one of the numerous melancholy failures that have resulted from attempts to develop the valuable latent resources of the Philippines. A former governor who tried unsuCcess^- fully to interest his countrymen in the remarkable possibilities of that island, finally resigned his official position and secured a concession of 30,000 acres of land. His franchise permitted him to work mines, cut timber and cultivate the soil. At once he found it necessary to em- ploy Chinese labor to clear away the forest, whereupon his govern- ment refused him permission to employ aliens. Next his countrymen ac- cused him of trying to interest the foreigners in his concession, suggest- ing that he meant eventually to declare Palawan independent territory. The result was that such additional restrictions were imposed upon him that his concession became absolutely worthless. An experiment station which he established furnished ample proof of the Avonderful fertility of the soil and the possibilities of his concession if he had been treated with a liberal spirit. Any estimate of the natural resources of the Philippine islands and the possibility of profit to energetic immigrants must be incomplete because of just such facts as the foregoing. The Spanish policy has been a handicap altogether insurmountable. The honest man could not face the corruption that surrounded him and compete with it. The dishonest man, however willing he might be to bribe and use improper influences, would find the demands upon him growing more and more as his ability to pay more increased, so that in the end there would be little left for him. Digitized by Microsoft® GilA^l'TES XllL SULU AND MINDAIS'^AO, THE HOME OF THE MOEOS. Origin of the Sulu Mohammedans — A War for Supremacy — -Fighting the Pirates — Insurrections in the Islands — An Efficient Governor — -Where the Slave Trade FIourishes^How to Govern the Suliis — An Island Comparatively Unknown — Construction of the I^ative Houses — Pe- culiar Systems of Local Government — Hospitality of the Filipinos. Between the islands of Borneo and. Mindanao, extending from north- east to southwest, lies a chain of 150 islands, and innumerable islets and rocks rising from the water, known as the Sulu archipelago. Their coasts are washed on one side by the Sulu sea and on the other by the Celebes sea. According to Spanish authority ninety-five of these islands are inhabited. The people are known as the Moros, and it is more than likely that they will one day play an important part in the annals ot American history in the Philippines. The history of the Sulus is the history of the Moros, for there is their stronghold. After the Spanish discovery of the Philippines, as the invaders endeavored to extend their sovereignty southwestward from Mindanao, they found as an obstacle in their way the settlements of Sulus. Strangely enough, however, there was in the early days of Philippine history a short alliance between the opposing forces, on which Spain in after years based her claim of sovereignty over the Sulus. The Mohammedans i^eached this chain of islands as a result of civil warfare in Borneo. Two sultans who were brothers were in con- flict in that great island, and the unsuccessful one, with his followers, lied across the channel into the Sulu islands. It was another exodus of the same sort from Borneo that brought the Mohammedan element into PalaAvan' and the adjacent islands. This defeated sovereign, establishing his capital at the town of Sulu, or Jolo, as the Spanish name it, began a Mohammedan civilization which rapidly became a strong power in that part of the world. A cousin of this sultan settled on Basilan, which is the nearest to Mindanao of the Sulu chain, and Digitized by Microsoft® SULU AND .AUNDANAO, THE HOME OF THE M0E08. 233 soon became its sole ruler. He was loyal to the sultan at first, but in time plotted against him and attacked the capital city unsuccess- fully. After many fights on land and sea he retired again to his own possessions in Basilan. Then the sultan himself went to Manila and pledged his vassalage to the SlDanish on condition that they would help him subjugate his rebellious cousin. The promise was promptly made, but the squadron which was equipped under the agreement was delayed several months beyond the promised time before it sailed southward. In the mean- time the sultan, tired of waiting, attacked the rebels and routed them completely, although he was himself killed in the battle. The Span- iards in due season arrived at Sulu, and, not finding the sultan, turned and went back to Manila. They preserved the treaty with great care and upon this has been based the Spanish claim of sovereignty over the Sulu sultanate. A War for Supremacy. The next ruler, however, Adasaolan, extended his influence far and Yi'ide. He developed the archipelago, made alliances with the Moham- medan king of Mindanao and the chief of northern Borneo, and com- pelled all his subjects and tributaries to adopt the Koran at the point (if the sword. He built the first mosque in the city of Sulu and received lionors and titles all the way from Turkey, from the head of the 3i[ohammedan church, the Sublime Porte, in recognition of his services to the faith. It would seem that his claim of sovereignty and his jDosses- sion of the territory gave him a better title to the islands than the treaty of Manila gave to the Spanish. Nevertheless, in 1595 the Spaniards sent an expedition to take possession of their property and Incidentally to spread the gospel among the heathen. Nearly all their officers were killed, half the men incapacitated by sickness and woun(Js, while the war-ship which carried the expedition was so shattered that it was able to get only as far as Cebu on the return journey. From this time on, the Sulu pirates carried their daring incur- sions throughout the waters of the archipelago, hardly int al o a o S o o.