Festivals of the Church.

Festivals of the Church.Chapter Eighteen.According to the Spanish calendar in my possession, there is a festival for every day in the year. There are services every morning at seven, every evening at five; often there are special grand festivals. The Jaro church has a wax figure of the Savior and this figure is dressed for various festivals in various ways; sometimes in evening dress, with white shirt, diamond stud, rings on the fingers, patent leather shoes, and a derby hat. This figure was placed on a large platform and either carried on the shoulders of men or put on a wagon and drawn by men. Once I saw the cart pushed along by a bull at the rear. This procession would form at the Cathedral door, march around the square and then usually go three or four blocks down toward the house where the priest lived, and by that time it would be very nearly dark and they would light their candles and return and go about the square again before going into the Cathedral.Sometimes the figure was dressed in royal robes with long purple mantle and gilded crown upon the head; on Good Friday it lay in a white shroud as if in death; on Easter day it was arrayed in flowing white robes and was brought from the cemetery into town and borne at the head of a great parade. Those who could afford to do so would set up a special shrine in front of their homes, adorned with flowers and household images. The priest would, as a special favor, have special services before these shrines, and the more money spent on these shrines and the more paid to the priest the more distinguished the citizen. For days before the natives were busy making long candles out ofcarabaotallow. Some of these candles, huge and crude, would weigh four or five pounds. None of the so-called common people or the poor class would take part in any of these wonderful parades unless they were able to wear good clothes and have long trains to their dresses. I never saw any one in these processions who was at all poor; the poor simply stand by the roadside and look on. I asked my Filipino woman why she did not join; she said she would just as soon as she could get a dress with a train. It was not many weeks before she was in the procession, having earned the train by laundry work for the officers and soldiers. For the men, it was their joy to be able to purchase a derby hat. I never knew there could be so many kinds of derbies as I saw on the heads of these natives. It was said that a ship-load of them was brought over once, and they so charmed the male population that from that time on they all aspired to own a derby, no matter howancient its appearance or of what color it might be. And no matter if they did not have a shirt to their back, if they had on a good stiff derby hat, they were dressed for any occasion and to appear before anybody.The priests wear, first, a long, plain white robe, over this a black cassock, then a white cotta; and the more richly it is embroidered the better they like it. There was with this white cotta a white petticoat plain at the top and ruffled at the bottom. I did not know the names of the outer vestments but they were all embroidered. I offered to buy one of the heavily embroidered vestments from a priest but he refused, saying that it was very hard to get that kind of cloth embroidered so beautifully. He gave me one of the Filipino skirts; it was badly worn, but I kept it as a curiosity. Not knowing very much about the Roman church, there were a great many things done every day that I could not understand; for instance, when a priest went out in a closed carriage attended by two or three boys he would come from the church door with one of the boys in front of him ringing a bell vigorously. He would ring this bell just as hard as he could until the priest would get inside with his attendants and then they would drive away. When they returned they would go through this same performance of ringing this bell until they got inside of the church. I saw this many times and once asked a Roman Catholic soldier what it meant; he said he did not know.It may be that these people need to be terrorized by the priests; certain it is that, when a priest walks through the village or when any of the people see him,they kneel and kiss his hand, if he is so gracious as to honor them with the privilege. The people bow down before him and reverence him though he may at any moment lift his cane and give them a good whack over the head or shoulders. I never saw this done, but several of our men told me they had seen it; and one captain told me that he saw the priest take a huge bamboo pole and knock a man down because he failed to get into the procession in double-quick time. They do literally rule these people with the rod.Osteopathy.Chapter Nineteen.In 1895, for the benefit of one dearer to me than life, I went to Kirksville, Mo., and from Dr. A. T. Still learned something of the principles and practice of his great art. The subject grew in interest; I became a regular student of the American School of Osteopathy, and, in time, completed the course and took the decree. In the islands it was a great pleasure to me to help our sick soldiers; scores of them, with touching gratitude, have blessed the use that I made of my hands upon them. Officers and men came daily for treatment. Soon the Filipinos came, too. Women walked many miles carrying their sick children; the blind and lame besought me to lay my hands upon them. It was noised about that I had divine power. My door was beset. I gladly gave relief where I could, but for the most of them help was one hundred years too late.I recall with special pleasure one successful case. A woman came to me who said she had walked forty miles to bring her sick child; for compensation she offered apigeon and three eggs. I could not look out of my window without seeing some poor sick native squatted on the ground waiting to see if I could do anything for her sick child or herself. The natives when burning up with fever think they dare not wash their bodies; they will lie hopeless and passive on the ground or on a small bamboo mat. It is pitiable to see them so utterly destitute; not one single thing that would go to make up a bed or pillow, nor do they seem to have any mode of taking care of their sick at all.Our army hospitals were very well kept, indeed, but it was a great struggle to get help enough and to get the things needed for hundreds of sick soldiers. There were many large buildings, but as soon as the government attempted to purchase them, the Filipinos asked exorbitant prices. And then the sanitary conditions are such that it is hard to establish hospitals anywhere. I read with great pleasure that the capitol of Luzon will be on a plateau in the mountains where the temperature will be lower, the air better, and the water purer.I am sure that Americans can live in the Philippines; I know that the resources of the islands are vast, especially in agricultural and mineral products; that we have, indeed, acquired in our new possessions immeasurable riches.As soon as any Filipino wishes to become a friend and to impress you that he is rich and has vast possessions, the entire family, father, mother, and children, will call and bring quantities of fruits, fine clothes, carved shells, and native pearls with curiously wroughtgold settings, and present them with great earnestness of manner and many words of praise. They tell you what great value they place upon your friendship, and that of all the people in all the world you are the one person that they do most ardently believe in, and finally that they consider you the greatest acquisition to their islands.A Filipino general and his wife came again and again to see me; they brought a magnificent sunburst of diamonds which they urged me to accept with their greatest love and affection. I declined positively and absolutely. They seemed very much downcast that I would not accept this little token of their deep affection. They went home, but in about two hours came back, brought the diamonds, and again urged and urged so strongly that I finally consented to let the wife pin the elegant brooch on my dress; perhaps I should find out the hidden meaning of this excessive devotion. As soon as the officer in command returned, I told him of the gift, of my refusal, and of their return. A written note was hastily sent to the general that he must come and remove the brooch at once. Fearing the wrath of the officer, he came immediately and I returned the diamonds. Even after this the family renewed their efforts. I found out afterwards that the general had violated his oath of allegiance; his bribe was to buy my influence with the commanding officer.It was evident that many of the better class of natives, in spite of oath and fair face, were directing and maintaining the murderous bands of banditti. Often letters were found that the Filipino generals had written to theirwomen friends in Jaro, Iloilo and Molo, to sell their jewels, to sell all they could, to buy guns, ammunition, and food, and later other letters were captured full of the thanks of the Filipino army for these gifts. While the good Filipinos were taking the oath of allegiance with the uplifted right hand, the left was much busier sending supplies to the insurrectos.The hypocrisy of the upper classes was matched by their cruelty. A native of prominence was gracious enough upon one occasion to direct a party of officers on their way. He was attended by his servant who walked or ran the entire distance carrying a heavy load suspended partly from his shoulders, and partly by a strap about the forehead.The servant failed to start with the party, but in a short time he caught up by running swiftly. The master calmly got off his horse, motioned to the servant to drop his load, and proceeded to beat the man unmercifully with a cane made out of fish tail, a sword-like, cruel, barbed affair, about four feet long. The poor servant never uttered a cry. As soon as possible the officers interfered and stopped the torture. So bloody and faint was the poor victim that they gave him a horse to ride. The master was angry, declared he would not have his authority questioned and left the party.A ball was given in the town of Jaro by the officers who were there and in the town of Iloilo. Army, navy, ladies, and nurses from the hospital were invited. It was considered quite an unusual thing to do at this time, as the Filipino soldiers were near at hand day and night,approaching and firing upon the town. One of the Filipino women said, “I do not see how the American officers dare congregate at so dangerous a time.” The men decorated the huge ball room with magnificent palms and ferns which they had gathered and put up many flags. The regimental band was stationed on the porch at the rear of the building. It was, altogether, a very fine gathering, and all went merry “as the marriage bell.”There was a German on the dance programme that was to end in a mock capture. Not thinking that it might occasion alarm, at a certain point, some of the soldiers were instructed to fire off some cannon crackers; in addition the soldiers thought it would be just as well to fire off a few pistols. The surprise was very great. The colonel of a volunteer regiment nearby heard the commotion and gave orders for the company to turn out and find out where this fusillade was occurring, not supposing that it could be in private quarters. The Presidente of the town was greatly alarmed, as he was expecting any moment to be captured for serving under the U. S. government as head man of a town. The firing created a great commotion, people ran hither and thither to find out where the battle was going on; the musicians, who did not understand about the firing, were frightened, too; there was a call to arms and great commotion. But soon explanations came, and immediately it was on with the dance. It was a huge joke, and when the sentry told that a colonel and his wife were the most frightened of all, barricading their doors and having extra guards placed around, the merriment knew no bounds.It was seldom that the officers had any of these receptions or balls, but when they did everybody felt they must attend, and those taking part in the dance enjoyed themselves very much. Sometimes the officers would charter a small steamer and go to one of the nearby islands, but it was rarely they could do so, because of the skulking natives and their manner of signaling where these parties landed, making it unsafe for any but large companies to attend these excursions.It was often the duty of our officers and men to stop the cruelties they saw practiced upon dumb brutes. I have in mind the way pigs were brought to market, their forefeet across a bamboo pole and their heads bound so that they could not squeal, and in this uncomfortable way they were carried many miles. Of the many stories that were told of the cruelties our soldiers perpetrated upon the helpless Filipinos, I do not believe one word; indeed, our men were constantly assisting the natives in every way possible.On the 4th of July, 1900, our officers decided to tender a reception to the Filipino families whose hospitalities they had enjoyed. They issued invitations and decorated their quarters in fine shape with flags, bunting, palms, and pictures. It was quite the talk of the town. The beauty and chivalry of the island were there. For refreshments they served commissary supplies with ice cream and cake. The guests thought it a very poor banquet for such pretentious people as the officers were. The Filipinos always have a ten or twelve course meal at twelve o’clock at their dances, especially when they havefestivals or wedding banquets. There were many of these given. I could often watch the throng from my window; they went at this particular kind of hilarity in the same listless, slow, silent manner in which they did everything. The popular dance is the “Rigadon.” There is a great deal of swinging of couples and going forward and back. None of the common people seem to indulge in any form of a dance, so far as I could learn.We invited upon several occasions some Filipino men and women to dine with us, and it was interesting to hear their remarks about various dishes we had prepared for them. They would ask questions concerning the preparations. Mince pies, which we made of canned meat and canned apples, were a source of great wonder; they would ask where they could get the fruit for that kind of a pudding. I know that they made wry faces at some dishes, and I know that we did ourselves, for some of them were beyond comparison; no chef in all the world could produce a good thing out of such materials.The May festival was given by the children, chiefly by the little girls of the cathedral congregation. The leader was a woman of fine character and standing. She worked hard every day with these little tots to train them to do their parts well, which consisted of marching into the cathedral by twos’, arranging themselves into a circle about the Virgin Mother and throwing flowers and bouquets, singing and speaking. The ludicrous part of it all was that these little things were supposed to be dressed like American children. The models had been taken from some old magazine,—huge sleeves, smallwaists, skirt to the knees, and pantlets to the top of shoes. The shoes were painfully tight and the little feet, unaccustomed to being held in such close quarters, limped and hobbled piteously. The festival was carried on every day for weeks. Bushels of flowers were thrown at the figure of the Blessed Virgin.Some of the festivals in the larger cathedrals in Manila were gorgeous indeed. There were floats on which were carried the different patron saints, all gorgeously arrayed in the most magnificent costumes. Evidently the churches were never meant for the common or poor people, so few of them were ever seen within their walls; but without were vast crowds of beggars, of the blind, the deformed, thediseased; victims of smallpox and of leprosy in every stage of suffering. It is said that the first thing ordered by Bishop Brent, who took charge of the Protestant Episcopal church in the Philippines, was soap.The McKinley Campaign.Chapter Twenty.The excitement on the islands ran quite high during the McKinley-Bryan campaign. The natives conceived that if Bryan were elected they could, in some way, they could not explain how, not only be very greatly benefited personally, but the U. S. troops would be withdrawn; they would then be rid not only of the Spaniards but of the Americans, and could then have a ruler of their own choosing. I knew that there were small papers or bulletins published to intensify these sentiments. Popular favor was all for Bryan and not one person for McKinley, while on the other hand I do not think there was a single soldier who was not a McKinley man. The feeling ran high, and, while our papers gave us every assurance that the Republican party would be victorious, we were very anxious for the news. On the night of the 6th of November we had the glorious report. It did not take long for the shouts to go up from every American soldier. About eleven o’clockP. M.all the American officers and men formed in procession with the band atthe head; they came around to the house where I was staying and called out, “Come, Mrs. Conger, you must join in this jubilee.” I did not need a second invitation. Snatching my little American flag that I take wherever I go, I formed in line with the boys. We marched around and around the park, cheering, singing patriotic songs, and hurrahing for McKinley. In front of one of the houses where I knew they were the most bitter toward the Americans, we cheered lustily. I had been there only a few days before to purchase a Jusi dress for Mrs. McKinley. I said that I would like one of their very best weaves, as it would go to the White House to Mrs. McKinley. With a great deal of scorn in her voice and manner she declared she would not make it. We continued on our march through and around the town until after one o’clock, when I returned to my room. I was about to retire when a detachment from the Scouts came and said, “Oh, Mrs. Conger, we want you to come over to the park, we are going to have a big bonfire.” So I went over and we had another jollification, hurrahing, singing, shouting for McKinley, until we made ourselves hoarse. We burned up all the old debris that we could gather and plenty of bamboo, which makes a cracking noise, quite like a roll of musketry. From every window and crevice in every house about that park native heads were gazing at us, and never one cheer came from a single throat, but we gave them to understand in no uncertain terms where we stood. I suppose they thought it was only one more unheard of thing for a woman to do, to be out marching and singing, and Iam sure they thought “SeñoraBlanco,” the name I was called by the people all over the Island of Panay, had gone mad; and I was certainly doing unheard of things, for, as I said before, it is not considered at all proper for a woman to be walking or riding with a man. And to think that a woman of my years, and the only American woman in that part of the country, would, at such an hour, be marching with those hundreds of boys in the dead of night was wholly beyond their comprehension, and they had no words adequate to express their disgust at my outburst of enthusiasm and patriotism.Governor Taft at Jaro.Chapter Twenty-One.When Governor Taft and other members of the peace commission were expected at Iloilo and Jaro, there were great preparations for several weeks before hand. The guests came to Jaro for a morning reception at the home of one of the wealthy citizens. The house had been beautifully decorated and the refreshments were served in the large room at the left of the hall; the buffet luncheon consisted of every kind of cake and sweetmeats, champagne, wine, and beer. The Filipino guests were in the large front room, seated in rows, six or eight rows, perhaps twenty in a row, with their backs to each other or facing each other.Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.I was the only American woman there until Mrs. Taft and other ladies with the peace commission arrived. Not wishing to sit solemnly in line gazing at these newly acquired sisters of mine, I ventured some remarks in Spanish about the weather and the coming guests. There was little response. My curiosity getting the better of me, I made bold to examine the gowns of thesewomen for I had seldom seen before such handsome material, rich brocaded satins, cloth of gold wrought with seed pearls and jewels; huge strings of pearls on the neck, diamond and pearl rings on the fingers and very handsome ornaments in the hair; every head bore a huge pompadour and every face was heavily powdered; the perfume was stifling even with every window stretched to the fullest extent. Each woman carried a handsome fan and each was attended by at least one servant. After waiting in this rigid company manner about an hour and a half, the distinguished guests arrived. We were then entertained by some of the local artists and celebrities. There was vocal and instrumental music; a fine grand piano, very good violins, and the concert was by far the best music I had heard in the islands.At 1:30 we were all carried over in carriages to the house of the Presidente and thirty-five of us sat down to a very sumptuous banquet of about eighteen courses. The menu of soup, fish, game, birds, salads, was very quickly served, a waiter for each guest. The table was furnished with much silver and cut glass, and at each plate was a bouquet holder with napkin ring attached; there were after-dinner speeches by Governor Taft, Judge Wright, and others; then we were ushered into the large drawing-room where coffee and cigars were served. The room had been especially prepared by the labor of many days spent on tacking flags on the ceiling and side walls, making a very beautiful effect. There were huge bunches of artificial flowers. For the entertainment at this house, all the Filipino bands from the surrounding towns weremassed together. Governor Taft complimented his hosts upon their very delightful “entretener,” and said he had seen nothing to compare with it for elegance and enthusiastic welcome since he had been on the islands. At every corner of the plaza there were erected handsome bamboo arches and booths, and every strip of bunting and every flag that could be got out were waving in Jaro on this great day of inauguration of the Civil Commission on the Island of Panay. To me it seemed anything but a peaceful time as the scouts were then out after a very desperate band of insurrectos, but I have never seen anywhere more beautiful ornamentation or more lavish display of wealth, and yet there was lacking in it all the genuine ring of cordiality and enthusiasm. In Iloilo there were many receptions and various kinds of entertainments given. Governor Taft invited leading citizens out to the ship where he returned the compliment with refreshments, good cheer, and a salute.In writing of my life in the islands, I must mention incidents of serious nature and yet of common happening. Almost daily would come an instant call for troops to mount and ride post haste by night or day after some of these worse than lawless bands of Filipinos. One evening while we were at dinner we had as our guest a Lieutenant of one of the volunteer regiments. He had been ill and had spent the time of his convalescence in acquiring some of the manifold Filipino dialects, about sixty in all, it is said. He was detailed by the commanding officer to visit some of the inland villages and inspect the schools and inquire generally after the condition of thepeople. He told us that evening that he intended to make quite an extensive tour around the island of Panay in the interest of the schools. “You are going to take a strong guard, of course?” we asked. “Anyone going on such a peaceful mission as mine would not need even an orderly, but I will take an orderly to assist in carrying the books and pamphlets.” The very next evening while we were at dinner, word was brought that this splendid young man had been killed not three miles from where we were sitting. In a few minutes men mounted and were off to the scene of the murder. In a nearby hut the young officer lay dead. He, who had so trustingly confided in these “peaceful people,” had fallen the victim of his noble impulses. Every article of any value had been taken from his body except a little watch that he carried in a small leather case on his wrist; he had bought it that very day to send to his wife. No trace of the “insurrectos,” the murderers, was ever found. A native woman said the officer was riding peacefully along with his orderly at his side when suddenly they were stopped by a volley of balls. The Lieutenant turned, as did also the orderly; their horses took fright, one rider was thrown, probably already dead, the other escaped. The funeral rites of our noble soldier were conducted with military honors; the body was sent home to his bereaved wife and family.One day a missionary was on his way from town to town; he had, unfortunately, an orderly with him. He was stopped and asked his business; he replied that he was a missionary. “Why carry a gun?” was the scornfulretort. He was stripped of everything of value but was allowed to return. The soldier did not fare so well; he was killed before the rescuing party could reach him. A detachment was sent out one day to procure some young beef for sale in a nearby village. They were received with open arms by the Presidente of the village and the Padre and were most sumptuously entertained. It was kindly explained that they had no young cattle for sale but that about a mile further on there were some very fine young calves that could be had at five dollars in gold.Not thinking of any treachery, the soldiers mounted and rode about a mile beyond the village into a ravine which, according to the instructions, led to the cattle-field beyond. While crossing the stream in the bottom of the ravine, the men were startled by the whiz of bullets and, glancing up, found the steep banks lined with insurrectos who had opened fire without a moment’s warning. Our men entrapped, surrounded, were ordered to surrender. For answer they put spurs to their horses and started back under a heavy fire. Unfortunately two of the fine horses were shot; their riders were obliged to run afoot the rest of the way up the bank and were picked up by their comrades. One of the men shouted, “Sergeant, don’t you hear they are calling for us to surrender? Say are you going to?” With an oath, “No, not by a d—-d sight. Run and fight.” Which they did and actually got away from hundreds of natives and arrived in Jaro breathless and weary, the horses covered with foam. Not a man had been killed or wounded.Two horses were killed outright, but none were maimed. Soon the troop was in the saddle and out after those treacherous miscreants. Many natives were arrested and brought to town and then it was found that this loyal (?) Presidente, whom the commanding general had had the utmost confidence in was at the head of a number of Filipino companies which scoured the country to capture small parties of our soldiers. As the investigations were pressed it came out that the bodies of their victims had been torn to pieces and buried in quicklime that there might be no traces left of their treachery. It was several weeks before the full facts were obtained and before the mutilated remains of our soldiers were found and brought back and buried.The volunteer regiments suffered most from these brutal cowards, directed and urged on by the “very best men” in civil and “sacred” office. These are facts from the lips of U. S. officers, men who do not lie. Very often the troops were called out to capture these bloody bands, but it was hard to locate them or bring them to a stand. The natives knew so many circuitous ways of running to cover and they had so many friends to aid them that it was almost impossible to follow them. Whenever they were captured they were so surprised, so humiliated, so innocent, meek and subdued, that it would never occur to an honest man that they could know how to handle a bolo or a gun. But experience taught that the most guileless in looks were the worst desperadoes of all. My first sight of a squad of these captives is a thing not to be forgotten. They were a scrubby lot of hardlyhuman things, stunted, gnarled pigmies, with no hats or shoes, and scarcely a rag of clothing. Their cruel knives, the deadly bolos, were the only things they could be stripped of. I looked down upon them from my window in astonishment. “It is not possible,” I exclaimed, “that these miserable creatures are samples of what is called the Filipino army.” “Yes,” an officer replied, “these are the fellows that never fight; that only stab in the back and mutilate the dying and dead.” My eyes turned to the guard, our own soldiers, fine, manly fellows, who fairly represented the personnel of our own splendid army. It made me indignant that one of them should suffer at the hands of such vermin or rather at the hands of the religious manipulators who stood in safety behind their ignorant degraded slaves.Shipwreck.Chapter Twenty-Two.The climate seemed beyond physical endurance, although the thermometer ranged no higher than from ninety to one hundred ten, but the heat was continuous night and day; exhaustion without relief. The only time that one could get a breath was about five o’clock in the morning; in the middle of the day the sun’s rays are white-hot needles,—this is the only way that I can express it; and even if one carries an umbrella, the heat pierces directly through. From the first of November to the middle of December, there is usually about six or seven hours a day of comparative comfort; but the season is too short to brace the enervated body. One day the thermometer fell to seventy-eight; we Americans shivered and craved a fire, so much did we feel the change of temperature.I finally learned from the natives that it is not best after bathing, to rub the body with a towel; and indeed, following them more closely, that it is wise to feed with cocoanut oil the famished pores of the skin which hasbeen weakened by excessive exudation. The rainy season begins in April, usually, and gives some relief from the excessive heat; and such rains, never in my life had I known before what it was to have rain come down by the barrelful! The two-story house in which we were quartered was quite solidly built, and the boards of the second story were over-lapped to keep out the rain; and yet, I have often had to get up on the bed or table while the water poured in at innumerable unsuspected cracks and swept the floor like a torrent. It was hard to tell which frightened one the most, the terrible rain-storms or the awful earthquakes. In the house there was a magnificent glass chandelier. The first time we had a severe earthquake that chandelier swayed back and forth in such a wild way that it seemed as if it must fall and crush every prism, tiny light, and bell. I felt sure whenever a quake began that I should not live through it. The flying fragments across the room, the creaking hard-wood doors, the nauseating feeling that everything under foot was falling away,—it was a frightful experience then, it is a sickening memory now. One never gets used to these shocks no matter how many occur; the more, the worse. They are more frequent in the night than in the day. It was not quite so bad if the wild start from uneasy slumber was followed by a cheery voice calling, “Hello there, are you alive, has anything hurt you, has anything struck?” Even the rats are terrified, and the natives, almost to a soul, leave their houses, congregate in the middle of the street, and begin to pray. Sometimes a fierce wind from the north brings sad havocto the hastily built bamboo houses; a whole street of these slightly constructed dwellings is toppled over or lies aslant, or is swept away. At first we used to smile at the storm signal displayed at Iloilo. If the sky was clear and still, we would start out confidently on some trip, to the next town perhaps; before we had gone more than a half mile we would be drenched through and through and no cloud, not even as big as a man’s hand was to be seen; at other times dense clouds, the blackest clouds, would shut down close upon us,—such are the strange variations. No sort of sailing craft ever leaves the port when the signals are up for one of these hurricane storms; if caught out in them they put instantly into the nearest port. Shipwrecks are frequent, partly on account of these sudden storms, but chiefly on account of the shifting sands of the course.From Manila to Iloilo on a boat that had been purchased for the use of the government, I was, on one occasion, the only passenger on board. The captain had never been over this course before, but he was confident of getting through with the help of a Spanish chart. About two o’clock in the morning I sprang to my feet alarmed by the harsh grinding of the boat’s keel, the scurrying of many feet, the shouting of quick orders. The shock of the boat blew out all lamps; in the darkness I opened the door of my cabin and ran to find the captain, guided by his voice. I learned that we were aground. I asked him if I could help. “Yes, if you can carry messages to the engineer and translate them into Spanish.” I ran to and fro, stumbling up or down,forgetting every time I passed that a certain part of the ship had a raised ledge. The effort was to prop the boat with spars that it might not tip as it crunched and settled down upon the coral reefs. We could hardly wait until daylight to measure the predicament. When the light grew clear so that I saw the illuminated waters, there was a scene of new and wonderful beauty,—a garden of the sea, a coral grove. Far as the eye could reach there was every conceivable color, shape, and kind of coral,—pink, green, yellow, and white. It all looked so safe and soft, as if one might crush it in the hands; and yet these huge cakes of coral were like adamant, except the delicate fern-like spikes that were so viciously piercing the bottom of our boat. I saw all kinds of sea shells, the lovely nautilus spreading its sails on the surface, and the huge devil-fish sprawling at the bottom of the shallow pools, with its many tentacles thrown out on every side.With innumerable ants, swarms of mosquitoes, lizards everywhere, rats by the million, mice, myriads of langoustas or grass-hoppers, long cockroaches, squeaking bugs, monkeys that stole everything they could lay their hands on, the fear of the deadly bolo, the dread each night of waking up amid flame and smoke, earthquakes, tornadoes, dreadful thunders and lightnings, torrents of water, life sometimes seemed hard; each new day was but a repetition of yesterday, and I used constantly to rely upon the assured promises—Psalms XCI:“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.“I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust.“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;“Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.“Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.“They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.“Because he hath set his love upon thee, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.“With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”Looking down from my window every day into the faces of six or more dead bodies that were brought to the cathedral, I knew that “The pestilence was walking in the darkness.”Filipino Domestic Life.Chapter Twenty-Three.The houses are made of bamboo; some of them are pretty, quite artistic; the plain ones cost about seventy-five cents each; no furniture of any kind is needed. The native food is rice, or, as it is called in the vernacular, “Sow-sow.” It is cooked in an earthen pot set upon stones with a few lighted twigs thrust under it for fire. When it is eaten with nature’s forks—the fingers—with a relish of raw fish, it is the chief article of diet.House-cleaning is one thing that I never saw in practice or evidence. I took a supply of lye with me and it was a huge joke to see the natives use it in cleaning the floors.The windows are made of oyster shells which are thin and flat; these cut in three-inch squares make a window peculiarly adapted to withstand the heavy storms and earthquakes; it transmits a pleasant opalescent light.Coffee is raised, but not widely used by the natives; they prefer chocolate.After many unsuccessful attempts, I gave up trying to have my dishes washed in my way; I soon discovered that the servants used the teatowelson their bodies. This convinced me, and I let them wash mine as they did their own, by pouring water on each dish separately, rinsing and setting to dry on the porch in the sun, the only place where the vermin would not crawl over them.The irons used for pressing clothes are like a smooth, round-bottomed skillet, the inside is filled with lighted sticks and embers. The operator, who sits on the floor, passes this smoking mass over the thing to be pressed. The article, when finished, looks as if it had been sat upon.One Palm Sunday I visited five different churches in all of which were palms in profusion, woven into almost innumerable forms; fishes, birds in and out of cages, trees, fruits, flowers, crosses, crowns, sceptres, mitres, and saints’ emblems. The cathedral at Arevalo looked like a huge garden, but, in one second after it had been discovered that a white woman and an American officer were present, the entire congregation, rising, turned to look at us; it seemed as if a whirlwind were sweeping the palms, so nervous were the hands that held them.After the service, the crowd came out and vanished immediately, fear of an attack having overcome their curiosity.Nearly all the little children are naked. One day I saw a little fellow about three years old who was suffering severely with the smallpox. He was smoking a huge cigar of the kind the natives make by rolling the natural tobacco leaf and tying it with a bit of bamboofibre. He did look ridiculous. A native teacher told me that they all begin to smoke when about two years old; poor, little, stunted, starved things, fed on half cooked rice and raw fish.Drunkenness is comparatively rare among the natives; the intoxicating beverage is the “Tuba,” which is made about as follows: The flowers of the cocoanut are cut while still in bud and the sap, or “Beno,” caught in a tube of bamboo; the liquor is gathered daily as we gather maple sap and fermented by the addition of a piece of wood, which also imparts a slight color. The product of this fermentation is an insidious stimulant. I never tasted it, but one poor soldier told me his sad experience and that sufficed. After a particularly hard march, his company came to a halt in a village; he asked for water, but could get only this innocent looking “Beno;” he took one tiny glass; it tasted like cologne water; his thirst not being quenched, he took a second and a third glass, after which he proceeded to make a howling mob of himself. This, since it happened in the face of the enemy, with momentary expectation of attack, was a serious offence enough, but coupled with the fact that he was “on guard” at the time, entailed punishments, the rigor of which, can be guessed only by those familiar with army discipline.Once a party of officers and men were going from one island to another, carrying money and food for the soldiers. It was found, after starting, that they were not so heavily guarded as they should be, in view of the fact that they would be exposed to attack when in the narrowchannels between the islands. At one point where they were hemmed in, not only by the islands, but by a number of sailing crafts, the Captain, a Filipino, very seriously asked the Paymaster if he had plenty of fire arms; his reply was, “Oh, muchee fusile,” meaning, “Oh, very much fire arms.” To add to the horror of the situation they were becalmed. The Captain became very much alarmed and the soldiers more so. Strange to relate, there came a gale of wind that not only blew them out into a wider channel beyond the reach of their insurrecto friends, but put them well on their way. This was told me as being almost like a miracle. No one can ever realize until they have been caught in one of these terrific gales what their severity is. I remember one blast that tore my hair down and swept away every article of loose clothing, also some things that I had just purchased; I never saw them again. It would not occur to the natives to return anything that they found, even if they knew that they never could use it; they all professed friendship to my face, and were constantly begging for any little article that I might have, but they never returned anything they saw me drop or that had been blown away.We had, at one time, a peace society formed, there was an attendance of all the women of Jaro, some from Iloilo, and the President was chosen from Molo. I took pleasure in joining this society for the maintenance of peace and fraternal feeling with the Filipinos.One day I thought it my duty to call upon the President of the new peace commission. She lived in the townof Molo. I invited a native woman to accompany me, and secured a guard of soldiers and an interpreter. Such a commotion as the visit created. The interpreter explained that I had called to pay my respects, as I was the only American woman who had joined the peace society. The President was pale with fright at my coming, though I had with me a woman whom she knew very well. After she had recovered from the shock, we had a very agreeable time. She called in some of her family; one daughter played well on the piano, a large grand, and another played upon the violin. In the meantime refreshments were served in lavish profusion. They offeredmevery handsome cloths and embroideries, which I declined with thanks. It is a common custom to make presents.I had agreed with this Filipino friend to exchange views on points of etiquette and social manners. She told me that I had committed quite a breach of propriety in allowing the interpreter, who was a soldier, to ride on the front seat of the carriage; that it would become known everywhere that she and I actually had a man ride with us. It is not customary for even husbands and wives to drive together. My criticism was, “We do not like the manner of your ladies expectorating. In America we consider it a very filthy and offensive habit.” She was quite surprised that we were so very particular and asked me if we chewed the spittle.A large cathedral was situated just across the street, a circumstance that enabled me to witness many ceremonies of the Roman church, of whose existence I had no previous knowledge; daily services were held, and allthe Saints’ days were observed. On festivals of especial importance there were very gorgeous processions. The principal features were the bands of music, the choir, acolytes, priests, and rich people,—the poor have no place—all arrayed in purple and fine linen; gold, silver, pearls, and rare jewels sparkled in the sun by day, or, at night, in the light of the candles and torches carried by thousands of men, women and children.It was a trying experience to be awakened from sound sleep by the firing of guns. It was necessary to be always armed and ready to receive the “peaceful people.” (We read daily in the American papers that all danger was over.)A characteristic feature of each town is a plaza at its center, and here the people have shrines or places of worship at the corners, the wealthier people, only, having them in their homes.Smallpox is a disease of such common occurrence that the natives have no dread of it; the mortality from this one cause alone is appalling. This brings to mind the funeral ceremony, which, since the natives are all Catholics, is always performed by the padre or priest.In red, pink, or otherwise gayly decorated coffin, the corpse, which is often exposed to view and sometimes covered with cheap paper flowers, bits of lace and jewelry, is taken to the church, where there are already as many as five or six bodies at a time awaiting the arrival of the priest to say prayers and sprinkle holy water upon them. If the family of the deceased is too poor to buy or rent a coffin, the body is wrapped in a coarse mat,slung on a pole, and carried to the outer door of the church, to have a little water sprinkled thereon or service said over it. If the families are unable to rent a spot of earth in the cemetery, their dead are dumped into a pile and left to decay and bleach upon the surface. In contrast with this brutal neglect of the poor, is the lavish expenditure of the rich. The daughter of one of the wealthy residents having died, the body was placed in a casket elaborately trimmed with blue satin, the catafalque also was covered with blue satin and trimmed with ruffles of satin and lace. In the funeral procession, the coffin was carried on the shoulders of several young men, while at the sides walked young ladies, each dressed in a blue satin gown with a long train and white veil, and each lavishly decorated with precious jewels. They held long, blue satin ribbons fastened to the casket. At the door of the church the casket was taken in charge by three priests, attended by thirty or forty choir boys, acolytes, and others, and placed upon a black pedestal about thirty feet high and completely surrounded by hundreds of candles, many of which were held in gilded figures of cherubim; the whole was surmounted by a flambeau made by immersing cotton in alcohol. The general effect was of a huge burning pile. Incense was burned every where in and about the edifice, which was elaborately decorated with satin festoons, palms,artificialflowers, emblems wrought in beads, all in profusion and arranged with native taste. All this, with the intonation of the priests, the chanting of the choir, and the blaring of three bands, made a weird and impressive scene neverto be forgotten. After the ceremony, which lasted about an hour, the body was taken to the cemetery, and, as it was by this time quite dark, each person in the procession carried a torch or candle. I noticed quite a number of Chinese among the following, evidently friends, and these were arrayed in as gorgeous apparel as the natives. The remains having been disposed of, there was a grand reception given in the evening in honor of the deceased.It is customary to have a dance every Sunday evening, and each woman has a chair in which she sits while not dancing. The priests not only attend, but participate most heartily.I was told that among the papers captured in Manila was a document which proved to be the last bull issued by the Pope to the King of Spain (1895 or 96). This was an agreement between the Pope and the King, whereby the former conveys to the latter the right to authorize the sale of indulgences. The King, in turn, sold this right to the padres and friars in the islands. Absolution from a lie cost the sinner six pesos, or three dollars in gold; other sins in proportion to their enormity and the financial ability of the offender. The annual income of the King of Spain from this system has been estimated at the modest figure of ten millions.The discovery of this and other documents is due to a party of interpreters who became greatly fascinated by the unearthing process. In the same church in which these were found, the men investigated the gambling tables and found them controlled and manipulated from the room below by means of traps, tubes, and otherappliances. An interesting fact in this connection is that one of the interpreters was himself a Romanist, and loath to believe his eyes, but the evidence was convincing, and he was forced to admit it. Gambling is a national custom, deeply rooted.I shall never forget the joy I experienced when we got two milch cows. What visions of milk, cream, and butter,—fresh butter, not canned; then, too, to see the natives milk was truly a diversion; they went at it from the wrong side, stood at as great a distance as the length of arms permitted, and in a few seconds were through, having obtained for their trouble about a pint of milk—an excellent milk-man’s fluid—a blue and chalky mixture.One day I heard what seemed to be a cry of distress, half human in entreaty, and I rushed to see what could be the matter. There, on its back, was a goat being milked; there were four boys, each holding a leg, while the fifth one milked upward into a cocoanut shell. It was a ludicrous sight.One of their dainties is cooked grasshoppers, which are sold by the bushel in the markets. I cannot recommend this dish, for I never was able to summon sufficient courage to test it, but I should think it would be as delectable as the myriad little dried fish which are eaten with garlic as a garnish and flavor.The poor little horses are half starved and otherwise maltreated by the natives, who haven’t the least idea of how to manage them. They beat them to make them go, then pull up sharply on the reins which whirls themround and round or plunges them right and left, often into the ditches beside the road. It was no uncommon sight to see officers or men getting out of their quielas to push and pull to get the animal started, only to have the driver whip and jerk as before.Some of the natives bought the American horses and it was painful to see them try to make our noble steeds submit to methods a la Filipino.Beggars by the thousand were everywhere, blind, lame, and deformed; homeless, they wandered from town to town to beg, especially on market days. One blind woman, who lived on the road from Iloilo to Jaro, had collected seventy-five “mex,” only to have it stolen by her sister. Complaint was made to the military commander, but it was found that the money had been spent and that there was no redress to be had. She must continue to beg while her sister lived hard by in the new “shack” which she had built with the stolen “denaro” (money).About three miles from Jaro was quite a leper colony, shunned, of course, by the natives. During confession, the lepers kneeled several rods away from the priests. I saw one poor woman whose feet were entirely gone lashed to a board so she could drag herself along by the aid of her hands, which had not yet begun to decay.There were no visible means of caring for the sick and afflicted; the insane were kept in stocks or chained to trees, and the U. S. hospitals were so overtaxed by the demands made upon them by our own soldiers that little space or attention could be spared to the natives. Charity begins at home.God bless the dear women who nursed our sick soldiers; it was my pleasure to know quite intimately several of these girls who have made many a poor boy more comfortable. I am proud, too, of our U. S. Army; of course not all of the men were of the Sunday School order, but under such great discomforts, in such deadly perils, and among such treacherous people, nothing more can be expected of mortal men than they rendered. Many poor boys trusted these natives to their sorrow. They accepted hospitality and their death was planned right before their eyes, they, of course, not understanding the language sufficiently to comprehend what was intended. They paid the penalty of their trust with their lives.On Decoration Day we were able to make beautiful wreaths and crosses. Our soldiers marched to the cemeteries and placed the flowers on the graves of the brave boys who had given their lives in defence of the flag. I had the pleasure of representing the mothers, whose spiritual presence was, I felt sure, with those far-away loved ones. An officer has written me that Memorial Day was again observed this year, and I am sure it was done fittingly.A Protestant mission was established at Jaro, in a bamboo chapel, pure bamboo throughout, roof, walls, windows, seats, floor. The seats, however, were seldom used, for the natives prefer to squat on the floor. The congregation consisted of men, women, and children, many of whom came on foot from a distance of twenty or more miles, the older people scantily clad, and the children entirely naked; a more attentive audience would behard to find, as all were eager to get the “cheap religion.” None of the inhabitants of Jaro attend, as yet; they fear to do so, since they are under the strict surveillance of the padre, and are in the shadow of the seminary for priests, the educational center of the island of Panay.The Protestant minister is a graduate of this institution and is subject to all imaginable abuses and insults. Under his teachings, a great many have been baptized, who seemed devoutly in earnest; it is inspiring to hear them sing with great zeal the familiar hymns, “Rock of Ages,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” etc. One incident will suffice to illustrate the intense and determined opposition to Protestantism. One of the native teachers was warned not to return to his home, but, in defiance of all threats, he did so, and was murdered before the eyes of his family. I shall expect to hear that many other missionaries have been disposed of in a similar manner, after the withdrawal of the American troops.Many ask my opinion as to the value of these possessions; to me they seem rich beyond all estimate. A friend whom I met there, a man who has seen practically the whole world, said that, for climate and possibilities, he knew of no country to compare with the Philippines.The young generation is greedy for knowledge and anxious to progress, though the older people do not take kindly to innovations, but cling to their old superstitions and cruelties. God grant the better day may come soon.There was quite an ambition among the natives to be musical; they picked up quickly, “by ear,” some of the catchy things our band played. When I heard themplaying “A Hot Time in the Old Town To-night,” on their way to the cemetery, I could not restrain my laughter, and if the deceased were of the order of Katapunan the prophecy was fulfilled. Officers informed me that this society was probably the worst one ever organized, more deadly than anarchists ever were. It was originated by the Masons, but the priests acquired control of it and made it a menace to law and order. I should not have escaped with my life had it not been for one of the best friends I have ever known, a “mestizo,” part Spanish and part Filipino. She undoubtedly saved my life by declaring that before anything was done to me she and her husband must be sacrificed. “Greater love hath no man than this.” They were influential people throughout the islands, and nothing occurred.

Festivals of the Church.Chapter Eighteen.According to the Spanish calendar in my possession, there is a festival for every day in the year. There are services every morning at seven, every evening at five; often there are special grand festivals. The Jaro church has a wax figure of the Savior and this figure is dressed for various festivals in various ways; sometimes in evening dress, with white shirt, diamond stud, rings on the fingers, patent leather shoes, and a derby hat. This figure was placed on a large platform and either carried on the shoulders of men or put on a wagon and drawn by men. Once I saw the cart pushed along by a bull at the rear. This procession would form at the Cathedral door, march around the square and then usually go three or four blocks down toward the house where the priest lived, and by that time it would be very nearly dark and they would light their candles and return and go about the square again before going into the Cathedral.Sometimes the figure was dressed in royal robes with long purple mantle and gilded crown upon the head; on Good Friday it lay in a white shroud as if in death; on Easter day it was arrayed in flowing white robes and was brought from the cemetery into town and borne at the head of a great parade. Those who could afford to do so would set up a special shrine in front of their homes, adorned with flowers and household images. The priest would, as a special favor, have special services before these shrines, and the more money spent on these shrines and the more paid to the priest the more distinguished the citizen. For days before the natives were busy making long candles out ofcarabaotallow. Some of these candles, huge and crude, would weigh four or five pounds. None of the so-called common people or the poor class would take part in any of these wonderful parades unless they were able to wear good clothes and have long trains to their dresses. I never saw any one in these processions who was at all poor; the poor simply stand by the roadside and look on. I asked my Filipino woman why she did not join; she said she would just as soon as she could get a dress with a train. It was not many weeks before she was in the procession, having earned the train by laundry work for the officers and soldiers. For the men, it was their joy to be able to purchase a derby hat. I never knew there could be so many kinds of derbies as I saw on the heads of these natives. It was said that a ship-load of them was brought over once, and they so charmed the male population that from that time on they all aspired to own a derby, no matter howancient its appearance or of what color it might be. And no matter if they did not have a shirt to their back, if they had on a good stiff derby hat, they were dressed for any occasion and to appear before anybody.The priests wear, first, a long, plain white robe, over this a black cassock, then a white cotta; and the more richly it is embroidered the better they like it. There was with this white cotta a white petticoat plain at the top and ruffled at the bottom. I did not know the names of the outer vestments but they were all embroidered. I offered to buy one of the heavily embroidered vestments from a priest but he refused, saying that it was very hard to get that kind of cloth embroidered so beautifully. He gave me one of the Filipino skirts; it was badly worn, but I kept it as a curiosity. Not knowing very much about the Roman church, there were a great many things done every day that I could not understand; for instance, when a priest went out in a closed carriage attended by two or three boys he would come from the church door with one of the boys in front of him ringing a bell vigorously. He would ring this bell just as hard as he could until the priest would get inside with his attendants and then they would drive away. When they returned they would go through this same performance of ringing this bell until they got inside of the church. I saw this many times and once asked a Roman Catholic soldier what it meant; he said he did not know.It may be that these people need to be terrorized by the priests; certain it is that, when a priest walks through the village or when any of the people see him,they kneel and kiss his hand, if he is so gracious as to honor them with the privilege. The people bow down before him and reverence him though he may at any moment lift his cane and give them a good whack over the head or shoulders. I never saw this done, but several of our men told me they had seen it; and one captain told me that he saw the priest take a huge bamboo pole and knock a man down because he failed to get into the procession in double-quick time. They do literally rule these people with the rod.

According to the Spanish calendar in my possession, there is a festival for every day in the year. There are services every morning at seven, every evening at five; often there are special grand festivals. The Jaro church has a wax figure of the Savior and this figure is dressed for various festivals in various ways; sometimes in evening dress, with white shirt, diamond stud, rings on the fingers, patent leather shoes, and a derby hat. This figure was placed on a large platform and either carried on the shoulders of men or put on a wagon and drawn by men. Once I saw the cart pushed along by a bull at the rear. This procession would form at the Cathedral door, march around the square and then usually go three or four blocks down toward the house where the priest lived, and by that time it would be very nearly dark and they would light their candles and return and go about the square again before going into the Cathedral.

Sometimes the figure was dressed in royal robes with long purple mantle and gilded crown upon the head; on Good Friday it lay in a white shroud as if in death; on Easter day it was arrayed in flowing white robes and was brought from the cemetery into town and borne at the head of a great parade. Those who could afford to do so would set up a special shrine in front of their homes, adorned with flowers and household images. The priest would, as a special favor, have special services before these shrines, and the more money spent on these shrines and the more paid to the priest the more distinguished the citizen. For days before the natives were busy making long candles out ofcarabaotallow. Some of these candles, huge and crude, would weigh four or five pounds. None of the so-called common people or the poor class would take part in any of these wonderful parades unless they were able to wear good clothes and have long trains to their dresses. I never saw any one in these processions who was at all poor; the poor simply stand by the roadside and look on. I asked my Filipino woman why she did not join; she said she would just as soon as she could get a dress with a train. It was not many weeks before she was in the procession, having earned the train by laundry work for the officers and soldiers. For the men, it was their joy to be able to purchase a derby hat. I never knew there could be so many kinds of derbies as I saw on the heads of these natives. It was said that a ship-load of them was brought over once, and they so charmed the male population that from that time on they all aspired to own a derby, no matter howancient its appearance or of what color it might be. And no matter if they did not have a shirt to their back, if they had on a good stiff derby hat, they were dressed for any occasion and to appear before anybody.

The priests wear, first, a long, plain white robe, over this a black cassock, then a white cotta; and the more richly it is embroidered the better they like it. There was with this white cotta a white petticoat plain at the top and ruffled at the bottom. I did not know the names of the outer vestments but they were all embroidered. I offered to buy one of the heavily embroidered vestments from a priest but he refused, saying that it was very hard to get that kind of cloth embroidered so beautifully. He gave me one of the Filipino skirts; it was badly worn, but I kept it as a curiosity. Not knowing very much about the Roman church, there were a great many things done every day that I could not understand; for instance, when a priest went out in a closed carriage attended by two or three boys he would come from the church door with one of the boys in front of him ringing a bell vigorously. He would ring this bell just as hard as he could until the priest would get inside with his attendants and then they would drive away. When they returned they would go through this same performance of ringing this bell until they got inside of the church. I saw this many times and once asked a Roman Catholic soldier what it meant; he said he did not know.

It may be that these people need to be terrorized by the priests; certain it is that, when a priest walks through the village or when any of the people see him,they kneel and kiss his hand, if he is so gracious as to honor them with the privilege. The people bow down before him and reverence him though he may at any moment lift his cane and give them a good whack over the head or shoulders. I never saw this done, but several of our men told me they had seen it; and one captain told me that he saw the priest take a huge bamboo pole and knock a man down because he failed to get into the procession in double-quick time. They do literally rule these people with the rod.

Osteopathy.Chapter Nineteen.In 1895, for the benefit of one dearer to me than life, I went to Kirksville, Mo., and from Dr. A. T. Still learned something of the principles and practice of his great art. The subject grew in interest; I became a regular student of the American School of Osteopathy, and, in time, completed the course and took the decree. In the islands it was a great pleasure to me to help our sick soldiers; scores of them, with touching gratitude, have blessed the use that I made of my hands upon them. Officers and men came daily for treatment. Soon the Filipinos came, too. Women walked many miles carrying their sick children; the blind and lame besought me to lay my hands upon them. It was noised about that I had divine power. My door was beset. I gladly gave relief where I could, but for the most of them help was one hundred years too late.I recall with special pleasure one successful case. A woman came to me who said she had walked forty miles to bring her sick child; for compensation she offered apigeon and three eggs. I could not look out of my window without seeing some poor sick native squatted on the ground waiting to see if I could do anything for her sick child or herself. The natives when burning up with fever think they dare not wash their bodies; they will lie hopeless and passive on the ground or on a small bamboo mat. It is pitiable to see them so utterly destitute; not one single thing that would go to make up a bed or pillow, nor do they seem to have any mode of taking care of their sick at all.Our army hospitals were very well kept, indeed, but it was a great struggle to get help enough and to get the things needed for hundreds of sick soldiers. There were many large buildings, but as soon as the government attempted to purchase them, the Filipinos asked exorbitant prices. And then the sanitary conditions are such that it is hard to establish hospitals anywhere. I read with great pleasure that the capitol of Luzon will be on a plateau in the mountains where the temperature will be lower, the air better, and the water purer.I am sure that Americans can live in the Philippines; I know that the resources of the islands are vast, especially in agricultural and mineral products; that we have, indeed, acquired in our new possessions immeasurable riches.As soon as any Filipino wishes to become a friend and to impress you that he is rich and has vast possessions, the entire family, father, mother, and children, will call and bring quantities of fruits, fine clothes, carved shells, and native pearls with curiously wroughtgold settings, and present them with great earnestness of manner and many words of praise. They tell you what great value they place upon your friendship, and that of all the people in all the world you are the one person that they do most ardently believe in, and finally that they consider you the greatest acquisition to their islands.A Filipino general and his wife came again and again to see me; they brought a magnificent sunburst of diamonds which they urged me to accept with their greatest love and affection. I declined positively and absolutely. They seemed very much downcast that I would not accept this little token of their deep affection. They went home, but in about two hours came back, brought the diamonds, and again urged and urged so strongly that I finally consented to let the wife pin the elegant brooch on my dress; perhaps I should find out the hidden meaning of this excessive devotion. As soon as the officer in command returned, I told him of the gift, of my refusal, and of their return. A written note was hastily sent to the general that he must come and remove the brooch at once. Fearing the wrath of the officer, he came immediately and I returned the diamonds. Even after this the family renewed their efforts. I found out afterwards that the general had violated his oath of allegiance; his bribe was to buy my influence with the commanding officer.It was evident that many of the better class of natives, in spite of oath and fair face, were directing and maintaining the murderous bands of banditti. Often letters were found that the Filipino generals had written to theirwomen friends in Jaro, Iloilo and Molo, to sell their jewels, to sell all they could, to buy guns, ammunition, and food, and later other letters were captured full of the thanks of the Filipino army for these gifts. While the good Filipinos were taking the oath of allegiance with the uplifted right hand, the left was much busier sending supplies to the insurrectos.The hypocrisy of the upper classes was matched by their cruelty. A native of prominence was gracious enough upon one occasion to direct a party of officers on their way. He was attended by his servant who walked or ran the entire distance carrying a heavy load suspended partly from his shoulders, and partly by a strap about the forehead.The servant failed to start with the party, but in a short time he caught up by running swiftly. The master calmly got off his horse, motioned to the servant to drop his load, and proceeded to beat the man unmercifully with a cane made out of fish tail, a sword-like, cruel, barbed affair, about four feet long. The poor servant never uttered a cry. As soon as possible the officers interfered and stopped the torture. So bloody and faint was the poor victim that they gave him a horse to ride. The master was angry, declared he would not have his authority questioned and left the party.A ball was given in the town of Jaro by the officers who were there and in the town of Iloilo. Army, navy, ladies, and nurses from the hospital were invited. It was considered quite an unusual thing to do at this time, as the Filipino soldiers were near at hand day and night,approaching and firing upon the town. One of the Filipino women said, “I do not see how the American officers dare congregate at so dangerous a time.” The men decorated the huge ball room with magnificent palms and ferns which they had gathered and put up many flags. The regimental band was stationed on the porch at the rear of the building. It was, altogether, a very fine gathering, and all went merry “as the marriage bell.”There was a German on the dance programme that was to end in a mock capture. Not thinking that it might occasion alarm, at a certain point, some of the soldiers were instructed to fire off some cannon crackers; in addition the soldiers thought it would be just as well to fire off a few pistols. The surprise was very great. The colonel of a volunteer regiment nearby heard the commotion and gave orders for the company to turn out and find out where this fusillade was occurring, not supposing that it could be in private quarters. The Presidente of the town was greatly alarmed, as he was expecting any moment to be captured for serving under the U. S. government as head man of a town. The firing created a great commotion, people ran hither and thither to find out where the battle was going on; the musicians, who did not understand about the firing, were frightened, too; there was a call to arms and great commotion. But soon explanations came, and immediately it was on with the dance. It was a huge joke, and when the sentry told that a colonel and his wife were the most frightened of all, barricading their doors and having extra guards placed around, the merriment knew no bounds.It was seldom that the officers had any of these receptions or balls, but when they did everybody felt they must attend, and those taking part in the dance enjoyed themselves very much. Sometimes the officers would charter a small steamer and go to one of the nearby islands, but it was rarely they could do so, because of the skulking natives and their manner of signaling where these parties landed, making it unsafe for any but large companies to attend these excursions.It was often the duty of our officers and men to stop the cruelties they saw practiced upon dumb brutes. I have in mind the way pigs were brought to market, their forefeet across a bamboo pole and their heads bound so that they could not squeal, and in this uncomfortable way they were carried many miles. Of the many stories that were told of the cruelties our soldiers perpetrated upon the helpless Filipinos, I do not believe one word; indeed, our men were constantly assisting the natives in every way possible.On the 4th of July, 1900, our officers decided to tender a reception to the Filipino families whose hospitalities they had enjoyed. They issued invitations and decorated their quarters in fine shape with flags, bunting, palms, and pictures. It was quite the talk of the town. The beauty and chivalry of the island were there. For refreshments they served commissary supplies with ice cream and cake. The guests thought it a very poor banquet for such pretentious people as the officers were. The Filipinos always have a ten or twelve course meal at twelve o’clock at their dances, especially when they havefestivals or wedding banquets. There were many of these given. I could often watch the throng from my window; they went at this particular kind of hilarity in the same listless, slow, silent manner in which they did everything. The popular dance is the “Rigadon.” There is a great deal of swinging of couples and going forward and back. None of the common people seem to indulge in any form of a dance, so far as I could learn.We invited upon several occasions some Filipino men and women to dine with us, and it was interesting to hear their remarks about various dishes we had prepared for them. They would ask questions concerning the preparations. Mince pies, which we made of canned meat and canned apples, were a source of great wonder; they would ask where they could get the fruit for that kind of a pudding. I know that they made wry faces at some dishes, and I know that we did ourselves, for some of them were beyond comparison; no chef in all the world could produce a good thing out of such materials.The May festival was given by the children, chiefly by the little girls of the cathedral congregation. The leader was a woman of fine character and standing. She worked hard every day with these little tots to train them to do their parts well, which consisted of marching into the cathedral by twos’, arranging themselves into a circle about the Virgin Mother and throwing flowers and bouquets, singing and speaking. The ludicrous part of it all was that these little things were supposed to be dressed like American children. The models had been taken from some old magazine,—huge sleeves, smallwaists, skirt to the knees, and pantlets to the top of shoes. The shoes were painfully tight and the little feet, unaccustomed to being held in such close quarters, limped and hobbled piteously. The festival was carried on every day for weeks. Bushels of flowers were thrown at the figure of the Blessed Virgin.Some of the festivals in the larger cathedrals in Manila were gorgeous indeed. There were floats on which were carried the different patron saints, all gorgeously arrayed in the most magnificent costumes. Evidently the churches were never meant for the common or poor people, so few of them were ever seen within their walls; but without were vast crowds of beggars, of the blind, the deformed, thediseased; victims of smallpox and of leprosy in every stage of suffering. It is said that the first thing ordered by Bishop Brent, who took charge of the Protestant Episcopal church in the Philippines, was soap.

In 1895, for the benefit of one dearer to me than life, I went to Kirksville, Mo., and from Dr. A. T. Still learned something of the principles and practice of his great art. The subject grew in interest; I became a regular student of the American School of Osteopathy, and, in time, completed the course and took the decree. In the islands it was a great pleasure to me to help our sick soldiers; scores of them, with touching gratitude, have blessed the use that I made of my hands upon them. Officers and men came daily for treatment. Soon the Filipinos came, too. Women walked many miles carrying their sick children; the blind and lame besought me to lay my hands upon them. It was noised about that I had divine power. My door was beset. I gladly gave relief where I could, but for the most of them help was one hundred years too late.

I recall with special pleasure one successful case. A woman came to me who said she had walked forty miles to bring her sick child; for compensation she offered apigeon and three eggs. I could not look out of my window without seeing some poor sick native squatted on the ground waiting to see if I could do anything for her sick child or herself. The natives when burning up with fever think they dare not wash their bodies; they will lie hopeless and passive on the ground or on a small bamboo mat. It is pitiable to see them so utterly destitute; not one single thing that would go to make up a bed or pillow, nor do they seem to have any mode of taking care of their sick at all.

Our army hospitals were very well kept, indeed, but it was a great struggle to get help enough and to get the things needed for hundreds of sick soldiers. There were many large buildings, but as soon as the government attempted to purchase them, the Filipinos asked exorbitant prices. And then the sanitary conditions are such that it is hard to establish hospitals anywhere. I read with great pleasure that the capitol of Luzon will be on a plateau in the mountains where the temperature will be lower, the air better, and the water purer.

I am sure that Americans can live in the Philippines; I know that the resources of the islands are vast, especially in agricultural and mineral products; that we have, indeed, acquired in our new possessions immeasurable riches.

As soon as any Filipino wishes to become a friend and to impress you that he is rich and has vast possessions, the entire family, father, mother, and children, will call and bring quantities of fruits, fine clothes, carved shells, and native pearls with curiously wroughtgold settings, and present them with great earnestness of manner and many words of praise. They tell you what great value they place upon your friendship, and that of all the people in all the world you are the one person that they do most ardently believe in, and finally that they consider you the greatest acquisition to their islands.

A Filipino general and his wife came again and again to see me; they brought a magnificent sunburst of diamonds which they urged me to accept with their greatest love and affection. I declined positively and absolutely. They seemed very much downcast that I would not accept this little token of their deep affection. They went home, but in about two hours came back, brought the diamonds, and again urged and urged so strongly that I finally consented to let the wife pin the elegant brooch on my dress; perhaps I should find out the hidden meaning of this excessive devotion. As soon as the officer in command returned, I told him of the gift, of my refusal, and of their return. A written note was hastily sent to the general that he must come and remove the brooch at once. Fearing the wrath of the officer, he came immediately and I returned the diamonds. Even after this the family renewed their efforts. I found out afterwards that the general had violated his oath of allegiance; his bribe was to buy my influence with the commanding officer.

It was evident that many of the better class of natives, in spite of oath and fair face, were directing and maintaining the murderous bands of banditti. Often letters were found that the Filipino generals had written to theirwomen friends in Jaro, Iloilo and Molo, to sell their jewels, to sell all they could, to buy guns, ammunition, and food, and later other letters were captured full of the thanks of the Filipino army for these gifts. While the good Filipinos were taking the oath of allegiance with the uplifted right hand, the left was much busier sending supplies to the insurrectos.

The hypocrisy of the upper classes was matched by their cruelty. A native of prominence was gracious enough upon one occasion to direct a party of officers on their way. He was attended by his servant who walked or ran the entire distance carrying a heavy load suspended partly from his shoulders, and partly by a strap about the forehead.

The servant failed to start with the party, but in a short time he caught up by running swiftly. The master calmly got off his horse, motioned to the servant to drop his load, and proceeded to beat the man unmercifully with a cane made out of fish tail, a sword-like, cruel, barbed affair, about four feet long. The poor servant never uttered a cry. As soon as possible the officers interfered and stopped the torture. So bloody and faint was the poor victim that they gave him a horse to ride. The master was angry, declared he would not have his authority questioned and left the party.

A ball was given in the town of Jaro by the officers who were there and in the town of Iloilo. Army, navy, ladies, and nurses from the hospital were invited. It was considered quite an unusual thing to do at this time, as the Filipino soldiers were near at hand day and night,approaching and firing upon the town. One of the Filipino women said, “I do not see how the American officers dare congregate at so dangerous a time.” The men decorated the huge ball room with magnificent palms and ferns which they had gathered and put up many flags. The regimental band was stationed on the porch at the rear of the building. It was, altogether, a very fine gathering, and all went merry “as the marriage bell.”

There was a German on the dance programme that was to end in a mock capture. Not thinking that it might occasion alarm, at a certain point, some of the soldiers were instructed to fire off some cannon crackers; in addition the soldiers thought it would be just as well to fire off a few pistols. The surprise was very great. The colonel of a volunteer regiment nearby heard the commotion and gave orders for the company to turn out and find out where this fusillade was occurring, not supposing that it could be in private quarters. The Presidente of the town was greatly alarmed, as he was expecting any moment to be captured for serving under the U. S. government as head man of a town. The firing created a great commotion, people ran hither and thither to find out where the battle was going on; the musicians, who did not understand about the firing, were frightened, too; there was a call to arms and great commotion. But soon explanations came, and immediately it was on with the dance. It was a huge joke, and when the sentry told that a colonel and his wife were the most frightened of all, barricading their doors and having extra guards placed around, the merriment knew no bounds.

It was seldom that the officers had any of these receptions or balls, but when they did everybody felt they must attend, and those taking part in the dance enjoyed themselves very much. Sometimes the officers would charter a small steamer and go to one of the nearby islands, but it was rarely they could do so, because of the skulking natives and their manner of signaling where these parties landed, making it unsafe for any but large companies to attend these excursions.

It was often the duty of our officers and men to stop the cruelties they saw practiced upon dumb brutes. I have in mind the way pigs were brought to market, their forefeet across a bamboo pole and their heads bound so that they could not squeal, and in this uncomfortable way they were carried many miles. Of the many stories that were told of the cruelties our soldiers perpetrated upon the helpless Filipinos, I do not believe one word; indeed, our men were constantly assisting the natives in every way possible.

On the 4th of July, 1900, our officers decided to tender a reception to the Filipino families whose hospitalities they had enjoyed. They issued invitations and decorated their quarters in fine shape with flags, bunting, palms, and pictures. It was quite the talk of the town. The beauty and chivalry of the island were there. For refreshments they served commissary supplies with ice cream and cake. The guests thought it a very poor banquet for such pretentious people as the officers were. The Filipinos always have a ten or twelve course meal at twelve o’clock at their dances, especially when they havefestivals or wedding banquets. There were many of these given. I could often watch the throng from my window; they went at this particular kind of hilarity in the same listless, slow, silent manner in which they did everything. The popular dance is the “Rigadon.” There is a great deal of swinging of couples and going forward and back. None of the common people seem to indulge in any form of a dance, so far as I could learn.

We invited upon several occasions some Filipino men and women to dine with us, and it was interesting to hear their remarks about various dishes we had prepared for them. They would ask questions concerning the preparations. Mince pies, which we made of canned meat and canned apples, were a source of great wonder; they would ask where they could get the fruit for that kind of a pudding. I know that they made wry faces at some dishes, and I know that we did ourselves, for some of them were beyond comparison; no chef in all the world could produce a good thing out of such materials.

The May festival was given by the children, chiefly by the little girls of the cathedral congregation. The leader was a woman of fine character and standing. She worked hard every day with these little tots to train them to do their parts well, which consisted of marching into the cathedral by twos’, arranging themselves into a circle about the Virgin Mother and throwing flowers and bouquets, singing and speaking. The ludicrous part of it all was that these little things were supposed to be dressed like American children. The models had been taken from some old magazine,—huge sleeves, smallwaists, skirt to the knees, and pantlets to the top of shoes. The shoes were painfully tight and the little feet, unaccustomed to being held in such close quarters, limped and hobbled piteously. The festival was carried on every day for weeks. Bushels of flowers were thrown at the figure of the Blessed Virgin.

Some of the festivals in the larger cathedrals in Manila were gorgeous indeed. There were floats on which were carried the different patron saints, all gorgeously arrayed in the most magnificent costumes. Evidently the churches were never meant for the common or poor people, so few of them were ever seen within their walls; but without were vast crowds of beggars, of the blind, the deformed, thediseased; victims of smallpox and of leprosy in every stage of suffering. It is said that the first thing ordered by Bishop Brent, who took charge of the Protestant Episcopal church in the Philippines, was soap.

The McKinley Campaign.Chapter Twenty.The excitement on the islands ran quite high during the McKinley-Bryan campaign. The natives conceived that if Bryan were elected they could, in some way, they could not explain how, not only be very greatly benefited personally, but the U. S. troops would be withdrawn; they would then be rid not only of the Spaniards but of the Americans, and could then have a ruler of their own choosing. I knew that there were small papers or bulletins published to intensify these sentiments. Popular favor was all for Bryan and not one person for McKinley, while on the other hand I do not think there was a single soldier who was not a McKinley man. The feeling ran high, and, while our papers gave us every assurance that the Republican party would be victorious, we were very anxious for the news. On the night of the 6th of November we had the glorious report. It did not take long for the shouts to go up from every American soldier. About eleven o’clockP. M.all the American officers and men formed in procession with the band atthe head; they came around to the house where I was staying and called out, “Come, Mrs. Conger, you must join in this jubilee.” I did not need a second invitation. Snatching my little American flag that I take wherever I go, I formed in line with the boys. We marched around and around the park, cheering, singing patriotic songs, and hurrahing for McKinley. In front of one of the houses where I knew they were the most bitter toward the Americans, we cheered lustily. I had been there only a few days before to purchase a Jusi dress for Mrs. McKinley. I said that I would like one of their very best weaves, as it would go to the White House to Mrs. McKinley. With a great deal of scorn in her voice and manner she declared she would not make it. We continued on our march through and around the town until after one o’clock, when I returned to my room. I was about to retire when a detachment from the Scouts came and said, “Oh, Mrs. Conger, we want you to come over to the park, we are going to have a big bonfire.” So I went over and we had another jollification, hurrahing, singing, shouting for McKinley, until we made ourselves hoarse. We burned up all the old debris that we could gather and plenty of bamboo, which makes a cracking noise, quite like a roll of musketry. From every window and crevice in every house about that park native heads were gazing at us, and never one cheer came from a single throat, but we gave them to understand in no uncertain terms where we stood. I suppose they thought it was only one more unheard of thing for a woman to do, to be out marching and singing, and Iam sure they thought “SeñoraBlanco,” the name I was called by the people all over the Island of Panay, had gone mad; and I was certainly doing unheard of things, for, as I said before, it is not considered at all proper for a woman to be walking or riding with a man. And to think that a woman of my years, and the only American woman in that part of the country, would, at such an hour, be marching with those hundreds of boys in the dead of night was wholly beyond their comprehension, and they had no words adequate to express their disgust at my outburst of enthusiasm and patriotism.

The excitement on the islands ran quite high during the McKinley-Bryan campaign. The natives conceived that if Bryan were elected they could, in some way, they could not explain how, not only be very greatly benefited personally, but the U. S. troops would be withdrawn; they would then be rid not only of the Spaniards but of the Americans, and could then have a ruler of their own choosing. I knew that there were small papers or bulletins published to intensify these sentiments. Popular favor was all for Bryan and not one person for McKinley, while on the other hand I do not think there was a single soldier who was not a McKinley man. The feeling ran high, and, while our papers gave us every assurance that the Republican party would be victorious, we were very anxious for the news. On the night of the 6th of November we had the glorious report. It did not take long for the shouts to go up from every American soldier. About eleven o’clockP. M.all the American officers and men formed in procession with the band atthe head; they came around to the house where I was staying and called out, “Come, Mrs. Conger, you must join in this jubilee.” I did not need a second invitation. Snatching my little American flag that I take wherever I go, I formed in line with the boys. We marched around and around the park, cheering, singing patriotic songs, and hurrahing for McKinley. In front of one of the houses where I knew they were the most bitter toward the Americans, we cheered lustily. I had been there only a few days before to purchase a Jusi dress for Mrs. McKinley. I said that I would like one of their very best weaves, as it would go to the White House to Mrs. McKinley. With a great deal of scorn in her voice and manner she declared she would not make it. We continued on our march through and around the town until after one o’clock, when I returned to my room. I was about to retire when a detachment from the Scouts came and said, “Oh, Mrs. Conger, we want you to come over to the park, we are going to have a big bonfire.” So I went over and we had another jollification, hurrahing, singing, shouting for McKinley, until we made ourselves hoarse. We burned up all the old debris that we could gather and plenty of bamboo, which makes a cracking noise, quite like a roll of musketry. From every window and crevice in every house about that park native heads were gazing at us, and never one cheer came from a single throat, but we gave them to understand in no uncertain terms where we stood. I suppose they thought it was only one more unheard of thing for a woman to do, to be out marching and singing, and Iam sure they thought “SeñoraBlanco,” the name I was called by the people all over the Island of Panay, had gone mad; and I was certainly doing unheard of things, for, as I said before, it is not considered at all proper for a woman to be walking or riding with a man. And to think that a woman of my years, and the only American woman in that part of the country, would, at such an hour, be marching with those hundreds of boys in the dead of night was wholly beyond their comprehension, and they had no words adequate to express their disgust at my outburst of enthusiasm and patriotism.

Governor Taft at Jaro.Chapter Twenty-One.When Governor Taft and other members of the peace commission were expected at Iloilo and Jaro, there were great preparations for several weeks before hand. The guests came to Jaro for a morning reception at the home of one of the wealthy citizens. The house had been beautifully decorated and the refreshments were served in the large room at the left of the hall; the buffet luncheon consisted of every kind of cake and sweetmeats, champagne, wine, and beer. The Filipino guests were in the large front room, seated in rows, six or eight rows, perhaps twenty in a row, with their backs to each other or facing each other.Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.I was the only American woman there until Mrs. Taft and other ladies with the peace commission arrived. Not wishing to sit solemnly in line gazing at these newly acquired sisters of mine, I ventured some remarks in Spanish about the weather and the coming guests. There was little response. My curiosity getting the better of me, I made bold to examine the gowns of thesewomen for I had seldom seen before such handsome material, rich brocaded satins, cloth of gold wrought with seed pearls and jewels; huge strings of pearls on the neck, diamond and pearl rings on the fingers and very handsome ornaments in the hair; every head bore a huge pompadour and every face was heavily powdered; the perfume was stifling even with every window stretched to the fullest extent. Each woman carried a handsome fan and each was attended by at least one servant. After waiting in this rigid company manner about an hour and a half, the distinguished guests arrived. We were then entertained by some of the local artists and celebrities. There was vocal and instrumental music; a fine grand piano, very good violins, and the concert was by far the best music I had heard in the islands.At 1:30 we were all carried over in carriages to the house of the Presidente and thirty-five of us sat down to a very sumptuous banquet of about eighteen courses. The menu of soup, fish, game, birds, salads, was very quickly served, a waiter for each guest. The table was furnished with much silver and cut glass, and at each plate was a bouquet holder with napkin ring attached; there were after-dinner speeches by Governor Taft, Judge Wright, and others; then we were ushered into the large drawing-room where coffee and cigars were served. The room had been especially prepared by the labor of many days spent on tacking flags on the ceiling and side walls, making a very beautiful effect. There were huge bunches of artificial flowers. For the entertainment at this house, all the Filipino bands from the surrounding towns weremassed together. Governor Taft complimented his hosts upon their very delightful “entretener,” and said he had seen nothing to compare with it for elegance and enthusiastic welcome since he had been on the islands. At every corner of the plaza there were erected handsome bamboo arches and booths, and every strip of bunting and every flag that could be got out were waving in Jaro on this great day of inauguration of the Civil Commission on the Island of Panay. To me it seemed anything but a peaceful time as the scouts were then out after a very desperate band of insurrectos, but I have never seen anywhere more beautiful ornamentation or more lavish display of wealth, and yet there was lacking in it all the genuine ring of cordiality and enthusiasm. In Iloilo there were many receptions and various kinds of entertainments given. Governor Taft invited leading citizens out to the ship where he returned the compliment with refreshments, good cheer, and a salute.In writing of my life in the islands, I must mention incidents of serious nature and yet of common happening. Almost daily would come an instant call for troops to mount and ride post haste by night or day after some of these worse than lawless bands of Filipinos. One evening while we were at dinner we had as our guest a Lieutenant of one of the volunteer regiments. He had been ill and had spent the time of his convalescence in acquiring some of the manifold Filipino dialects, about sixty in all, it is said. He was detailed by the commanding officer to visit some of the inland villages and inspect the schools and inquire generally after the condition of thepeople. He told us that evening that he intended to make quite an extensive tour around the island of Panay in the interest of the schools. “You are going to take a strong guard, of course?” we asked. “Anyone going on such a peaceful mission as mine would not need even an orderly, but I will take an orderly to assist in carrying the books and pamphlets.” The very next evening while we were at dinner, word was brought that this splendid young man had been killed not three miles from where we were sitting. In a few minutes men mounted and were off to the scene of the murder. In a nearby hut the young officer lay dead. He, who had so trustingly confided in these “peaceful people,” had fallen the victim of his noble impulses. Every article of any value had been taken from his body except a little watch that he carried in a small leather case on his wrist; he had bought it that very day to send to his wife. No trace of the “insurrectos,” the murderers, was ever found. A native woman said the officer was riding peacefully along with his orderly at his side when suddenly they were stopped by a volley of balls. The Lieutenant turned, as did also the orderly; their horses took fright, one rider was thrown, probably already dead, the other escaped. The funeral rites of our noble soldier were conducted with military honors; the body was sent home to his bereaved wife and family.One day a missionary was on his way from town to town; he had, unfortunately, an orderly with him. He was stopped and asked his business; he replied that he was a missionary. “Why carry a gun?” was the scornfulretort. He was stripped of everything of value but was allowed to return. The soldier did not fare so well; he was killed before the rescuing party could reach him. A detachment was sent out one day to procure some young beef for sale in a nearby village. They were received with open arms by the Presidente of the village and the Padre and were most sumptuously entertained. It was kindly explained that they had no young cattle for sale but that about a mile further on there were some very fine young calves that could be had at five dollars in gold.Not thinking of any treachery, the soldiers mounted and rode about a mile beyond the village into a ravine which, according to the instructions, led to the cattle-field beyond. While crossing the stream in the bottom of the ravine, the men were startled by the whiz of bullets and, glancing up, found the steep banks lined with insurrectos who had opened fire without a moment’s warning. Our men entrapped, surrounded, were ordered to surrender. For answer they put spurs to their horses and started back under a heavy fire. Unfortunately two of the fine horses were shot; their riders were obliged to run afoot the rest of the way up the bank and were picked up by their comrades. One of the men shouted, “Sergeant, don’t you hear they are calling for us to surrender? Say are you going to?” With an oath, “No, not by a d—-d sight. Run and fight.” Which they did and actually got away from hundreds of natives and arrived in Jaro breathless and weary, the horses covered with foam. Not a man had been killed or wounded.Two horses were killed outright, but none were maimed. Soon the troop was in the saddle and out after those treacherous miscreants. Many natives were arrested and brought to town and then it was found that this loyal (?) Presidente, whom the commanding general had had the utmost confidence in was at the head of a number of Filipino companies which scoured the country to capture small parties of our soldiers. As the investigations were pressed it came out that the bodies of their victims had been torn to pieces and buried in quicklime that there might be no traces left of their treachery. It was several weeks before the full facts were obtained and before the mutilated remains of our soldiers were found and brought back and buried.The volunteer regiments suffered most from these brutal cowards, directed and urged on by the “very best men” in civil and “sacred” office. These are facts from the lips of U. S. officers, men who do not lie. Very often the troops were called out to capture these bloody bands, but it was hard to locate them or bring them to a stand. The natives knew so many circuitous ways of running to cover and they had so many friends to aid them that it was almost impossible to follow them. Whenever they were captured they were so surprised, so humiliated, so innocent, meek and subdued, that it would never occur to an honest man that they could know how to handle a bolo or a gun. But experience taught that the most guileless in looks were the worst desperadoes of all. My first sight of a squad of these captives is a thing not to be forgotten. They were a scrubby lot of hardlyhuman things, stunted, gnarled pigmies, with no hats or shoes, and scarcely a rag of clothing. Their cruel knives, the deadly bolos, were the only things they could be stripped of. I looked down upon them from my window in astonishment. “It is not possible,” I exclaimed, “that these miserable creatures are samples of what is called the Filipino army.” “Yes,” an officer replied, “these are the fellows that never fight; that only stab in the back and mutilate the dying and dead.” My eyes turned to the guard, our own soldiers, fine, manly fellows, who fairly represented the personnel of our own splendid army. It made me indignant that one of them should suffer at the hands of such vermin or rather at the hands of the religious manipulators who stood in safety behind their ignorant degraded slaves.

When Governor Taft and other members of the peace commission were expected at Iloilo and Jaro, there were great preparations for several weeks before hand. The guests came to Jaro for a morning reception at the home of one of the wealthy citizens. The house had been beautifully decorated and the refreshments were served in the large room at the left of the hall; the buffet luncheon consisted of every kind of cake and sweetmeats, champagne, wine, and beer. The Filipino guests were in the large front room, seated in rows, six or eight rows, perhaps twenty in a row, with their backs to each other or facing each other.

Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.

Jaro at Time of Reception to Governor W. H. Taft and Party.

I was the only American woman there until Mrs. Taft and other ladies with the peace commission arrived. Not wishing to sit solemnly in line gazing at these newly acquired sisters of mine, I ventured some remarks in Spanish about the weather and the coming guests. There was little response. My curiosity getting the better of me, I made bold to examine the gowns of thesewomen for I had seldom seen before such handsome material, rich brocaded satins, cloth of gold wrought with seed pearls and jewels; huge strings of pearls on the neck, diamond and pearl rings on the fingers and very handsome ornaments in the hair; every head bore a huge pompadour and every face was heavily powdered; the perfume was stifling even with every window stretched to the fullest extent. Each woman carried a handsome fan and each was attended by at least one servant. After waiting in this rigid company manner about an hour and a half, the distinguished guests arrived. We were then entertained by some of the local artists and celebrities. There was vocal and instrumental music; a fine grand piano, very good violins, and the concert was by far the best music I had heard in the islands.

At 1:30 we were all carried over in carriages to the house of the Presidente and thirty-five of us sat down to a very sumptuous banquet of about eighteen courses. The menu of soup, fish, game, birds, salads, was very quickly served, a waiter for each guest. The table was furnished with much silver and cut glass, and at each plate was a bouquet holder with napkin ring attached; there were after-dinner speeches by Governor Taft, Judge Wright, and others; then we were ushered into the large drawing-room where coffee and cigars were served. The room had been especially prepared by the labor of many days spent on tacking flags on the ceiling and side walls, making a very beautiful effect. There were huge bunches of artificial flowers. For the entertainment at this house, all the Filipino bands from the surrounding towns weremassed together. Governor Taft complimented his hosts upon their very delightful “entretener,” and said he had seen nothing to compare with it for elegance and enthusiastic welcome since he had been on the islands. At every corner of the plaza there were erected handsome bamboo arches and booths, and every strip of bunting and every flag that could be got out were waving in Jaro on this great day of inauguration of the Civil Commission on the Island of Panay. To me it seemed anything but a peaceful time as the scouts were then out after a very desperate band of insurrectos, but I have never seen anywhere more beautiful ornamentation or more lavish display of wealth, and yet there was lacking in it all the genuine ring of cordiality and enthusiasm. In Iloilo there were many receptions and various kinds of entertainments given. Governor Taft invited leading citizens out to the ship where he returned the compliment with refreshments, good cheer, and a salute.

In writing of my life in the islands, I must mention incidents of serious nature and yet of common happening. Almost daily would come an instant call for troops to mount and ride post haste by night or day after some of these worse than lawless bands of Filipinos. One evening while we were at dinner we had as our guest a Lieutenant of one of the volunteer regiments. He had been ill and had spent the time of his convalescence in acquiring some of the manifold Filipino dialects, about sixty in all, it is said. He was detailed by the commanding officer to visit some of the inland villages and inspect the schools and inquire generally after the condition of thepeople. He told us that evening that he intended to make quite an extensive tour around the island of Panay in the interest of the schools. “You are going to take a strong guard, of course?” we asked. “Anyone going on such a peaceful mission as mine would not need even an orderly, but I will take an orderly to assist in carrying the books and pamphlets.” The very next evening while we were at dinner, word was brought that this splendid young man had been killed not three miles from where we were sitting. In a few minutes men mounted and were off to the scene of the murder. In a nearby hut the young officer lay dead. He, who had so trustingly confided in these “peaceful people,” had fallen the victim of his noble impulses. Every article of any value had been taken from his body except a little watch that he carried in a small leather case on his wrist; he had bought it that very day to send to his wife. No trace of the “insurrectos,” the murderers, was ever found. A native woman said the officer was riding peacefully along with his orderly at his side when suddenly they were stopped by a volley of balls. The Lieutenant turned, as did also the orderly; their horses took fright, one rider was thrown, probably already dead, the other escaped. The funeral rites of our noble soldier were conducted with military honors; the body was sent home to his bereaved wife and family.

One day a missionary was on his way from town to town; he had, unfortunately, an orderly with him. He was stopped and asked his business; he replied that he was a missionary. “Why carry a gun?” was the scornfulretort. He was stripped of everything of value but was allowed to return. The soldier did not fare so well; he was killed before the rescuing party could reach him. A detachment was sent out one day to procure some young beef for sale in a nearby village. They were received with open arms by the Presidente of the village and the Padre and were most sumptuously entertained. It was kindly explained that they had no young cattle for sale but that about a mile further on there were some very fine young calves that could be had at five dollars in gold.

Not thinking of any treachery, the soldiers mounted and rode about a mile beyond the village into a ravine which, according to the instructions, led to the cattle-field beyond. While crossing the stream in the bottom of the ravine, the men were startled by the whiz of bullets and, glancing up, found the steep banks lined with insurrectos who had opened fire without a moment’s warning. Our men entrapped, surrounded, were ordered to surrender. For answer they put spurs to their horses and started back under a heavy fire. Unfortunately two of the fine horses were shot; their riders were obliged to run afoot the rest of the way up the bank and were picked up by their comrades. One of the men shouted, “Sergeant, don’t you hear they are calling for us to surrender? Say are you going to?” With an oath, “No, not by a d—-d sight. Run and fight.” Which they did and actually got away from hundreds of natives and arrived in Jaro breathless and weary, the horses covered with foam. Not a man had been killed or wounded.Two horses were killed outright, but none were maimed. Soon the troop was in the saddle and out after those treacherous miscreants. Many natives were arrested and brought to town and then it was found that this loyal (?) Presidente, whom the commanding general had had the utmost confidence in was at the head of a number of Filipino companies which scoured the country to capture small parties of our soldiers. As the investigations were pressed it came out that the bodies of their victims had been torn to pieces and buried in quicklime that there might be no traces left of their treachery. It was several weeks before the full facts were obtained and before the mutilated remains of our soldiers were found and brought back and buried.

The volunteer regiments suffered most from these brutal cowards, directed and urged on by the “very best men” in civil and “sacred” office. These are facts from the lips of U. S. officers, men who do not lie. Very often the troops were called out to capture these bloody bands, but it was hard to locate them or bring them to a stand. The natives knew so many circuitous ways of running to cover and they had so many friends to aid them that it was almost impossible to follow them. Whenever they were captured they were so surprised, so humiliated, so innocent, meek and subdued, that it would never occur to an honest man that they could know how to handle a bolo or a gun. But experience taught that the most guileless in looks were the worst desperadoes of all. My first sight of a squad of these captives is a thing not to be forgotten. They were a scrubby lot of hardlyhuman things, stunted, gnarled pigmies, with no hats or shoes, and scarcely a rag of clothing. Their cruel knives, the deadly bolos, were the only things they could be stripped of. I looked down upon them from my window in astonishment. “It is not possible,” I exclaimed, “that these miserable creatures are samples of what is called the Filipino army.” “Yes,” an officer replied, “these are the fellows that never fight; that only stab in the back and mutilate the dying and dead.” My eyes turned to the guard, our own soldiers, fine, manly fellows, who fairly represented the personnel of our own splendid army. It made me indignant that one of them should suffer at the hands of such vermin or rather at the hands of the religious manipulators who stood in safety behind their ignorant degraded slaves.

Shipwreck.Chapter Twenty-Two.The climate seemed beyond physical endurance, although the thermometer ranged no higher than from ninety to one hundred ten, but the heat was continuous night and day; exhaustion without relief. The only time that one could get a breath was about five o’clock in the morning; in the middle of the day the sun’s rays are white-hot needles,—this is the only way that I can express it; and even if one carries an umbrella, the heat pierces directly through. From the first of November to the middle of December, there is usually about six or seven hours a day of comparative comfort; but the season is too short to brace the enervated body. One day the thermometer fell to seventy-eight; we Americans shivered and craved a fire, so much did we feel the change of temperature.I finally learned from the natives that it is not best after bathing, to rub the body with a towel; and indeed, following them more closely, that it is wise to feed with cocoanut oil the famished pores of the skin which hasbeen weakened by excessive exudation. The rainy season begins in April, usually, and gives some relief from the excessive heat; and such rains, never in my life had I known before what it was to have rain come down by the barrelful! The two-story house in which we were quartered was quite solidly built, and the boards of the second story were over-lapped to keep out the rain; and yet, I have often had to get up on the bed or table while the water poured in at innumerable unsuspected cracks and swept the floor like a torrent. It was hard to tell which frightened one the most, the terrible rain-storms or the awful earthquakes. In the house there was a magnificent glass chandelier. The first time we had a severe earthquake that chandelier swayed back and forth in such a wild way that it seemed as if it must fall and crush every prism, tiny light, and bell. I felt sure whenever a quake began that I should not live through it. The flying fragments across the room, the creaking hard-wood doors, the nauseating feeling that everything under foot was falling away,—it was a frightful experience then, it is a sickening memory now. One never gets used to these shocks no matter how many occur; the more, the worse. They are more frequent in the night than in the day. It was not quite so bad if the wild start from uneasy slumber was followed by a cheery voice calling, “Hello there, are you alive, has anything hurt you, has anything struck?” Even the rats are terrified, and the natives, almost to a soul, leave their houses, congregate in the middle of the street, and begin to pray. Sometimes a fierce wind from the north brings sad havocto the hastily built bamboo houses; a whole street of these slightly constructed dwellings is toppled over or lies aslant, or is swept away. At first we used to smile at the storm signal displayed at Iloilo. If the sky was clear and still, we would start out confidently on some trip, to the next town perhaps; before we had gone more than a half mile we would be drenched through and through and no cloud, not even as big as a man’s hand was to be seen; at other times dense clouds, the blackest clouds, would shut down close upon us,—such are the strange variations. No sort of sailing craft ever leaves the port when the signals are up for one of these hurricane storms; if caught out in them they put instantly into the nearest port. Shipwrecks are frequent, partly on account of these sudden storms, but chiefly on account of the shifting sands of the course.From Manila to Iloilo on a boat that had been purchased for the use of the government, I was, on one occasion, the only passenger on board. The captain had never been over this course before, but he was confident of getting through with the help of a Spanish chart. About two o’clock in the morning I sprang to my feet alarmed by the harsh grinding of the boat’s keel, the scurrying of many feet, the shouting of quick orders. The shock of the boat blew out all lamps; in the darkness I opened the door of my cabin and ran to find the captain, guided by his voice. I learned that we were aground. I asked him if I could help. “Yes, if you can carry messages to the engineer and translate them into Spanish.” I ran to and fro, stumbling up or down,forgetting every time I passed that a certain part of the ship had a raised ledge. The effort was to prop the boat with spars that it might not tip as it crunched and settled down upon the coral reefs. We could hardly wait until daylight to measure the predicament. When the light grew clear so that I saw the illuminated waters, there was a scene of new and wonderful beauty,—a garden of the sea, a coral grove. Far as the eye could reach there was every conceivable color, shape, and kind of coral,—pink, green, yellow, and white. It all looked so safe and soft, as if one might crush it in the hands; and yet these huge cakes of coral were like adamant, except the delicate fern-like spikes that were so viciously piercing the bottom of our boat. I saw all kinds of sea shells, the lovely nautilus spreading its sails on the surface, and the huge devil-fish sprawling at the bottom of the shallow pools, with its many tentacles thrown out on every side.With innumerable ants, swarms of mosquitoes, lizards everywhere, rats by the million, mice, myriads of langoustas or grass-hoppers, long cockroaches, squeaking bugs, monkeys that stole everything they could lay their hands on, the fear of the deadly bolo, the dread each night of waking up amid flame and smoke, earthquakes, tornadoes, dreadful thunders and lightnings, torrents of water, life sometimes seemed hard; each new day was but a repetition of yesterday, and I used constantly to rely upon the assured promises—Psalms XCI:“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.“I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust.“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;“Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.“Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.“They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.“Because he hath set his love upon thee, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.“With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”Looking down from my window every day into the faces of six or more dead bodies that were brought to the cathedral, I knew that “The pestilence was walking in the darkness.”

The climate seemed beyond physical endurance, although the thermometer ranged no higher than from ninety to one hundred ten, but the heat was continuous night and day; exhaustion without relief. The only time that one could get a breath was about five o’clock in the morning; in the middle of the day the sun’s rays are white-hot needles,—this is the only way that I can express it; and even if one carries an umbrella, the heat pierces directly through. From the first of November to the middle of December, there is usually about six or seven hours a day of comparative comfort; but the season is too short to brace the enervated body. One day the thermometer fell to seventy-eight; we Americans shivered and craved a fire, so much did we feel the change of temperature.

I finally learned from the natives that it is not best after bathing, to rub the body with a towel; and indeed, following them more closely, that it is wise to feed with cocoanut oil the famished pores of the skin which hasbeen weakened by excessive exudation. The rainy season begins in April, usually, and gives some relief from the excessive heat; and such rains, never in my life had I known before what it was to have rain come down by the barrelful! The two-story house in which we were quartered was quite solidly built, and the boards of the second story were over-lapped to keep out the rain; and yet, I have often had to get up on the bed or table while the water poured in at innumerable unsuspected cracks and swept the floor like a torrent. It was hard to tell which frightened one the most, the terrible rain-storms or the awful earthquakes. In the house there was a magnificent glass chandelier. The first time we had a severe earthquake that chandelier swayed back and forth in such a wild way that it seemed as if it must fall and crush every prism, tiny light, and bell. I felt sure whenever a quake began that I should not live through it. The flying fragments across the room, the creaking hard-wood doors, the nauseating feeling that everything under foot was falling away,—it was a frightful experience then, it is a sickening memory now. One never gets used to these shocks no matter how many occur; the more, the worse. They are more frequent in the night than in the day. It was not quite so bad if the wild start from uneasy slumber was followed by a cheery voice calling, “Hello there, are you alive, has anything hurt you, has anything struck?” Even the rats are terrified, and the natives, almost to a soul, leave their houses, congregate in the middle of the street, and begin to pray. Sometimes a fierce wind from the north brings sad havocto the hastily built bamboo houses; a whole street of these slightly constructed dwellings is toppled over or lies aslant, or is swept away. At first we used to smile at the storm signal displayed at Iloilo. If the sky was clear and still, we would start out confidently on some trip, to the next town perhaps; before we had gone more than a half mile we would be drenched through and through and no cloud, not even as big as a man’s hand was to be seen; at other times dense clouds, the blackest clouds, would shut down close upon us,—such are the strange variations. No sort of sailing craft ever leaves the port when the signals are up for one of these hurricane storms; if caught out in them they put instantly into the nearest port. Shipwrecks are frequent, partly on account of these sudden storms, but chiefly on account of the shifting sands of the course.

From Manila to Iloilo on a boat that had been purchased for the use of the government, I was, on one occasion, the only passenger on board. The captain had never been over this course before, but he was confident of getting through with the help of a Spanish chart. About two o’clock in the morning I sprang to my feet alarmed by the harsh grinding of the boat’s keel, the scurrying of many feet, the shouting of quick orders. The shock of the boat blew out all lamps; in the darkness I opened the door of my cabin and ran to find the captain, guided by his voice. I learned that we were aground. I asked him if I could help. “Yes, if you can carry messages to the engineer and translate them into Spanish.” I ran to and fro, stumbling up or down,forgetting every time I passed that a certain part of the ship had a raised ledge. The effort was to prop the boat with spars that it might not tip as it crunched and settled down upon the coral reefs. We could hardly wait until daylight to measure the predicament. When the light grew clear so that I saw the illuminated waters, there was a scene of new and wonderful beauty,—a garden of the sea, a coral grove. Far as the eye could reach there was every conceivable color, shape, and kind of coral,—pink, green, yellow, and white. It all looked so safe and soft, as if one might crush it in the hands; and yet these huge cakes of coral were like adamant, except the delicate fern-like spikes that were so viciously piercing the bottom of our boat. I saw all kinds of sea shells, the lovely nautilus spreading its sails on the surface, and the huge devil-fish sprawling at the bottom of the shallow pools, with its many tentacles thrown out on every side.

With innumerable ants, swarms of mosquitoes, lizards everywhere, rats by the million, mice, myriads of langoustas or grass-hoppers, long cockroaches, squeaking bugs, monkeys that stole everything they could lay their hands on, the fear of the deadly bolo, the dread each night of waking up amid flame and smoke, earthquakes, tornadoes, dreadful thunders and lightnings, torrents of water, life sometimes seemed hard; each new day was but a repetition of yesterday, and I used constantly to rely upon the assured promises—Psalms XCI:

“He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

“I will say of the Lord, he is my refuge and my fortress: my God: in him will I trust.

“Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence.

“He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust; his truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

“Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

“Nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness; nor for the destruction that wasteth at noonday.

“A thousand shall fall at thy side, and ten thousand at thy right hand; but it shall not come nigh thee.

“Only with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the wicked.

“Because thou hast made the Lord, which is my refuge, even the most High, thy habitation;

“There shall no evil befall thee, neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

“For he shall give his angels charge over thee, to keep thee in all thy ways.

“They shall bear thee up in their hands, lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.

“Thou shalt tread upon the lion and the dragon shalt thou trample under feet.

“Because he hath set his love upon thee, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

“He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.

Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.

Cemetery Crypts for Those Who Can Buy or Rent.

“With long life will I satisfy him, and show him my salvation.”

Looking down from my window every day into the faces of six or more dead bodies that were brought to the cathedral, I knew that “The pestilence was walking in the darkness.”

Filipino Domestic Life.Chapter Twenty-Three.The houses are made of bamboo; some of them are pretty, quite artistic; the plain ones cost about seventy-five cents each; no furniture of any kind is needed. The native food is rice, or, as it is called in the vernacular, “Sow-sow.” It is cooked in an earthen pot set upon stones with a few lighted twigs thrust under it for fire. When it is eaten with nature’s forks—the fingers—with a relish of raw fish, it is the chief article of diet.House-cleaning is one thing that I never saw in practice or evidence. I took a supply of lye with me and it was a huge joke to see the natives use it in cleaning the floors.The windows are made of oyster shells which are thin and flat; these cut in three-inch squares make a window peculiarly adapted to withstand the heavy storms and earthquakes; it transmits a pleasant opalescent light.Coffee is raised, but not widely used by the natives; they prefer chocolate.After many unsuccessful attempts, I gave up trying to have my dishes washed in my way; I soon discovered that the servants used the teatowelson their bodies. This convinced me, and I let them wash mine as they did their own, by pouring water on each dish separately, rinsing and setting to dry on the porch in the sun, the only place where the vermin would not crawl over them.The irons used for pressing clothes are like a smooth, round-bottomed skillet, the inside is filled with lighted sticks and embers. The operator, who sits on the floor, passes this smoking mass over the thing to be pressed. The article, when finished, looks as if it had been sat upon.One Palm Sunday I visited five different churches in all of which were palms in profusion, woven into almost innumerable forms; fishes, birds in and out of cages, trees, fruits, flowers, crosses, crowns, sceptres, mitres, and saints’ emblems. The cathedral at Arevalo looked like a huge garden, but, in one second after it had been discovered that a white woman and an American officer were present, the entire congregation, rising, turned to look at us; it seemed as if a whirlwind were sweeping the palms, so nervous were the hands that held them.After the service, the crowd came out and vanished immediately, fear of an attack having overcome their curiosity.Nearly all the little children are naked. One day I saw a little fellow about three years old who was suffering severely with the smallpox. He was smoking a huge cigar of the kind the natives make by rolling the natural tobacco leaf and tying it with a bit of bamboofibre. He did look ridiculous. A native teacher told me that they all begin to smoke when about two years old; poor, little, stunted, starved things, fed on half cooked rice and raw fish.Drunkenness is comparatively rare among the natives; the intoxicating beverage is the “Tuba,” which is made about as follows: The flowers of the cocoanut are cut while still in bud and the sap, or “Beno,” caught in a tube of bamboo; the liquor is gathered daily as we gather maple sap and fermented by the addition of a piece of wood, which also imparts a slight color. The product of this fermentation is an insidious stimulant. I never tasted it, but one poor soldier told me his sad experience and that sufficed. After a particularly hard march, his company came to a halt in a village; he asked for water, but could get only this innocent looking “Beno;” he took one tiny glass; it tasted like cologne water; his thirst not being quenched, he took a second and a third glass, after which he proceeded to make a howling mob of himself. This, since it happened in the face of the enemy, with momentary expectation of attack, was a serious offence enough, but coupled with the fact that he was “on guard” at the time, entailed punishments, the rigor of which, can be guessed only by those familiar with army discipline.Once a party of officers and men were going from one island to another, carrying money and food for the soldiers. It was found, after starting, that they were not so heavily guarded as they should be, in view of the fact that they would be exposed to attack when in the narrowchannels between the islands. At one point where they were hemmed in, not only by the islands, but by a number of sailing crafts, the Captain, a Filipino, very seriously asked the Paymaster if he had plenty of fire arms; his reply was, “Oh, muchee fusile,” meaning, “Oh, very much fire arms.” To add to the horror of the situation they were becalmed. The Captain became very much alarmed and the soldiers more so. Strange to relate, there came a gale of wind that not only blew them out into a wider channel beyond the reach of their insurrecto friends, but put them well on their way. This was told me as being almost like a miracle. No one can ever realize until they have been caught in one of these terrific gales what their severity is. I remember one blast that tore my hair down and swept away every article of loose clothing, also some things that I had just purchased; I never saw them again. It would not occur to the natives to return anything that they found, even if they knew that they never could use it; they all professed friendship to my face, and were constantly begging for any little article that I might have, but they never returned anything they saw me drop or that had been blown away.We had, at one time, a peace society formed, there was an attendance of all the women of Jaro, some from Iloilo, and the President was chosen from Molo. I took pleasure in joining this society for the maintenance of peace and fraternal feeling with the Filipinos.One day I thought it my duty to call upon the President of the new peace commission. She lived in the townof Molo. I invited a native woman to accompany me, and secured a guard of soldiers and an interpreter. Such a commotion as the visit created. The interpreter explained that I had called to pay my respects, as I was the only American woman who had joined the peace society. The President was pale with fright at my coming, though I had with me a woman whom she knew very well. After she had recovered from the shock, we had a very agreeable time. She called in some of her family; one daughter played well on the piano, a large grand, and another played upon the violin. In the meantime refreshments were served in lavish profusion. They offeredmevery handsome cloths and embroideries, which I declined with thanks. It is a common custom to make presents.I had agreed with this Filipino friend to exchange views on points of etiquette and social manners. She told me that I had committed quite a breach of propriety in allowing the interpreter, who was a soldier, to ride on the front seat of the carriage; that it would become known everywhere that she and I actually had a man ride with us. It is not customary for even husbands and wives to drive together. My criticism was, “We do not like the manner of your ladies expectorating. In America we consider it a very filthy and offensive habit.” She was quite surprised that we were so very particular and asked me if we chewed the spittle.A large cathedral was situated just across the street, a circumstance that enabled me to witness many ceremonies of the Roman church, of whose existence I had no previous knowledge; daily services were held, and allthe Saints’ days were observed. On festivals of especial importance there were very gorgeous processions. The principal features were the bands of music, the choir, acolytes, priests, and rich people,—the poor have no place—all arrayed in purple and fine linen; gold, silver, pearls, and rare jewels sparkled in the sun by day, or, at night, in the light of the candles and torches carried by thousands of men, women and children.It was a trying experience to be awakened from sound sleep by the firing of guns. It was necessary to be always armed and ready to receive the “peaceful people.” (We read daily in the American papers that all danger was over.)A characteristic feature of each town is a plaza at its center, and here the people have shrines or places of worship at the corners, the wealthier people, only, having them in their homes.Smallpox is a disease of such common occurrence that the natives have no dread of it; the mortality from this one cause alone is appalling. This brings to mind the funeral ceremony, which, since the natives are all Catholics, is always performed by the padre or priest.In red, pink, or otherwise gayly decorated coffin, the corpse, which is often exposed to view and sometimes covered with cheap paper flowers, bits of lace and jewelry, is taken to the church, where there are already as many as five or six bodies at a time awaiting the arrival of the priest to say prayers and sprinkle holy water upon them. If the family of the deceased is too poor to buy or rent a coffin, the body is wrapped in a coarse mat,slung on a pole, and carried to the outer door of the church, to have a little water sprinkled thereon or service said over it. If the families are unable to rent a spot of earth in the cemetery, their dead are dumped into a pile and left to decay and bleach upon the surface. In contrast with this brutal neglect of the poor, is the lavish expenditure of the rich. The daughter of one of the wealthy residents having died, the body was placed in a casket elaborately trimmed with blue satin, the catafalque also was covered with blue satin and trimmed with ruffles of satin and lace. In the funeral procession, the coffin was carried on the shoulders of several young men, while at the sides walked young ladies, each dressed in a blue satin gown with a long train and white veil, and each lavishly decorated with precious jewels. They held long, blue satin ribbons fastened to the casket. At the door of the church the casket was taken in charge by three priests, attended by thirty or forty choir boys, acolytes, and others, and placed upon a black pedestal about thirty feet high and completely surrounded by hundreds of candles, many of which were held in gilded figures of cherubim; the whole was surmounted by a flambeau made by immersing cotton in alcohol. The general effect was of a huge burning pile. Incense was burned every where in and about the edifice, which was elaborately decorated with satin festoons, palms,artificialflowers, emblems wrought in beads, all in profusion and arranged with native taste. All this, with the intonation of the priests, the chanting of the choir, and the blaring of three bands, made a weird and impressive scene neverto be forgotten. After the ceremony, which lasted about an hour, the body was taken to the cemetery, and, as it was by this time quite dark, each person in the procession carried a torch or candle. I noticed quite a number of Chinese among the following, evidently friends, and these were arrayed in as gorgeous apparel as the natives. The remains having been disposed of, there was a grand reception given in the evening in honor of the deceased.It is customary to have a dance every Sunday evening, and each woman has a chair in which she sits while not dancing. The priests not only attend, but participate most heartily.I was told that among the papers captured in Manila was a document which proved to be the last bull issued by the Pope to the King of Spain (1895 or 96). This was an agreement between the Pope and the King, whereby the former conveys to the latter the right to authorize the sale of indulgences. The King, in turn, sold this right to the padres and friars in the islands. Absolution from a lie cost the sinner six pesos, or three dollars in gold; other sins in proportion to their enormity and the financial ability of the offender. The annual income of the King of Spain from this system has been estimated at the modest figure of ten millions.The discovery of this and other documents is due to a party of interpreters who became greatly fascinated by the unearthing process. In the same church in which these were found, the men investigated the gambling tables and found them controlled and manipulated from the room below by means of traps, tubes, and otherappliances. An interesting fact in this connection is that one of the interpreters was himself a Romanist, and loath to believe his eyes, but the evidence was convincing, and he was forced to admit it. Gambling is a national custom, deeply rooted.I shall never forget the joy I experienced when we got two milch cows. What visions of milk, cream, and butter,—fresh butter, not canned; then, too, to see the natives milk was truly a diversion; they went at it from the wrong side, stood at as great a distance as the length of arms permitted, and in a few seconds were through, having obtained for their trouble about a pint of milk—an excellent milk-man’s fluid—a blue and chalky mixture.One day I heard what seemed to be a cry of distress, half human in entreaty, and I rushed to see what could be the matter. There, on its back, was a goat being milked; there were four boys, each holding a leg, while the fifth one milked upward into a cocoanut shell. It was a ludicrous sight.One of their dainties is cooked grasshoppers, which are sold by the bushel in the markets. I cannot recommend this dish, for I never was able to summon sufficient courage to test it, but I should think it would be as delectable as the myriad little dried fish which are eaten with garlic as a garnish and flavor.The poor little horses are half starved and otherwise maltreated by the natives, who haven’t the least idea of how to manage them. They beat them to make them go, then pull up sharply on the reins which whirls themround and round or plunges them right and left, often into the ditches beside the road. It was no uncommon sight to see officers or men getting out of their quielas to push and pull to get the animal started, only to have the driver whip and jerk as before.Some of the natives bought the American horses and it was painful to see them try to make our noble steeds submit to methods a la Filipino.Beggars by the thousand were everywhere, blind, lame, and deformed; homeless, they wandered from town to town to beg, especially on market days. One blind woman, who lived on the road from Iloilo to Jaro, had collected seventy-five “mex,” only to have it stolen by her sister. Complaint was made to the military commander, but it was found that the money had been spent and that there was no redress to be had. She must continue to beg while her sister lived hard by in the new “shack” which she had built with the stolen “denaro” (money).About three miles from Jaro was quite a leper colony, shunned, of course, by the natives. During confession, the lepers kneeled several rods away from the priests. I saw one poor woman whose feet were entirely gone lashed to a board so she could drag herself along by the aid of her hands, which had not yet begun to decay.There were no visible means of caring for the sick and afflicted; the insane were kept in stocks or chained to trees, and the U. S. hospitals were so overtaxed by the demands made upon them by our own soldiers that little space or attention could be spared to the natives. Charity begins at home.God bless the dear women who nursed our sick soldiers; it was my pleasure to know quite intimately several of these girls who have made many a poor boy more comfortable. I am proud, too, of our U. S. Army; of course not all of the men were of the Sunday School order, but under such great discomforts, in such deadly perils, and among such treacherous people, nothing more can be expected of mortal men than they rendered. Many poor boys trusted these natives to their sorrow. They accepted hospitality and their death was planned right before their eyes, they, of course, not understanding the language sufficiently to comprehend what was intended. They paid the penalty of their trust with their lives.On Decoration Day we were able to make beautiful wreaths and crosses. Our soldiers marched to the cemeteries and placed the flowers on the graves of the brave boys who had given their lives in defence of the flag. I had the pleasure of representing the mothers, whose spiritual presence was, I felt sure, with those far-away loved ones. An officer has written me that Memorial Day was again observed this year, and I am sure it was done fittingly.A Protestant mission was established at Jaro, in a bamboo chapel, pure bamboo throughout, roof, walls, windows, seats, floor. The seats, however, were seldom used, for the natives prefer to squat on the floor. The congregation consisted of men, women, and children, many of whom came on foot from a distance of twenty or more miles, the older people scantily clad, and the children entirely naked; a more attentive audience would behard to find, as all were eager to get the “cheap religion.” None of the inhabitants of Jaro attend, as yet; they fear to do so, since they are under the strict surveillance of the padre, and are in the shadow of the seminary for priests, the educational center of the island of Panay.The Protestant minister is a graduate of this institution and is subject to all imaginable abuses and insults. Under his teachings, a great many have been baptized, who seemed devoutly in earnest; it is inspiring to hear them sing with great zeal the familiar hymns, “Rock of Ages,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” etc. One incident will suffice to illustrate the intense and determined opposition to Protestantism. One of the native teachers was warned not to return to his home, but, in defiance of all threats, he did so, and was murdered before the eyes of his family. I shall expect to hear that many other missionaries have been disposed of in a similar manner, after the withdrawal of the American troops.Many ask my opinion as to the value of these possessions; to me they seem rich beyond all estimate. A friend whom I met there, a man who has seen practically the whole world, said that, for climate and possibilities, he knew of no country to compare with the Philippines.The young generation is greedy for knowledge and anxious to progress, though the older people do not take kindly to innovations, but cling to their old superstitions and cruelties. God grant the better day may come soon.There was quite an ambition among the natives to be musical; they picked up quickly, “by ear,” some of the catchy things our band played. When I heard themplaying “A Hot Time in the Old Town To-night,” on their way to the cemetery, I could not restrain my laughter, and if the deceased were of the order of Katapunan the prophecy was fulfilled. Officers informed me that this society was probably the worst one ever organized, more deadly than anarchists ever were. It was originated by the Masons, but the priests acquired control of it and made it a menace to law and order. I should not have escaped with my life had it not been for one of the best friends I have ever known, a “mestizo,” part Spanish and part Filipino. She undoubtedly saved my life by declaring that before anything was done to me she and her husband must be sacrificed. “Greater love hath no man than this.” They were influential people throughout the islands, and nothing occurred.

The houses are made of bamboo; some of them are pretty, quite artistic; the plain ones cost about seventy-five cents each; no furniture of any kind is needed. The native food is rice, or, as it is called in the vernacular, “Sow-sow.” It is cooked in an earthen pot set upon stones with a few lighted twigs thrust under it for fire. When it is eaten with nature’s forks—the fingers—with a relish of raw fish, it is the chief article of diet.

House-cleaning is one thing that I never saw in practice or evidence. I took a supply of lye with me and it was a huge joke to see the natives use it in cleaning the floors.

The windows are made of oyster shells which are thin and flat; these cut in three-inch squares make a window peculiarly adapted to withstand the heavy storms and earthquakes; it transmits a pleasant opalescent light.

Coffee is raised, but not widely used by the natives; they prefer chocolate.

After many unsuccessful attempts, I gave up trying to have my dishes washed in my way; I soon discovered that the servants used the teatowelson their bodies. This convinced me, and I let them wash mine as they did their own, by pouring water on each dish separately, rinsing and setting to dry on the porch in the sun, the only place where the vermin would not crawl over them.

The irons used for pressing clothes are like a smooth, round-bottomed skillet, the inside is filled with lighted sticks and embers. The operator, who sits on the floor, passes this smoking mass over the thing to be pressed. The article, when finished, looks as if it had been sat upon.

One Palm Sunday I visited five different churches in all of which were palms in profusion, woven into almost innumerable forms; fishes, birds in and out of cages, trees, fruits, flowers, crosses, crowns, sceptres, mitres, and saints’ emblems. The cathedral at Arevalo looked like a huge garden, but, in one second after it had been discovered that a white woman and an American officer were present, the entire congregation, rising, turned to look at us; it seemed as if a whirlwind were sweeping the palms, so nervous were the hands that held them.

After the service, the crowd came out and vanished immediately, fear of an attack having overcome their curiosity.

Nearly all the little children are naked. One day I saw a little fellow about three years old who was suffering severely with the smallpox. He was smoking a huge cigar of the kind the natives make by rolling the natural tobacco leaf and tying it with a bit of bamboofibre. He did look ridiculous. A native teacher told me that they all begin to smoke when about two years old; poor, little, stunted, starved things, fed on half cooked rice and raw fish.

Drunkenness is comparatively rare among the natives; the intoxicating beverage is the “Tuba,” which is made about as follows: The flowers of the cocoanut are cut while still in bud and the sap, or “Beno,” caught in a tube of bamboo; the liquor is gathered daily as we gather maple sap and fermented by the addition of a piece of wood, which also imparts a slight color. The product of this fermentation is an insidious stimulant. I never tasted it, but one poor soldier told me his sad experience and that sufficed. After a particularly hard march, his company came to a halt in a village; he asked for water, but could get only this innocent looking “Beno;” he took one tiny glass; it tasted like cologne water; his thirst not being quenched, he took a second and a third glass, after which he proceeded to make a howling mob of himself. This, since it happened in the face of the enemy, with momentary expectation of attack, was a serious offence enough, but coupled with the fact that he was “on guard” at the time, entailed punishments, the rigor of which, can be guessed only by those familiar with army discipline.

Once a party of officers and men were going from one island to another, carrying money and food for the soldiers. It was found, after starting, that they were not so heavily guarded as they should be, in view of the fact that they would be exposed to attack when in the narrowchannels between the islands. At one point where they were hemmed in, not only by the islands, but by a number of sailing crafts, the Captain, a Filipino, very seriously asked the Paymaster if he had plenty of fire arms; his reply was, “Oh, muchee fusile,” meaning, “Oh, very much fire arms.” To add to the horror of the situation they were becalmed. The Captain became very much alarmed and the soldiers more so. Strange to relate, there came a gale of wind that not only blew them out into a wider channel beyond the reach of their insurrecto friends, but put them well on their way. This was told me as being almost like a miracle. No one can ever realize until they have been caught in one of these terrific gales what their severity is. I remember one blast that tore my hair down and swept away every article of loose clothing, also some things that I had just purchased; I never saw them again. It would not occur to the natives to return anything that they found, even if they knew that they never could use it; they all professed friendship to my face, and were constantly begging for any little article that I might have, but they never returned anything they saw me drop or that had been blown away.

We had, at one time, a peace society formed, there was an attendance of all the women of Jaro, some from Iloilo, and the President was chosen from Molo. I took pleasure in joining this society for the maintenance of peace and fraternal feeling with the Filipinos.

One day I thought it my duty to call upon the President of the new peace commission. She lived in the townof Molo. I invited a native woman to accompany me, and secured a guard of soldiers and an interpreter. Such a commotion as the visit created. The interpreter explained that I had called to pay my respects, as I was the only American woman who had joined the peace society. The President was pale with fright at my coming, though I had with me a woman whom she knew very well. After she had recovered from the shock, we had a very agreeable time. She called in some of her family; one daughter played well on the piano, a large grand, and another played upon the violin. In the meantime refreshments were served in lavish profusion. They offeredmevery handsome cloths and embroideries, which I declined with thanks. It is a common custom to make presents.

I had agreed with this Filipino friend to exchange views on points of etiquette and social manners. She told me that I had committed quite a breach of propriety in allowing the interpreter, who was a soldier, to ride on the front seat of the carriage; that it would become known everywhere that she and I actually had a man ride with us. It is not customary for even husbands and wives to drive together. My criticism was, “We do not like the manner of your ladies expectorating. In America we consider it a very filthy and offensive habit.” She was quite surprised that we were so very particular and asked me if we chewed the spittle.

A large cathedral was situated just across the street, a circumstance that enabled me to witness many ceremonies of the Roman church, of whose existence I had no previous knowledge; daily services were held, and allthe Saints’ days were observed. On festivals of especial importance there were very gorgeous processions. The principal features were the bands of music, the choir, acolytes, priests, and rich people,—the poor have no place—all arrayed in purple and fine linen; gold, silver, pearls, and rare jewels sparkled in the sun by day, or, at night, in the light of the candles and torches carried by thousands of men, women and children.

It was a trying experience to be awakened from sound sleep by the firing of guns. It was necessary to be always armed and ready to receive the “peaceful people.” (We read daily in the American papers that all danger was over.)

A characteristic feature of each town is a plaza at its center, and here the people have shrines or places of worship at the corners, the wealthier people, only, having them in their homes.

Smallpox is a disease of such common occurrence that the natives have no dread of it; the mortality from this one cause alone is appalling. This brings to mind the funeral ceremony, which, since the natives are all Catholics, is always performed by the padre or priest.

In red, pink, or otherwise gayly decorated coffin, the corpse, which is often exposed to view and sometimes covered with cheap paper flowers, bits of lace and jewelry, is taken to the church, where there are already as many as five or six bodies at a time awaiting the arrival of the priest to say prayers and sprinkle holy water upon them. If the family of the deceased is too poor to buy or rent a coffin, the body is wrapped in a coarse mat,slung on a pole, and carried to the outer door of the church, to have a little water sprinkled thereon or service said over it. If the families are unable to rent a spot of earth in the cemetery, their dead are dumped into a pile and left to decay and bleach upon the surface. In contrast with this brutal neglect of the poor, is the lavish expenditure of the rich. The daughter of one of the wealthy residents having died, the body was placed in a casket elaborately trimmed with blue satin, the catafalque also was covered with blue satin and trimmed with ruffles of satin and lace. In the funeral procession, the coffin was carried on the shoulders of several young men, while at the sides walked young ladies, each dressed in a blue satin gown with a long train and white veil, and each lavishly decorated with precious jewels. They held long, blue satin ribbons fastened to the casket. At the door of the church the casket was taken in charge by three priests, attended by thirty or forty choir boys, acolytes, and others, and placed upon a black pedestal about thirty feet high and completely surrounded by hundreds of candles, many of which were held in gilded figures of cherubim; the whole was surmounted by a flambeau made by immersing cotton in alcohol. The general effect was of a huge burning pile. Incense was burned every where in and about the edifice, which was elaborately decorated with satin festoons, palms,artificialflowers, emblems wrought in beads, all in profusion and arranged with native taste. All this, with the intonation of the priests, the chanting of the choir, and the blaring of three bands, made a weird and impressive scene neverto be forgotten. After the ceremony, which lasted about an hour, the body was taken to the cemetery, and, as it was by this time quite dark, each person in the procession carried a torch or candle. I noticed quite a number of Chinese among the following, evidently friends, and these were arrayed in as gorgeous apparel as the natives. The remains having been disposed of, there was a grand reception given in the evening in honor of the deceased.

It is customary to have a dance every Sunday evening, and each woman has a chair in which she sits while not dancing. The priests not only attend, but participate most heartily.

I was told that among the papers captured in Manila was a document which proved to be the last bull issued by the Pope to the King of Spain (1895 or 96). This was an agreement between the Pope and the King, whereby the former conveys to the latter the right to authorize the sale of indulgences. The King, in turn, sold this right to the padres and friars in the islands. Absolution from a lie cost the sinner six pesos, or three dollars in gold; other sins in proportion to their enormity and the financial ability of the offender. The annual income of the King of Spain from this system has been estimated at the modest figure of ten millions.

The discovery of this and other documents is due to a party of interpreters who became greatly fascinated by the unearthing process. In the same church in which these were found, the men investigated the gambling tables and found them controlled and manipulated from the room below by means of traps, tubes, and otherappliances. An interesting fact in this connection is that one of the interpreters was himself a Romanist, and loath to believe his eyes, but the evidence was convincing, and he was forced to admit it. Gambling is a national custom, deeply rooted.

I shall never forget the joy I experienced when we got two milch cows. What visions of milk, cream, and butter,—fresh butter, not canned; then, too, to see the natives milk was truly a diversion; they went at it from the wrong side, stood at as great a distance as the length of arms permitted, and in a few seconds were through, having obtained for their trouble about a pint of milk—an excellent milk-man’s fluid—a blue and chalky mixture.

One day I heard what seemed to be a cry of distress, half human in entreaty, and I rushed to see what could be the matter. There, on its back, was a goat being milked; there were four boys, each holding a leg, while the fifth one milked upward into a cocoanut shell. It was a ludicrous sight.

One of their dainties is cooked grasshoppers, which are sold by the bushel in the markets. I cannot recommend this dish, for I never was able to summon sufficient courage to test it, but I should think it would be as delectable as the myriad little dried fish which are eaten with garlic as a garnish and flavor.

The poor little horses are half starved and otherwise maltreated by the natives, who haven’t the least idea of how to manage them. They beat them to make them go, then pull up sharply on the reins which whirls themround and round or plunges them right and left, often into the ditches beside the road. It was no uncommon sight to see officers or men getting out of their quielas to push and pull to get the animal started, only to have the driver whip and jerk as before.

Some of the natives bought the American horses and it was painful to see them try to make our noble steeds submit to methods a la Filipino.

Beggars by the thousand were everywhere, blind, lame, and deformed; homeless, they wandered from town to town to beg, especially on market days. One blind woman, who lived on the road from Iloilo to Jaro, had collected seventy-five “mex,” only to have it stolen by her sister. Complaint was made to the military commander, but it was found that the money had been spent and that there was no redress to be had. She must continue to beg while her sister lived hard by in the new “shack” which she had built with the stolen “denaro” (money).

About three miles from Jaro was quite a leper colony, shunned, of course, by the natives. During confession, the lepers kneeled several rods away from the priests. I saw one poor woman whose feet were entirely gone lashed to a board so she could drag herself along by the aid of her hands, which had not yet begun to decay.

There were no visible means of caring for the sick and afflicted; the insane were kept in stocks or chained to trees, and the U. S. hospitals were so overtaxed by the demands made upon them by our own soldiers that little space or attention could be spared to the natives. Charity begins at home.

God bless the dear women who nursed our sick soldiers; it was my pleasure to know quite intimately several of these girls who have made many a poor boy more comfortable. I am proud, too, of our U. S. Army; of course not all of the men were of the Sunday School order, but under such great discomforts, in such deadly perils, and among such treacherous people, nothing more can be expected of mortal men than they rendered. Many poor boys trusted these natives to their sorrow. They accepted hospitality and their death was planned right before their eyes, they, of course, not understanding the language sufficiently to comprehend what was intended. They paid the penalty of their trust with their lives.

On Decoration Day we were able to make beautiful wreaths and crosses. Our soldiers marched to the cemeteries and placed the flowers on the graves of the brave boys who had given their lives in defence of the flag. I had the pleasure of representing the mothers, whose spiritual presence was, I felt sure, with those far-away loved ones. An officer has written me that Memorial Day was again observed this year, and I am sure it was done fittingly.

A Protestant mission was established at Jaro, in a bamboo chapel, pure bamboo throughout, roof, walls, windows, seats, floor. The seats, however, were seldom used, for the natives prefer to squat on the floor. The congregation consisted of men, women, and children, many of whom came on foot from a distance of twenty or more miles, the older people scantily clad, and the children entirely naked; a more attentive audience would behard to find, as all were eager to get the “cheap religion.” None of the inhabitants of Jaro attend, as yet; they fear to do so, since they are under the strict surveillance of the padre, and are in the shadow of the seminary for priests, the educational center of the island of Panay.

The Protestant minister is a graduate of this institution and is subject to all imaginable abuses and insults. Under his teachings, a great many have been baptized, who seemed devoutly in earnest; it is inspiring to hear them sing with great zeal the familiar hymns, “Rock of Ages,” “Safe in the Arms of Jesus,” etc. One incident will suffice to illustrate the intense and determined opposition to Protestantism. One of the native teachers was warned not to return to his home, but, in defiance of all threats, he did so, and was murdered before the eyes of his family. I shall expect to hear that many other missionaries have been disposed of in a similar manner, after the withdrawal of the American troops.

Many ask my opinion as to the value of these possessions; to me they seem rich beyond all estimate. A friend whom I met there, a man who has seen practically the whole world, said that, for climate and possibilities, he knew of no country to compare with the Philippines.

The young generation is greedy for knowledge and anxious to progress, though the older people do not take kindly to innovations, but cling to their old superstitions and cruelties. God grant the better day may come soon.

There was quite an ambition among the natives to be musical; they picked up quickly, “by ear,” some of the catchy things our band played. When I heard themplaying “A Hot Time in the Old Town To-night,” on their way to the cemetery, I could not restrain my laughter, and if the deceased were of the order of Katapunan the prophecy was fulfilled. Officers informed me that this society was probably the worst one ever organized, more deadly than anarchists ever were. It was originated by the Masons, but the priests acquired control of it and made it a menace to law and order. I should not have escaped with my life had it not been for one of the best friends I have ever known, a “mestizo,” part Spanish and part Filipino. She undoubtedly saved my life by declaring that before anything was done to me she and her husband must be sacrificed. “Greater love hath no man than this.” They were influential people throughout the islands, and nothing occurred.

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