The herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1893-1900, 1898-08-28

In the village evidently created quite q
stir, for we were soon surrounded by q
hundred or more natives, who had come
from their huts on seeing us. We were
told where we could fnd food at large
hut near by, and repaired there at once,
We had scarcely been seated when the room
began to fill with natives. Our host ex-
planned to me through Sandico that very
few Americans had ever been in the village
and when one did come the natives were
all anxious to see him.
The hut OF our host was scrupulously
clean. The furniture consisted of a cane
rocking chair and several stools and wooden
benches. In one corner of the room shrine
was set up to the Virgin Mary.
When we had eaten our dinner our host
refused the money we offered him and said
his people were not accustomed to accept
pay for their hospitality. 1 then handed
the money to his daughter and she turned
her head away when she took 1t as II
ashamed of the act.
From Paranaque the road was filled with
motley array of insurgent soldiers stray
Cling about without a leader. Some of them
were armed with Mauser rifles captured
from the Spaniards, others had rusty or
broken muskets, but the majority had sim
ply a machete These weapons were made
of files ground down to the proper shape or
from any old piece of iron that might be at
hand. Even boys ten and twelve years old
walked along with the soldiers with dag
gers strapped in their belts.
When within mile of Pasay we left our
ponies with native boy and walked the
rest of the way as We were told that 1t
would be necessary to keep under cover
since the road was commanded by rapid
fire gun mounted on the Spanish entrench-
ments. We had not gone far when we met
some natives bearing wounded man away
from the field on litter. AT the first out
post a guard comprised Of a dozen native
soldiers was detailed to escort US to the
front.
From this point we had the protection of
the insurgent trenches which have been
slowly advanced few yards at time tow
ard Manila. Owing to the water being so
near the surface of the ground at this sea-
son 1t is not practicable to fortify position
by digging below the ground and conse-
quently the natives have been forced to
build their trenches above ground. When
they decide to advance their Notifications
they send men beyond the trenches who
build framework of bamboo and then fiji.
it with sand. OF course this work is peril
GUS but as 1t Is done at night and the Span
lards are such pitiably poor marksmen
fewer men have been killed in this way than
would be supposed.
When we reached the Pasay outpost we
found about two dozen of Aguinaldo's SOL
diers and two five-inch smooth-bore can
non which the insurgents had brought from
Cavite. The men were protected by o
trench Of the kind have just described. II
was about twenty feet long with embra-
sures for the cannons. Two feet and hall
from the ground there was platform fol-
the men to stand upon and fire their pieces
The Spaniards were entrenched quarter
of mile away and kept up desutory fire
with the insurgents.
From Pasay there is chain OF forts con-
structed about three sides of Manila ant
every day they are being slowly pushed
closer around the beleagured city. The IN
surgents carry on guerrilla warfare. They
have no discipline whatever and the mer
| fight much the same as do our American In
dams. We visited several other trenches
before returning to Cavite and found then
manned in the same manner as the one
have just described
Capt D. Geary. who accompanied the ex
petition with so picked artillerymen, hal
of whom were selected from the battery re-
cruited in Los Angeles by Capt. Steere, ha:
been made post commander of old fort Sar
Felipe, where he has charge of the 60 Span
Iish prisoners captured at the island of Gu
am. This was, the hrsf post regularly es-
tablished by the Americans in the Philip.
pines. Capt Geary took command July 4th
He is keeping complete record of every
thing that takes place in the fort, and wher
he leaves he will turn the records over te
his successor.
Fort San Felipe is the oldest Landmarks
in Cavite. 1t is said by the Spaniards tt
have been originally erected In 1910. wher
Spain began 'pacifying" the natives Of
these islands. 1t has since been partially
destroyed several times by earthquakes
and rebuilt. The walls of the fort are con.
structed of bricks and mortar. They are
twelve feet high and as many feet thick
with a parapet on top three feet high, be-
hind which the Spanish soldiers fought. The
walls are laid out in rectangular shape and
incose a space Of five acres. Within the
Enclosure there are several rows of bar
racks, a powder magazine and store
house. in which several generations of gov
errors Of Cavlte have lived.
The fort was originally built by the Span
iards as defense against the natives, who
have been in an almost continual state OF
characterization. With their inefficient
arms, the natives found the fort an almost
unassailable stronghold.
There are several dungeons and torture
chambers In the forts, and the natives tell
narrowing stories of the cruelties prac-
ticed by the Spaniards. In one chamber
there Isl tank, In which the natives say
that prisoners suspected of holding secret Is
which they would not divulge were slowly
drowned by dipping. A few days ago one
wall of the fort. He struck his pick agains
the place and the rotten masonry tumbled
In, disclosing a cavern, about eight fee,
square, which had been walled up Ar
opening large enough to pass through was
soon made, and the soldier climbed in. III
found the floor of the chamber strewn
with human bones and teeth. The chambe,
had doubtless been the last torture den OF
victims of Spanish hatred, who had been
walled in to starve and rot.
Capt. Geary has established his quarters
in the building formerly occupied by the
Spanish governors of Cavite, where he has
entertained the Herald correspondent as