The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-11-27

cumstances. However, 10 appeared that Their
never had been any question in the minds o
the Englishmen OF Iloilo IA 10 what w wer
to do. 1t was understood among them with
out ever saying a word that they were to pu
us up. and they did IL Ia a fashion which cal
mover be adequately described or repaid. The
said they were glad TO see us. They had beef
looking for Americans ~anxiously and nope
fully for q long time. The subsequent pro
ceedinRs bore out their assertion that they
we're pleased. IL remains for us only 10 ex
press the feeble hope that some time we shall
lave the opportunity OF meeting them or
our heath. They took us at once to theil
homes and they said with Spanish courtesy
that their homes were ours as long as We chose
to stay. and tho only difference between thelr
assertion and q Spanish assertion OF similar
import was that they meant what they said,
It was the Stars and Stripes and long may they
wave from start to 6niah throughout our stay
IN Iliolo.
We went at once to the Hong Kong Bank
land then they drank \ health all round" Ths
frst popularity apparent about the English.
men In Iloilo Was that they were all Scotch.
We were met most enthusiastically by two
Thompsous. o Buchanan. a Balfour. 4 Muir
ray. a Grey. a Fleming, an Underwood. two
Chienes and n dozen or more others, besides
Mr.. Duncan, the Vice-Consul. who Is acting as
the American representative in Iloilo and had
assisted SO admirably In arranging our I'M
passported admission. The nrst thing was to
20 and call on the General. and we went with
out waiting to get into white clothes or pre-
pare for any formalities. A. the, Governors
residence we were very cordially received
and informed that the General would be very
glad to see us undoubtedly. but that, unfor-
tunately. he was out at that time and would
~ tind1v optna In tina rnnrnfnp % VIA Ieff
our cards and went away. glad that 1t was so.
That night there was celebration OF the ar
rival of the first Americans in 1loilo. celebra-
ton in the good old way. with a continual call
Of "Uno! Unoi Trae WHISTLES y sodas" and
much singing OF the good old songs. and it
was 1 O'Clock or maybe earlier when God
Save the Queen and THE Star-Spangled Ban
ner' shut up the piano and quiet brooded over
the first night Of the American invasion.
Tho first thing in the morning vas the call
on Gen. Rios. We went formally and in state.
all four OF us. in company with Mr.. Balfour
and one Of the employees OF the bank as in
terpreter. Gen. Rios received us in his pri-
vate office. He is a fine big man with very
pleasant manner and handsome face. His
hair is very soft and fine and silver-white and
his beard shows only here and there an evil
dence that it was once black. He was very
" uclouo anu "o WIN bilh thut W.
desired to see for ourselves tho far-tamed
beauties OF his island. He smiled and said
they were indeed beautiful. Then he sug-
gested that after We had seen the notable OBJ
jects of interest about Iloilo we should go to
Mindanao. He himself had served in Min
danao. He was in command there when Au-
gustin and Jaudenes surrendered in Manila
and he had been promoted to the supreme
command Of what was left Of Spanish possess
sions in the Philippines.
He was very familiar with Mindanao. He
told us that there were many objects OF great
interest in that island. He suggested that
we should 60 to Iligan. We were charmed.
Iligan WAS the main object OF our desires so
far as Mindanao was concerned. Gen. Rios
said that it was a very Interesting place. He
suggested that when we had seen Iligan we
should take n trip back into the interior to
the lake. We were delighted. II there was
one thing which we desired more than to visit
Iligan it was to visit the lake. and It was es-
pecially good OF his Excellency to afford us IA
cilities for that journey. Gen. Rios smiled
and bowed and said that he would be very
glad to give us n letter from his own hand to
the General commanding in Mindanao which
would facilitate our moyem ents about that ISL
and. No further passports would be necos-
sary. and we could 60 wherever we pleased.
We thanked him again. and he suggested that
we should go to Cottabatta. on the south coast
of Mindanao and max a trip up the Rio
Grande. That is the great show OF M%indanao.
and we wero overwhelmed. We had difficulty
this time in expressing our ratification and
our thanks to his Exccllency.
Then Gen. Rios made his star play. He told
us that the natives OF Mindanao had many
curious weapons. srears and knives and old
guns and curiously wrought shields Of hide
and armor made Of hard wood and hides. and
that undoubtedly We would be plea sed to accu-
mulate specimens of these weapons and take
them back to America with us as mementos OF
our visit to this curious and half-civiliZed ISL
and. The matter-of-fact AuRlo-Saxon speech
completely failed TO convey adequately our ex-
OF qualification at this suggestion OF
the General and we were compelled to leave IL
to the tlowery eloquence Of our Spanish inter
] don't know what he said. but he
was 4 long time about it and apparently it was
very successful. for his EXcellency bowed and
smiled and said muchds ordcidos and there he
was thanking us apparently for being willing
to no down to the rascally old island that the
Spanish have never been able to conquer COM
pletely.
We rose to go and everybody bowed and smiled.
General said that we should take no
thought whatever about our transportation to
M~indanao: Tint whenever a steamer was going
he would notify us. that we would have ample
time to 90 aboard. Willy old Gen. Rios! He
knew all the time. what We didn't find out for
several days. that he had impressed every
Spanish steamer in the islands for the trans
OF troops from one place to another.
as the exigcncics OF his campaign against the
insurgents required. and that there was no
OF n steamers going to Mindanao for
n month. He know also that the trip from
Higan to the lake is made only once n week by
Spanish guard and that never a guard goes
up that is not attacked by the Morros. and that
II we should undertake to make the journey
with the guard there was a first class chance
Of our never getting back to America. But he
is very polite, Gen. Rios. and an extremely
person TO meet.
As / have said. the Englishmen we're very
glad to see us. They had waited n long time
to see the Americans and they had been very
o. seeing some warships flying the
Stars and Stripes. They are in q very ticklish
All OF them are either in business
Tor themselves in the Visayas or represent
firms. which have large interests there. A
great deal Of English capital is invested in tbe