The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-08-06
THE OUTLAWS OF NEGROS.
SEoLoGIzISa UNDER ARMS IN THE
PHILIPPISES.


BAN CARLOS. Island OF Negroes, June 1o.-On
June IL Company Of the California volunteer
regiment was stationed ut San Carlos with view
20 promoting the tranquility OF the northeast
ern portion OF Negroes. The settled inhabitants
oflthis fertile and beautiful region are onlnently
peaceful In their aims. desiring an opportunity
TO grow their food crops and to harvest tho
sugarcane, which this year yields an eXtraor-
binary profit. The expense OF producing n
picul OF raw sugar amounts to IN pesos. while
It soils for as much rs 81. TO the north
ward OF Ban Carlos. however. there Is
band OF outlaws composed OF indictments
OF all descriptions. including mere bandits.
or Tulisanes, and an association OF enemies
OF the white race. or their descendants called
Babaylanes. Among these outlaws are many
Tagalos. whose mission In the island seems to
be to prevent a peaceful solution OF the DIM
oulties which may arise. The outlaws gather
in the Businesses OF Mount Solitaire. which
seems to be an extinct volcano and lies to the
eastward OF Escalante. This contcal mountain
Is heavily wooded and scored with manv deep
ravines. 1t affords admira Die cover for the
outlaws. for only those who have made the
attempt know how difficult It is for white
man to traverse the interlaced vines and the
thorny underground OF Philippine forest.
The natives. however. familiar with these Diff
OF the woodlands knife. slip along through
these distractions like so many rabbits.
The bandits have for some time past been
terrorizing the peaceful inhabitants OF north
eastern Negroes. Indeed about the LIST OF June
most OF tho white men about San Carlos fled to
IloIlo in not ll-founded fear OF their lives for
they were unarmed and therefore almost help
less On June 7 a detachment OF ten men and
Corporal was placed at San Carlos. 1t soon
appeared that this detachment was too small
to answer its purpose. and 1t was therefore
replaced week late by a whole company.
landed at San Carlos with tho detachment
In the hope OF prosecuting geological re-
searches. and in particular OF examining a belt
OF Ignite deposits which is known to exist in
the mountains at q distance OF seven or eight
miles from the coast and roughly parallel with
It, Along this part OF Negroes there is a strip
OF fat or rolling land milo or more and some
times less in width which is available for az
riculture. Back OF this strip lies a range OF
foothills some hundreds OF feet In height. the
eastern slopes OF which are also cultivated.
Behind them the country is mountainous.
heavily timbered and wild. rising eventually
to lofty crest. the backbone Of the island.
several thousand feet In height. The southern
end OF this crest is the active volcano OF
Canlaon sometimes called Malespina on Span
ish mapsl which is always steamlnR. though the
last eruption took place in July. 1893.
Information from tho residents. native and
foreign. soon convinced me that unJustifiable
risks would attend any attempt to penetrate
the wild country where the coal lies with so
small force as could be spared from the first
little detachment at San Carlos. There Is no
valid excuse from q military point OF view for
running into an amouscade. but to guard
against sucA casualty 1t is requisite to have
4
fankers as we'll as a main body and rear
guard. The news received made 1t evident
that an ambush might be attempted in the
mountains. and indeed 1t was twice eircum-
stantially reported that an attack was to be
made on the detachment in San Carlos itself.
Though tncredulous. OF course We slept with
our arms. and were always ready for sig
nal from tho sentinels. Until the company
came l was thus necessarily limited to study
ing the coral foothills near San Carlos
as we'll as the coral island OF Refugo and to
tracing in the topography the history OF the
successive upheavals which have converted a
cluster OF rocky islets into the superb and
productive island OF NeGros. The scenery Is
enchanting. San Carlos is on a blight; the
beach is strewn with shells such as I used to
see in the best rooms" OF New England sea
Captains. and strange Malay craft lie on the
sand. bringing the shore are cocoanut groves
with picturesque nipa huts among them ;
grand forest trees dot the foothills in the
nearer distance. and the steaming peak OF
Canlaon towers some fifteen miles away. rising
above the ieecy clouds. l longed to work out
the connection between these upheavals and
the vulcannm OF Canlaon: but alas
When Company c reached SAP Carlos there
was somewhat more freedom OF action. On
June Is Lieut.. Goode and fifteen mon accom-
Cd 70 alaha hA,, diva i1aa hof
San Carlos. where we stopped at the hacienda
OF Mr. Kapeller. Swiss gentleman. who owns
a sugar estate ut this point. The hacienda
means the residence. mill. shops. &c. Of such
an estate-n a word. the settlement upon IT,
The next morning. leaving one man on
guard and taking guides. We went up the Tai
abe River to the coal deposit. 1t was mag
nihcent trip. but hard one. BY the path we
took tho deposit was nine miles or there
abouts from our starting point. We had to
wade the river moro than thirty times and
climb many steep. rough. coral slopes hun
dreds OF feet in height through n tangle OF
vegetation and a dollhouse atmosphere When
We reached the coal the shoes OF the detach-
ment had suffered many irreparable injuries
and there were many sore feet but such mis-
fortunes are temporary. and every man broug hit
away memories which he will long cherish OF
the grand forest the rushing river and the
picturesque vistas OF tropical scenery The
coral reaches an altitude OF more than 800 feet
above sea level and ia sometimes covered with
volcanic debris emanatIng from tho central
range. 1t extends to about four miles In a
straight line from tho coast, and seems to rep
resent n system OF barrier reefs. The coal. or
rather Ignite. lies In highly tilted and dis
turbed tertiary strata between carbonaceous
shales These strata strike to the west OF
north and dip In a westerly direction. The only
seams exposed at this locality are small and
contain considerable sulphur. They have no
economical value. excepting as they indicate
the possibility that the same series OF rocks
may contain other and more valuable deposits
So far as my meaRre information goes. the
island OF NeGros would seem to possess a core
Of tertiary rocks. that have been greatly COM
pressed and plcated along an axis which on
the Talabe River strikes to the west OF north
They have been overwhelmed and doubtless
broken through by volcanic rocks. mainly OF
the variety known as andesitic. but arc prob
ably in part hasatIc. Connected with the
erupttons there have been successive up.
heavals. OF which the moro recent ones have