The Irish standard., 1899-02-11
FIND THE PEOPLE INTELLIGENT
Treated Suspiciously at S ONE of
the Points Visited.
COUNTRY is VERY PRODUCTIVE
Only Primitive Methods Employed
in Agriculture.

The clearest and most accurate pic
ture of conditions as they exist today
in the interior of the great island of
Luzon, the largest of the Philippine
group, with an area equaling that of
the state of Virginia, that has yet been
presented to the official eye, is that set
out in report made to the navy de-
partment of the tour of two young naval
officers, Paymaster w. B. Wilcox and
Cadet R. L. Sargent, officers of Dewey's
fleet.
They started Oct. with five servants,
eight horses and between 300 and 400
pounds of baggage, including a camp
outfit. two rifles and shotgun. with
ammunition.
AT the town of Bayambang, where
they took horse. they met two Ameri-
cans. who had been turned back to
Manila because they had no passports
from Aguinaldo. A squad of Philippine
soldiers was at the station, but through
the influence of an English resident,
Wilcox and Sargent were enabled to
proceed towards Rosales, the next town
on their route. They say:
"For the first five or six miles from
Bayambang we found the roads in good
condition, and travelled with ease.
do
in mud and covered with water in
places. We were forced to go on foot
the greater part of the distance, men
and horses having great difficulty in
making their way. About IL o'clock in
the morning we passed through the
small town of Alcola There were IL
? soldiers stationed in this town in charge
of a sergeant; they were armed with
Remington rifles. We were met by the
civil authorities, and were surrounded
by the people, Much curiosity was ex-
pressed in regard to our outfit, but it
was of harmless and friendly nature.
No passports were mentioned, and the
soldiers did not assert themselves in
any way
The travellers were treated courte-
ously at Rosales, where 20 soldiers were
stationed, though surprise was ex-
pressed at their lack of passports.
Throughout the province of Nueva
Icaja almost the only form Of agricul-
ture encouraged at present by the ma
tives is rice-growing. A little sugar is
also raised. The land is very rich; we
encountered no barren or unfertile
spots. The fields al this season of the
year are several inches deep in water.
There was no timber Of value along the
direct line of our routes. but in the hills
along the river Agno forests could De
seen. There are very few forests, with
practically no cattle. There are great
number of buffalo, and these are of eX-
treme utility. The principal labor of
the natives at this season is the thresh-
ing of rice. This Is done very primi-
lively with implements that resembled
on large scale the pestle and mortar
of chemist. The mortar Is replaced
by section of log Of hard wood, hol-
lowed out to receive the grains; the pes
tie by hard club from four to five feet
long, and about six inches in diameter
at each end.
1--WE arrived at Aritan shortly before
sundown. A broad branch Of the Rio
Magat separated us from this town.
There was a 'banca,' or native dugout
canoe, however, in which men and
baggage were taken to the other side,
while the horses were swum across at
point higher up the stream. These
facilities for crossing streams were al
ways available, when necessary, during
the remainder of our journey. In the
mountains and highlands through which
We passed in the last two or three days,
there are extensive forests. The forests
are not homogeneous, but contain many
different classes of trees, the timber Of
which is in many cases valueless. OF
the timber which we have seen, the
most valued on the island is the NIL
lave so called both in Spanish and
Tegala. This is a tall, straight tree,
with very few branches; the bark is
very light in color, but the wood is very
dark and close-grained and reslsts wa
ter and weather. II is much used for
boats, and for the floors and exposed
uprights of houses. There is also much
bamboo, some of which has been cut.
The heaviest trees are as yet unmo-
Tested. We saw no signs Of sayages
nor poisonous snakes, against which we
had been warned by the natives OF the
district. In going from Carranglan to
Aritao. we went from the province to
Nueva 1cija to that Of Nueva Vizcaya.
1t had raiued almost constantly dur