The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1899-02-02
THE ISLHND OFLUZON

Washington, Jan. 2S.-The clearest ana
most accurate picture of conditions ns
they exist IN the interior of the great
island Of LuzOn. the largest of the Phil
pplne group, with an area equallng that
Of the state of Virginia, that mas vet
been presented to the official eye, is that
set out in report made to the navy
department of the tour of two young
American naval officers, Paymastcr ".
Is. Wilcox and Cadet r. l.. Sargent, Of
hcers Of Dcwey's fleet. This recital of
the hitherto unknown characteristics of
the island beyond the limits of Manila
and few Of the more important of the
Lu2on ports, with its glimpses of the
Military conditions, the difficulties that
'e in the way of the explorer. the habits
OF the people, and finally the modest re-
cital of the almost insuTmountable OBJ
staclcs that were overcome by the
ahrewdness and nerve of these young
naval officers has earned for Their
achievement not only the praise OF Ad.
,nilal Dewey but also the officials hc"e
IN Washington to whom it has been sub
mittCd.
Being granted leaves of absence last
october Paymaster Wilcox and Cadet
sargent chose to employ their leisure
Nmc IN making an exploration of the in
terror of the island of Luzon, about
which very little was known by the
American army and naval officers. A
start was made oct. with nve servants,
light horses and between 800 ana 400
pounds Of baggage, including camp
"utiit two rifles and a shotgun, with
ammunition. They say: "For the first
ilNe or siN miles from BaYambang We
lound the roads in good condition and
Travelled with ease. Nearer to Rosalos
the roads were deep i'm mud and covered
with water in places. We were forced to
go ON foot the greater part of the dis
lance men and horses having great diff
iculty In making their way" The ira
Nelcrs were treated CourteOusly at Ro-
sales, though surprise was expressed at
their lack of passports. Continuing the
report reads: From Rusales to Huming-
an, and thence to San Jose the road led
through the low rice region of the pro-
vince or Nueva lcaia. Labor was cheap.
Ten men could usually be engaged for a
day for the sum of 50 in silver; or less
imam 10 cents i'm gold per man. We tra-
Nel"d SLOWLY over this distance; the la
Dor or walking through the mud, fire.
Iucntly over our knees, being excessive.
! he horses grew poor rapidly and We
were forced to husband their strength
MoleoNer we could seldom find proper
tood for them at night. One servant be-
rest of the party retained their health
with the exception of occasional cases f
dlarrhOca ana consequent sickness of tn,
stomach. which did not prevent travel
ing. Our food during this period con-
sisted of bacon ana hard tack which we
mad brought with us, and chickens and
rice which we obtained from the natives.
IN" cooking was done by our own ser
want.
throughout this part of the province
OF NuoNa lcaja almost the only form of
agriculture encouraged at present by the
natives is rice growing. A little sugar is
also raised. The land is very rich; we
encountered no barren or unfertie spots.
The fields at this season of the year are
several inches deep in water. There was
no timber of value along the direct line
Of our route, but in the hills along the
river AEnO forests could be seen. There
are very few forests and practically no
cattle There are great number of bur-
falo and these are of extreme utility
The principal labor of the natives at this
season of the year is the threshing Of
rice. This is done very primitively with
implements that resemble on large
scale the pestle and mortar of a chemist
The mortar Is replaced by a section of q
log of hardwood, followed out to receive
the grains; the peStle by a hard Club
from four to five feet long and about six
inches in diameter at each end.
'ln the villages of Humingan and Lupao
there are a few Spanish prisoners
priests, soldiers and civil officials The
prosidente local and other local officials
are native Philippines Most of them
nave received certain amount of edu-
cation at religious schoolA in Manila.
They are intelligent man and are cX-
tromely eager to learn news from the
outside world. Their knowledge of mod
crn history and geography is extremely
limited, and their ignorance of current
events is surprising. We brought them
their first definite information with re-
gard to cuba ana to their own present
status. one or two of them had heard
OF tho congress at Paris, but no one
had any idea as to its object, nor as to
its relation to themselves They were
well grounded on only three ponts-the
destruction of the Spanish squadron in
Manila harbor, the surrender of Manila,
and the declaration by the Philippine
government at Malolos of the ndepend-
,nce of the islands and the establish
mcnt of republican form of govern
ment with Aguinaldo as president. Even
on these points the details they had re-
ceiNed Were very Inaccurate.
Of the last town that San Jose must in
rvitably prove the end of our Journey.
There Is no road for thirty miles beyond
this point, and i'll this season the natives
consider the trail impossible to white
men. Very few of the natives at San Jose
cared to accept propositions to act as
guides; however, ten men were willing to
accompany us as paCk-bCarers, and with
these we started the next morning The
Nt,liI rtI To hn hoo
resented. 1t leads for half a mile along
shoal in a small river, and follows the
beds of mountain streams for many times
that distance. Rushing water, frequently
llnce-dcop on the horses, covered these
of the trail at the time we
passed, on land grass and underbrush
grew thickly over the trail and concealed
1t for considerable distances. During the
nSUircctton a company of Spanish SOL
l,yrs had been sent over this trail. our
luidc pointed out many spots where num-
IurS OF them had been ambuShed and
slain. According to the statements of
1r guide very few Of this Spanish force
.Ncd to reach the town of Carranglan.
Il is undoubtedly a trail that u few men
could hold against heavy odds"
Tho American officers were received
roully by the Philippine military Of
.lccrs at Carranglan owing to their lack
oI nas sports but wore permitted to pro-
'ocd after drying their mOuldy baggage,
In the face Of the predictions that they
had worse rivers to cross, ana other OBJ
-tacleS as well, Leaving Carranglan the
prusilentc local insisted upon their TAX
Ing guard Of twelve soldiers, with a
sergeant 80 protect them against the
lEuuotcs, or saYages, that are said to in
lcct the hills between this town and
Aitoa. We arrived at Aritao shortly be-