The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-02-02
INTERIOR OF LUZ0N ISLAND.
TWO NAVAL OFFICERS EXPLOHE 1T
on LEAVE OF ABsENCE.

hut Would Furnish No Passports.
They visited Many small Towns
and saw some Curious Things.
DinieuIty OF Travel in the Interior
of the IsIuud-DihicuIties the Trav-
.eIer Meets There.
washington. Jan 28.-The clearest and
most accurate picture OF conditions as
they exist in The interior OF the great ISL
and OF Luzon, the largest Of the Philip
pine group, with an area equalling that
OF the state of Virginia that has yet
beeny presented 90 the Official eye, is that
set ont ia a report made to the navy de-
partnient Of the tour Of two young Ameri-
can naval officers, Paymaster w. 3. VIII
cox and Cadet r. L. Sargent officers IF
Dewey's fleet
Being granted leaves Of absence last Oc-
tober, Paymaster Wilcox and Cadet Sar-
gent chose TO employ their leisure time in
making an exploration Of the interior Of
the Island of Luzon about which very lit
tie was known by the American army and
naval officers. Al the outset they were
warned that they could not pass the lines
Of the Philippine forces without parmls-
sion Of Aguinaldo. Upon application to
tins leader a Malolos his headquarters,
he ftrst required formal sanction OF their
request by Admiral Dewey, Gen. Otis or
Gem Macarthur and later when this was
produced, declined altogether to issue
passport, although he assured the officers
thar they were free 20 pro-
coed without molestauon from his
forces. Accordingly start was
made Oct with I'VE servants. eight
horses ard between 900 and 400 pounds Of
baggRse including a camp outfit, two rifles
and q shotgun with ammunition
AZ the town OF Bayambang, where they
took horse. they met two Americans, who
had been turned back to Manila because
they had. 40 passports from Aguinaldo. A
squad of Philippine soldiers was az the
station. bat through the influence Of an
English resident, Wilcox and Sargent were
enabled 10 proceed towards Rosalcs the
next town on their route. They say:
For the first FIVE or six miles from
Bayambang we found the roads an good
condition. and Travelled with ease. Nearer
40 Rosaes the roads were deep in mud aud
covered with water IN places We were
forced TO 20 on foot the greater part Of
the distance men and horses having great
difficulty IN making their way. We pass
ed through the small town of Alcola.
There We're twelve soldiers stationed in
this town in charge of sergeant: they
were armed with Remington rifles We
were met by the civil authorities and were
surrounded by the people. Much curiosity
was expressed in regard to our outfit but
it was of a harmless and friendly nature.
No passports were mentioned and the sol
diers did not assert themselves in any
way"
The travellers were treated courteously
at Rosales, where twenty soldiers were
stationed, though surprise was expressed
at their lack of passports. Continuing
the report reads:
From Rosales TO Humingau. and thence
10 San Jose our experiences OF travel We're
much the same as those already described
The road led through the low rice region
of the province Of Nueva Icaia. Ii rained
almost constantly and the roads were near
ly impossible. We went on foot much of
the distance. The pack horses were I'M
able 10 carry their loads and we were
forced to engage natives 20 relieve them
Labor was cheap Ten men could usually
he engaged for day for the sum of 81
In silver; or less than ten cents in gold per
man. We Travelled slowly over this dis
lance; the labor Of walking through the
mud, frequently over out knees. being ex-
cessiVe. The horses grew poor rapidly and
wy NNAN Aolttu W HuStdill tnGlf StlEn&tl.
Ihey were occasionally Frustrated in the
road, ana our progress was delayed unul
they could recover their strength More
over we could seldom find proper food for
them al night. As many of them as three
at a ume Were unable 10 carry any weight
Tor. severe days. One servant became i'll
and was left at a village. The rest of the
party retained their health with the exceo-
ton Of occasional cases of diarrhoea and
consequent sickness of the stomach which
did not prevent travelling. Our food during
this period consisted of bacon and bareback
which we had brought with US; and chick
ems and rice which We obtained from lie
natives The cooking was done by our own
servant.
Throughout this part of the province
OF Nueva Icaja 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 unfertlIe spots
The helds 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 be seen There are
very rev forests and practically no cattle
There are great number of buffalo and
these are of extreme utility. The princi-
pal labor OF the natives at this season Of
the year Is the threshng of rice This a.
done very primitively with implenents
ulat resemble, on a large scale the nestle
and mortar OF a chemist. The mortar &
replaced by a section OF a log of hard
wood, followed out to receive the grains.
the pestle, by a hard club. from four ~
rVe feet long, and about six inches IN al
ameter az each end.
IN the villages of Humingan anil In
pao there are a few Spanish prisoners
priests. soldiers and civil officials We
nave seen representatives, of each of tbesa
three classes in these towns. We could
detect no signs OF ill-reatment nor of nm
que restriction. On the contrary. thav an.
peared to possess the freedom of the towns
in which they lived.
The presdente local and other 1oco,
officials are native Fnipinos. Most Of tber,
nave received certain amount of ednca-
ton at religious schools in Manila Tbc,
are intelligent men and are extrer,e1,.
eager TO learn news from the on,sfdo
world. Their knowledge of nlodern a.
tory and geography is extremely lini,oa
and their ignorance of current event. ~
surprising. We brought them their a.,
definite information with regard 10 CO
and to their own present status. ono 90
two of them had heard of the Com, "
at Paris, but no one had any ideo - 70
oh. Loot