The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1900-12-06
Written for TIE NATIONAL TRIBUNE.

John X. BROOKE.
Written for THE NATIONAL TRIBUNE
After nv arrival in Aparri, which is the
port at the mouth of the Rio Grande de
Cacayan. on the north coast of LuZon, and
our regimental headquarters, an order
came to me to take charge of detach-
ment of "a recruits and proceed up the
river The destination was Echague,
where my company is stationed.
As it is well known that the formula AT
the bottom of an order, The Quartermas-
ter's Department will furnish the neces-
sary transportation" is a joke tmeamn@
choose between walking and swimming ),
the first work was to see about boats, ana
/ found that the QuartermaSter had char
tered one barangayan. This Is native
barge about 40 feet long, made of hve I'M
mense plankS bound together with bamboo
and rattan withes There is three-foot
bamboo platform along each side for the
polerS or bogadoreS. who have bamboo
poles with wooden knobs on the upper
end, and plant these poles upon the bot
TOM moving from bow to stern, with the
knobs resting against their collar-boneS,
their heads bent down nearly into the
water, and clutching at the platform with
both hands and feet. Thus they push the
boat against the current at the rate OF one
TO eight miles day.
i barangayan has a semi-cylindrical
nina roof with 4 room little larger than
a shelter-tent at each end, for the men and
families TO live in, with all their worldly
possessions. This one was already loaded
with bacon and onions belonging to the
Commissary, and by actual measurement
/ found that there was room for just five
men, but by moving the women, children,
chickens. dogs, pig, monkey and goat all
into one end, space was made for i've more
men, accommodations for all the rest being
left as an unsolved problem. Fortunately
the Commissary, Woodward, carried out
his part of the order by issuing 70 days
travelling rations, consisting of canned beef,
bareback and coffee, with tomatoes after
the fourth day. These form an excellent
diet for few days trip, when the articles
are fresh, but on this trip some facts de-
veloped that must be censored as military
secrets; and we expected TO hear reports of
many dead fish being found in the river
after our fiotilla had passed.
An armed party of IL men, who had
come down the river TO escort 4 Paymas-
ter Joined their fortunes with ours, so the
Goo-goos along the banks would not have
such pleasant target practice at us; and
our numbers were also reinforced by two
doctors on the way to their posts. One of
these is Dr. Skinner, who was in the class
of 1889 with me at the st. Paul High
School, and who has been in the Regular
Army for several years.
The next morning l found that some
Spanish friends belonging to one of the
great tobacco companies were to start up
the river that day, with steamboat and
tow, and so it was easily arranged for our
outfit to travel with them as guard.
The Cagayan River is much larger than
the Mississippi at st. Paul, and We started
in great style, towing four Cotton iron
barges, called gabarras, and three baran-
Nhn c-tn hon
arrangement, with the boilers at the bow,
and the engine and two side wheels right
at the stern, giving it the appearance of
having been cut in two, and put together
again with the halves faced about.
A TOBACCO PRODUCING COUNTRY.
The first afternoon and evening we
spent at Lalloc, where a company of the
18th U. S. Inf. is stationed. Here are
located half a dozen immense tobacco
warehouses, where the leaves are stored,
repacked in bales, and compressed, for
shipment TO Manila and Europe. This in
dustry is the life of the valley, every ma
tive having his tobacco patch, and prac-
tcally the whole population making their
living by raising, curing, packing and
Transporting the leaves. Every house con-
tains a primitive cigar factory, so that
travellers can obtain SmOkable cigars at 30
cents a hundred anywhere.
the deck of the steamboat, thus securing
Eumptuous quarters for this country, as
there was an awning to keep out the rain.
Next day the expedition proceeded slowly
against the current, laboring among the
snags, sandbars and rapids. The valley
presented an enhancing tropical landscape
fading away into the dim mountains where
unknown tribes of wild Goo-goos dwell; but
gazing at the panorama became tiresome,
and we passed the time getting acquainted
with the other passengers. Two of these
were Americans, one named Nash, who is
young man seeking his fortune. The
other, Mr.. Windsor, was making a careful
reconnaissance Of the country with view
of establishing a cattle ranch. Besides
these were several Spaniards, who gam
bled all day, and some natives, including
several young ladies. These were people
of means and education, and we passed
the time pleasantly until the afternoon of
the third day, when, 90 miles of our jour
ney being completed, the steamboat ran
her nose so deep into a sandbar that she
could not be forced to continue the trip.
So We bid adios 10 our friends, aud after
an hours contest with the wild current,
in a small boat, we and the detachment
and baggage were assembled on one of the
iron gabarras. The two doctors and at
once ranked out the photo and his family
from the forward deck-house, a nipa hut
elEHI IeeI square ana uNe IecI ulSH, winch
formed our home for the next week.
made a police detail and the deck was
cleared for the first time in its history.
Progress against the current was i'm
possible except by fixing an anchor about
90 yards up stream, and then by means of
tow lines and poles swinging the boat like
flying ferry, thus gaining 4 few yards.
The combined efforts of bowling photo,
straining bogadores, and naked soldiers
splashing among the tow lines, managed
TO lift the boat over the 200 yards of
rapids couple Of hours after dark.
CoERCING NATIVE BoATMEN.
The next morning our troubles com
menced, as the boat had been forcibly
chartered under the direction of the Quar-
termaster, and there was mutiny among
the crew. The only Spanish the bogadores
knew WAS "pobre Filipino trabajo mucho
malo" C'poor Filipino! nothing but hard
work." literally translated), but the photo
spoke Spanish like white man, and could
lie at double time making excuses for de.
laying.
After proceeding about a mile the photo
said it was absolutely necessary to wait
for a wind. After waiting a couple OF
hours, / decided that we had better start
and let the wind overtake us, but three of
his crew were sick. After the doctor had