Gilpin observer., 1900-05-17

and also to Gen. 1ino. TO allow us exercise
In or''or to keep the men In health. (
also requested them to allow me books,
so that could Occupy myself in some
way NonU II these requests was
granted.
Here we remained in street confinement
until Sept ., when We were hurriedly
sent Off to Eengued in the province OF
Aora' AT this place we were kept at
first for about six weeks, in strict con-
| flnement, but afte-ward We're allowed the
liberty of the towns. as were the Span.-
ards, which greatly improved our health.
| being now able to take exercise. This
continued until Gen. Tino arrived in the
! town. when he placed us all In strict con-
hncment again, and on &C. .. when our
troops took San Quentin pass and routed
his army, he hurriedly marched US. under
strong guard. for the mountains In the
north.
Col. Hare and Lieut. Col. How.e. at this
time, with a body of picked troops of
their commands. were close in pursuit of
US, but We did not know it, We. how
ever. hoping that some of our troops
would be in pursuit. left all the signs
we could on the fences. bowiGrrs and
trees along the route This march was
'iie iiibSt severe one tF1t we had to un-
dergo. We Travelled at night, by torch
light. through water grass up to our
waists, through jungles where we had to
cut our paths at times. and cancns with
very little to eat but rice and at times
small quantity Of pork. AT this time
we were allowed pack horses to carry
the effects of the party. and | was al
lowed a pony, which l used to ford the
different mountain streams. The coun-
try, however became so rough that we
could not drive our horses further-even
the Tagal lieutenant in charge of the
party had to abandon his. We then
killed the horses for food. as we had not
had meat to eat for several days.
We then started for the real climbing
of the mountains, which are anywhere
from 5000 to 5000 feet in this portion OF
the island. After having gone over two or
three mountain ranges we came to the
source of a large river and. being RATED
across, camped for the night about three
| miles below the mouth. Here the Tagal
| lieutenant came to me and. through an
| interpreter, informed me that he had
orders from Gen Tino to execute us.
After hesitating for about a minute he
told me that his conscience would not
permit him to do so, but that he would
| abandon us in the mountains. As we
We're then among the savage tribes of
tho island, whose hand is against every
mans, / told him 1t would be better for
him to execute us rather than leave us
to be killed by the savages. or to starve
| to death, as we had been starving for
four days at that time. He said he could
| not do so. / then requested him to give
| me two rifles and ammunition, by means
OF which we could protect the party from
10 ,,,l
with his men, leaving us alone on the
| rivers bank
We then kept strict guard that night
in our camp against the savages, and in
the morning followed the trail of our
| former guard down the river for about
| three miles. When we arrived on the
| bank of the river we saw in the distance
the savages with their war bonnets and
| their shields. There was a big open space
| here, covered with large stones very
much like cobblestones. and here we
| camped, judging that If we had to fight
the savages we would fight them with
these stones. try to disarm them and
then fight them with their own weapons
I divided the party into halves. sending
ten men across the river to get bamboo
to make RATS, as it was my intention to
raft the party down the river.
| ihS SaNaSts' mat we iiOt III
tend to fight them. allowed three of their
number to come, without arms, toward u.s.
| We made friends with them, and they as
sisted us in building seven RATS. We re-
| quired three more, and the savages as
| sured Us that they would come around early
in the morning and build them for us
However the next morning they showed
warlike signs, and we were expecting to
be attacked that day, when, to our joy
and surprise. Col Hare and his party
rescued us. This was in the early morn
ing Of Dec. is.
This march OF Col. Hare's is really un-
| precedented; for how he, with his brave
men, loaded down as they were with am
] munition and rifles, could have gone over
tho trall that We did cannot understand.
Col. Hare concluded, as / did, to build
RATS and raft down the river to the sea
and. after going to n village further down
the river we spent the day in building
rafts-building 81 in all. These RATS
river. we spent the day in building RATS
building thirty-seven in all. These RATS
were simply used to carry the weak and
sick. and also to assist the main body
Of troops In crossing the river Mt different
points The river was fun of rapids, and
the rafting through these rapids was dlf-
licult and dangerous in the extreme. There
were many gallant rcscues made from
drowning, and one never knew in the
morning whether he would be alive at
night. After fifteen days Of this ardu-
Gus travel, being obliged to live off the
country. ns Col. Hare's party had cx-
haustsd their supplies, we arrived at Ar
baluquc, "A town of considerable size at
the mouth OF this river. Here We were
in a sorry state as we came Into the
town. About half the command were
really incapacltated for walking. their feet
being very much swollen from the harl
road over which they had Travelled without
shoes Some OF the men were nearly naked.