The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1901-11-22
PROFESSOR TOWNSEND FINDS
BEST HOUSE IN ZAMBOANGA"
Makes Ready to Commence the Education of
the Young HaIf-CIad and Savage Moro
UrchinS of Mindanao.

ZAMBOANGA. Mindanao, P. l., Nov.
S.-Editor Advertiser: Looking at the
| man of Mindanao you will at once no
tice a long horn of land which extends
to the southwest, between the Pacific
Ocean and the Jolo Sea. At the extreme
south of this point or horn of land, in
latitude seven degrees, lies zamboanga.
When the Spanish troops were removed
from the place and before the arrival
of the American forces a band of Fill
pinos attempted to show their fitness
for independence by organizing an in
surrectionary army. The first act of
| this army was to burn the town,
feat which they accomplished with a
thoroughness which would put Homo
lulu board of health and citizens SAM
tary committee to open shame. They
left standing perhaps two dozen build
ings on the first two streets lying par
aIlel with the shore, and nothing more
except one school house. Then the
leaders began to quarrel among them
selves, and one, who was undoubtedly
forced into the movement, succeeded
through a free use of the death penalty,
irregularly applied. in placing himself
at the head of the army" Upon the
arrival of the American forces he rails
ed the American flag over the fort, and
the Americans landed and took peace
able possession of the heap of ashes
which marked the site of the once beau
tiful little city.
Up to the present time our army has
had no fighting to do at this place, but
it has kept and assured peace and or
der Zamboanga pronounce it Sam
bo-ang-ga, please, and give all the as
the Italian sound) has been rebuilt, to
a great extent. Yet the new buildings
are of a less permanent character than
those burned Most are of thatch, and
the building which has other than
thatch roof is indeed a rare exception
The military government established
limit, within which thatch buildings are
not allowed, undoubtedly this was a
wise law, but it has thus far acted al
most as a prohibition of building with
in these limits.
On Sunday morning. September 10,
went ashore TO make arrangements for
on the education of the Filipino and
the Moro. Having made arrangements
in advance, by telegraph, as we sup
posed, for the best house in Zamboan-
ga we were sorry for those who did
not know where they were going when
they got on shore. Judge, then of my
feelings when I discovered that we had
not secured 1.-The best house in Fam
boanga," or any other house. After ,
search among the thatch houses under
a midday sun in a climate much like
that of Kailua, temporary housing was
secured for the party and returned to
our vessel with the bad news and the
good.
When I left the vessel in the morning
a six-knot current was running to the
eastward; now an equal one was run
ming in the opposite direction. The cur
rents down here are hard to under
stand and still harder to stem in
Moro boat. This, however, was not
matter of personal interest to us, as we
were taken in a steam launch to the
wharf. The Zamboanga wharf may be
6 trife more rickety than any wharf
in Hawaii. and I think it is; the floor
ing planks may be curled and warped
a little more than is considered cor
rect at more commercial cities; but il
has the distinction of being the only
wharf. as far as I know, which is floor
ed with rosewood. "To what base
uses" etc.
Around the wharf the scene is that
of an Hawaiian port. with American I
horses and wagons belonging TO the
Quartermasters Department. moving
freight rapidly away. The only notice
able addition to the scene is the pic
turesque band of Moros lying in wait
for opportunity to get ten cents
for three cents worth of work. But
ten rods from the end of the wharf
this changes. The Filipino with his
water buffalo and homemade wagon,
with two crude wheels and two cruder
runners. appears on the scene. Shades
of the Pharaohs, /
When his sons returned to the patri-
arch Jacob with the story that they
had been talking with his long-lost
Joseph. the aged father refused to be-
lieve them till they put in evidence the
wagons which they had brought To take
him down TO Egypt: then he yielded to
the evidence. Now if one of these Fill
pinos should appear on the streets of an
American city proelaiminG that he was
just come from q confidential chat with i
Methusaleh, he would only have 20 eN-
hibit his cart. buffalo and yoke 10 con-
vince the most skePtical of the truth Of
his claim.
Later I have learned that the Fill