The National tribune., 1902-04-17

poncho. the need of which | realized be-
fore | got back to quarters.
The streets of Cavite are somewhat II
regular and so narrow that two or three
jumps were enough to take one over them
at the crossings, where the mud was deep
and no foOtway had been provided. pc
came better acquainted with their SlnuoS-
tiles little later, as | drilled my company
back and forth through them III pracuclhS
advance guard and rear-guard work. For
the most part they were lined on b0th sizes
with buildings two stories high, oil the
usual Spanish type, the lower floor being
cement walls and the upper wooden. EN.
cept the better and larger ones occupied
by Aguinaldo and mis- army, these build
ings were Swarming with ElllplncS, chief
ly women and children, mere squatters
for the most part. As IL rule, they lived
in the upper story, which IS the custom,
but so many had crowded themselves Ill
that even the lower floors We're occupied
in the rear for living apartments. The
front of almost every one Of them
was used as a shop where the usual
stock of cigaretts, cigars, VINO, sugar
cakes, chocolate, rice, fruits, etc, was
kept. There were two somewhat more
pretentiGuS stores, where NUMBER
Of other things were kept, such as
utensils, stationery, cutlery and cioth'
and there were two or three tailor shoIs,
where white cotton suits could be had and
where uniforms We're being made for OIL
GERS of AguinaldO's army.
The doors and apertureS that served
for windows through which to sell goods
stood invitingly open, and equally Invlt-
ing were the eyes and lips of the shop
keepers, who gazed ut us with much Gu
riOsity as we passed, though we were less
of a curiosity to them than they were
to us, for they had become somewhat Ia
miliar with the appearance of Americans
during the two months since Dewey made
his meteOric appearance in. Manila Bay.
Here and there We saw man we took
to be an insurrectO soldier serving as
guard at the entrance to building. We
came to this conclusion because he had
gun in his hand, or more commonly on
the ground, and not because he exhibited
any of the qualities of the soldier other
wise He invariably stared at US and
often made dash at his pOmpadour hair
with his hand, as if intending to salute,
and then looked foolish. little later
these sentries made a more ambitious eff
fort at military courtesy and attempted
to present arms, having watched our SEN
tries perform the feat. This was even
funnier than the pOmpadOur salute and
always brought down the house. Still
later, under the good-natured instruction
of our men, the Filipino present arms,
while it never approached perfection, lost
much of the ludicrous in its execution.
Passing along one of the streets, we
heard guitar music, and stopped to listen.
We were promptly invited into the room,
where were assembled about a dozen Fill
pinOs mostly women, having a dance.
We were politely offered seats, of which
there were but few, and all of the uni
versal Filipino style, the bamboo stool.
This is woven of pieces of bamboo and
bamboo strips such as cane-bottom chairs
do 20 81 loo. 1o,.
glass in shape. In most Filipino houses
there is nothing whatever to sit upon
other than this stool, except the floor,
which is well-patrOniZed. The dance
stopped at our entrance, but after a little
urging on our part, it began again. 1t
was sort of Spanish bolero performed by
Filipino girl without any animation
whatever, which is characteristic of the
Filipino. He never puts animation into
anything whatever, unless 1t is in his mo
tons in getting away from the Americans
when he has shot at them from ambush
and they have begun to shoot back.
We asked for another dance, and were
favored by the same girl and a young in
surrecto with common waltz. Then we
called for a song, and after great deal
of urging girl strummed the guitar and
sang Spanish love song. We We're next
favored with a solo OF a cOncertina by
young Filipino, who played After the
Bal" after a fashion, and assured us il
was a Filipino piece. | often heard it
afterward, and always incorrectly, and
learned that the music of il had never
been seen by any of the players. All had
caught il by ear from hearing it played.
Originally it had probably been brought to
the islands by some traveller or sailor. Its
dreamy style just suited the taste of the
tllpiHos, and 1t became great fayOritc.
No NATIVE NTrSTC OR DANCE
learned here for the second time that
the Filipinos, the Tagals at least, have no
native music and no native dances. Ev-
erything they know in this line is Span
ism. first learned this fact at Guam uu-
der most laughable circumstances. The
day after the most ludicrOus bombardmCnt
Of the abandoned fort by the Charleston.
small party Of us went ashore to visit a
little native village, whose inhabitants had
taken TO the woods when the shooting be
gan, but had come back TO their houses,
albeit with fear and trembling. They had
made another break for the jungle when at
night the ChaTlestOn'S searchlight began
to dance about the sky and shore They
were now back home again, but their
nerves were on edge, in expectation of
other strange and terrifying things those
marvellous Yankees might do. They were
all dressed i'll their best suits Of white
This may have been because ii was Sun
day or because they felt they must put on
their best clothes in honor Of visitors, the
remainder Of their wardrobe consisting
chiefly Of nothing at all, and therefore not
suitable for wear on such an occasion. AT
all events, they We're dressed completely
in clean white clothes and looked very
modest and neat, which is more than could
be said for some members of another regi-
ment-nOt officers, however-who. having
come ashore for a swim. were running
about the village stark naked with the
exception of a breech-clOut.
The head man Of the village showed us
all over its contracted area. and then in
Nited us into his house. which, like the
others, was Il twO-StOry affair Of adobe,
cemented on the outside. The lower floor
was unoccupied, and the upper was diyid-
ed into three rooms, one small room, used
for kitchen, another for a store room
and q third, very large one comparative.
ly, for an assembly room. Into this our
party Of a dozen was uShered, about as
many Eilipin0s or Quantities, more proper
ly speaking, though they We're colonists
from Luzon and of the Tagal tribe. filing
in afterwards with the head man. W.
occupied seats on the few stools, table
and the windowsill, or stood up around the
wall, so as TO leave a clear space in the
center. He had promised us. after earnest
solicitation, some Of the native music. Oul
curiosity having been natural to hear the
wild and weird music of the native tribes
of the South Seas. The master of cere
monies went into the little store room and
rummaged in a chest for a time and then
complete accOrdiOns ] ever saw. 1t was
N hoo nj 5nS ff.ftV,n L., Il