The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1902-08-22

though about the only sport now besni
indulged in is that of hunting insur
sent bands. the islands of the Philip
pine archipelago are filed with gaml
animals and game birds swarm in thi
forests and iungles. while the inlans
waters. in many instances. are literal
iy covered with many varieties OF wa
ter fowl.
For those who incline to hunting bis
game there is the boar. a fierce anS
savage beast which runs wild among
the dense tropical jungles. where
cocoanuts and other tropical fru s
afford abundance Of food TO sati-
ate h.s appetite All over the
wooded parts Of Luzon. great numbers
OF deer roam. being little troubled BY
the natives. who are not much given
to hunting and who have little craving
for meat diet. During those days
when our army lay in Manila imme-
diately after its fall there were many
hunting excursions into the interior
and plenty Of big game was usually
bagged. Many Of the soldiers in the
English army corps. the volunteer
army Of occupation in Manila. have
now in their possession fine antlers
secured on these hunting trips and fine
specimens they are; for the Philippine
antler is possessed of the same liberal
growth that characterizes most animal
life on those islands, the wiry little
Filipino being about the only excep-
tion to the general rule.
While monkeys. which seem to be
more numerous than most any other
wild animal to be found on the islands,
are not to be considered in the :
mate class of game, yet one can scarce
ly resist the temptation to try shot
at the leader of the great army Of
these chattering creatures, which is
always present in the picturesque jun
giles of Luzcn. Mindanao, Negros,
Panay and the other islands Coming
down to smaller game. the tagua or
guisaa, kind OF fiyins squirrel. seer.s
to be in every tree. rather odd,
webbed-foot, furry animal it is 4he
native make pets of this queer squirrel.
and one can see hundreds dispiayo.
cages about Manila. Another little
animal which attracts ones attention
in the Philippine jungles is the
masigen. 1t is a natural enemy of rats
and mice, but mas no value to the
sportsman. Vampires and great bats
fit aimlessly past one in the stiffness
Of these tropical woodlands. and par
rots and other tropical birds in their
brilliant plumage are ever present
wherever there is foliage in the land Of
everlasting summer.
While game was >lentiful everywhe~s
in the jungles in those days before
he Filipino lnsurrection opened, there
was a time. after the fighting in the
Iungles about Manila began. that al
most all animal life disappeared before
the onslaught Of our forces. The |
heavy firing, kept up night and day (
lor a time, drove the wild things back |
nto the mountains, but as the lighting |
they gradually ventured back
10 their favorite haunts along the
'ivers and streams, and today one can
Zee plenty of game within a dozen |
niles of the capital; but as yet Il s
lot safe to venture even that distance
n search of sport, for the insurgent
,ands and the brigands never lose an
opportunity to waylay an American
Who chances to be found outside the
lines.
In the days before Dewey's guns
,egan their fusillade against the in
urgent positions about Manila bay
thousands OF wild geese and ducks
ould be seen daily. Along the Pasig
hese fowls congregated in myriads,
nd about Laguna de Bal. the Target
AXE on Luzon, located some Is miles
p tho Pasig from Manila, the water at
luto was DAdth WIN AuduJ NdAlctlcS
I water fowl. The tipol. a species Of
rane. which stands Eve feet high,
robably the largest water fowl to be
ound in the islands. was in evidence
bout the lake by the hundreds. There
Tere great focks OF wild geese and
wan. OF the wild duck family there
eemed to be every representative |
resent. There were canvasbaclls, mall
irds, redheads and all the smaller
lembers of the duck genus. There
-eIe some varieties never seen about
ur Northern lakes, but none of the
oecimens bagged by sportsmen in this
.titude seemed to be absent Those
ere in the days before our troops
'ught their way inch by inch up to
le Lagun de Bal country. and before
IT artillery and small arms made life {
zen for the water fowl, very uucer-
in. Before the insurrection, and 4
hen the first troops reached the lake
d the advance to the campaigns IL
10 jungle, many Of our soldiers en-
yed the sport of duck shooting. A
onth after the advance OF our army :
10 great flocks of water fowl had dis
,peared. nor did they return until .
ng afterward. when the sound Of
title had left the country about thu