Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-23

wood, water and q good camp ground,
but no harbor, and all supplies are landed
on an unprotected beach For days at a
time ne. hing can be landed, on account of
the heavy surf. There few Moro
houses here. an old stone fort. built by
the Spaniards, and a great number of fine
springs The springs unite and form
good sized river. The fort is a great
rock, from the base of which the springs
flow. We have six companies of the 9th
Infantry here, along the road four com
panies of the 18th Infantry, and at Camp
Vicais U-ake Lanao) four companies of the
9th Infantry, two troops of the 18th Cav
airy and a mountain battery.
Road Building.
Five companies at this post are kept busy
unloading ships, whenever the weather per-
mits and escorting wagon trains up the
road. Four companies from points above
and one from this post at work building
the road So far thirteen miles of the road
are completed and the engineers hope to
finish ii by October.
This road building means much work for
the soldiers A strip 100 feet wide is cleared
through the tropical forest and through this
a road twenty feet wide has been built.
The timber has been cut to such a width
in order to prevent Moros from approaching
close to the road and cutting up soldiers
with their sharp swords. The road so far
has been well constructed, carefully graded
and ditched and cleared of all stumps. In
this country this means work, for there is
much heavy timber, and 1t has not been the
aim to skip the big trees.
Many of the trees measure from twenty
to fifty feet In circumference at the ground.
These of soft wood. easy to chop. and
with roots on the surface The hard woods
with a circumference of from four to ten
feet harder to get out Dynamite
helps the work along.
From the sea the country is level for a
mile, then rises to an elevation of 800 feet
in eight miles, then falls 500 feet to the
Mailing river in five miles. then rises about
2CO0 feet in three miles to the great table
land around Lake Lanao Then there are
about five miles of level. open country 20
Camp Wears. All the country to this point
is covered with heavy timber and dense
tropical underground.
Hostility of the Moros.
The situation here is rather delicate. Some
of the lake Moros are decidedly hostile.
The first of the past week outpost at
Camp Wears cut to pieces at night.
Three were killed and one wounded.
Today we have news of an attack on a
pack train on the road. No one was hurt,
but one horse cut up. No Moros, eX
cept dattos (chiefs) having permits.
allowed to carry arms along the road. So
very few but friendly Moros travel that
way.
1t looks now as if we would have one
more fight at the lake. The Sultan of
Bacolod has a strong fort and threatens to
wipe out the Americans unless they come
over and embrace his religion. Il Is the
general impression that when the road is
finished there will be something doing"
Just now it is too hard to get supplies up.
We take them by wagon for thirteen miles
and pack mules for eight, over bad
trail. When the road is finished wagons
can go to the lake and much larger force
be stationed there.
Some Of the camps along the wagon road
were most picturesque. One was at the
base Of quite a mountain in a grove of large
trees. From most of the trees hang great
vines. Some of the rattans are very use
full as ropes and the lower joints are full
of good drinking water. The woods are
full of monkeys, wild pigs and some small
deer. The Moros, who are Mohammedans,
do not kill the pigs, but the American sol
der thinks roast pig quite Improvement
over bacon or corned beef. and kills good
many. The meat is really very sweet, a
bit dry, but with fine flavor.
Pack Train From the Lake
An occasional Moro pack train comes from
the lake to Malabang. Datto GIande, who
Is friendly TO the Americans, brings down
one nearly every week. There are usually
1oO men and boys in the train, some mount
ed. but about two-thirds on foot. Their po-
MES are sturdy and usually carry about
10 pounds in pack and a Moro top of
that. The Moros bring down rice, corn and
gutta percha and carry back cocoanuts,
salt, fabrics and commissary supplies for
the army. The men foot who carry
goods either carry their pack on their head
or on their back with a strap across their
forehead.
The Moro costumes are usually Of gay
colors. red, yellow and green. Many of the
men restrict their clothing to a turban and
breechclout and the boys have a turban
only.
At Malabang a market is held every Sat
urday. and the lake and river Moros meet
here TO exchange goods and to gamble.
Many boats come from Pollock Cottobatto
and Parang- Parang loaded with tobacco
dried fish, cocoanuts, salt and chickens, and
at the market everything is spread out on
the ground for inspection. The Moro boats
sail very well. They are dug out of a sin
gle tree, then built up. They usually have
two outriggers of bamboo one mast with
square sail OF many colors Last week as a
good-oized fleet was running for the mouth
OF the river sQuan struck IL and blew
some OF the boats high the the beach
drowning all their chickens. The cargoes
had to be unloaded and besides the articles
being brought to market for sale there APP
peared a choice assortment OF swords,
knives. spears, beheading knives and the old
Tower" muskets.
The natives of Malab bang looked upon the
shlpwreck as very fortunate for them. for
they gathered up the drowned chickens and
had feast that night.
The Moro Warrior.
The Moros present an odd appearance on
q horse They ride with a very high STIR
rup. the knee or the horseman high as
his thigh. Their stirrup is a small block of
wood at the end Of piece of rope, ana is
held between the great and second toe
Their weapons the kris, a heavy
straight sword with wavy edge, the KAN
palang. a long two-handed blade slightly
curved and quite heavy. a dagger made like
kris, spears with long narrow blade
old Tower muskets and various kinds of
rifles dating from the early Spanish times
TO today. Their heavy krises and kampa-
hngs have scabbards of two pieces Of wood
usually bound lightly together with core or
rattan.
In sudden assault the blade is not dIa wn
but the blow struck with scabbard and