Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-07-20
A PHILIPPINE MOUNTAIN
HIKE OVER A FLOOD PLAIN
By James L. Robb.
uarv 20 sOs thereN this being easier than walking on


this being easier than walking on the
dirt, which had been left in the con-
dition of a plowed field that had been
frozen From this Camp One. as we
termed it, which was right in the CEN.
ter of the flood path, we had some
grand views. On one side was the
mountain. green and fresh, looming up
1000 feet in air, while on the other
was the great expanse, of flood plain
with the cocoanut groves to the sides
of it, the towns of Lucena, Sariaya
and others, with the sea and various
islands in plain view in the distance
After a short rest we set about pick
ing up the splinters and wood that ma
tire had been kind enough to- split for
us and with these we soon had
roaring fire. Then "a cold
bath in the creek and hearty sup
per and we felt quite refreshed
from our hard days hike. Not long
afterwards we spread our oilcloths ana
Sleep but, upon lying down, we found
that we were moonstruck- and by full
moon at that. 1t was beaming down into
our faces like a young son, so that there
was nothing else to do but raise the
umbrellas This we did and were just
settling down to our well-earned rest,
when a strong breeze began to blow and
1t became necessary to close the UNI
brellas or else sit UP and hold on to them
Closed they were. and, turning our faces
from the moon as best we could, and
breathing the hope that no flood would
decide to break loose that night, we were
''off in a bunch"
WE WERE CAUTIONED.
Before we had left home some of our
friends, remembering the case Of an
American surveyor who had been muir
dered by a cargadore near Lucban Few
weeks before, had cautioned US to be on
our guard. especially as one of our car
gadores carried a large bo1o. The two
men had seemed such pleasant, agreeable
fellows all the way, though, that had
not once thought of any possible danger.
However, just before going to sleep the
thought had occurred to me, but only for
a moment 1 was glad though that my
blanket was so placed that 1 could see
the men without having to change my po-
sition. About 2:30 the next morning L
awoke suddenly, but hearing nothing to
attract attention was about to drop off
to sleep again, when, of a sudden. 1 no
ticed one Of the men move bit, then
sit up, look around at the rest of US, and
finally rise to his feet. / decided to post
pone my return to sleep for awhile. The
man stretched himself, then walked over
to the fire Cat which place 1 had last
seen the bolo) and from there disappeared
over the hill towards the creek. was
wide awake by then, but decided to lie
still awhile longer. Presently there was
a sharp noise right behind me. 1 sat up
in hurry, not knowing what to expect,
but all there was to see was the man re-
turning to his bed with some water with
which he was dampening his head and
the missionary behind ME turning over
and kicking his umbrella out of the way.
With quite sense of relief I dropped
back on my blanket and was soon lost to
the world.
MADE FOR GORGE.
We were up early the next morning and.
after a quick breakfast broke camp and
made for the gorge. We reached the en-
trance after a twenty-five minutes walk.
This entrance, whence all the mass of
water, mud and rocks had poured forth,
was only about thirty feet wide. The
force ef the flood at this point must have
been something terrible, for it was only
a shoVt distance below that it had spread
out a mile wide. Travel up the gorge
was necessarily slow and wearisome.
Much of the way was jumping from rock
to rock, climbing and winding about. The
gorge was a deep one and we got some
beautiful views in going up It, About
half hour from the entrance we came up
on a pitiful sight-a full grown deer that
had probable been grazing on the SLOPE
several hundred feet up, and had gone a
little too near the edge and lost his foot
hold. He had probably never moved af-
ter hitting the bottom. We decided that
he could not have been there long, yet
the sense Of smell directed us not to
bother about taking his antlers.
All the way I'D the gorge there were de-
posits of the fiood-masses Of mud and
rock-and it was clearly visible where
the flood had widened and deepened the
canyon. At some of the sharp turns or
the gorge could be seen great dents made
in the walls of solid rock. while just be-
yond such places would be immense de-
posits We had travelled perhaps three
hours when we came in sight OF the
source of the. flood. For some distance
down the gorge we had seen something
of this place and we were of the opinion
long before reaching it that it must be
the source, the place we were seeking.
What first attracted our attention to this
place was where a tremendous landslide
had taken place. We pushed on all the
harder after getting sight of this place
and upon making the final turn In the
gorge we came full upon it. Investigation
proved that this really was the source of
the food. At this point the gorge widen
ed out forming an immense amphithea-
tre 300 yards in diameter. On the right,
looking up the gorge Swas where the land
slide had taken place. The cliff at this
point must have been twelve or fifteen
hundred feet high. The slide, which had
extended to the extreme top of this, had
extended about a hundred yards along
the side of the gorge and about one hun
dred feet into the mountain at the deepest
place. There had also been slight land
slide on the other side of the opening.
Within the opening was piled great
masses of broken rock, extending fifty
feet, or more, high at various places, and
at the lower left hand side leading up to
a high ridge, which projected out into the