The Aguinaldo War of Skirmishes.
The Filipino Swarms, After Being Repulsed with Slaughter, Continue
Their Scattering Efforts to Be Assassins--They Plan a General
Massacre and the Burning of Manila--Defeated in Barbarous Schemes,
They Tell False Tales and Have Two Objects, One to Deceive the People
of the Philippines, the Other to Influence Intervention--The Peril of
Fire--Six Thousand Regulars Sent to General Otis--Americans Capture
Iloilo and Many Natives Want Peace--The People of the Isla of Negros
Ask That They May Go with Us--Dewey Wants Battleships and Gunboats,
Gets Them, and Is Made an Admiral--Arrival of Peace Commissioners,
with Their School Books, Just Ahead of the Regulars with Magazine
Rifles--The Germans at Manila Salute Admiral Dewey at Last.
The activity of the Aguinaldo insurgents was persisted in, while their
commissioners were on the way to us, and ours to them. While Congress
was in a reactionary state owing to political games, and many members
tearful on the side of the barbarians, there was a desperate conspiracy
to massacre the white people of Manila and destroy the city by fire;
and fighting was going on along our extended lines, the Filipinos
shooting at Americans from the jungles. On February 15th the California
Volunteers abandoned Guadalupe church and retired to San Pedro Macati,
and the Filipinos held ambuscades near the Pasig River. It was reported
that on the night of the 14th the retirement of General King's advance
posts upon San Pedro Macati had evidently been construed by the rebels
as a sign of weakness, as they pressed forward along both sides of
the river, persistently harassing the occupants of the town.
The rebels poured volley after volley into San Pedro Macati from
the brush on the adjacent ridge, but without effect. General King's
headquarters, in the center of the town, was the target for scores of
bullets. The rebels were using smokeless powder and it was extremely
difficult to locate individual marksmen.
The heat was intense and increasing perceptibly. It was impossible
to provide shade for the troops in parts of the line.
On the 21st the following remarkable dispatch was received from
General Otis:
"Manila, Feb. 21.--Adjutant-General, Washington: Following issued by
an important officer of insurgent government at Malolos February 15,
1899, for execution during that evening and night in this city:
"'You will so dispose that at 8 o'clock at night the individuals of
the territorial militia at your order will be found united in all
of the streets of San Pedro, armed with their bolos and revolvers or
guns and ammunition, if convenient.
"'Philippine families only will be respected. They should not be
molested, but all other individuals, of whatever race they may be,
will be exterminated without any compassion after the extermination
of the army of occupation.
"'The defenders of the Philippines in your command will attack the
guard at Bilibid and liberate the prisoners and "presidiarios," and,
having accomplished this, they will be armed, saying to them:
"'"Brothers, we must avenge ourselves on the Americans and exterminate
them, that we may take our revenge for the infamy and treachery
which they have committed upon us; have no compassion upon them;
attack with vigor. All Filipinos en masse will second you. Long live
Filipino independence."
"'The order which will be followed in the attack will be as follows:
The sharpshooters of Tondo and Santa Ana will begin the attack from
without and these shots will be the signal for the militia of Troso
Binondo, Quiata and Sampaloe to go out into the street and do their
duty; those of Pake, Ermita and Malate, Santa Cruz and San Miguel will
not start out until 12 o'clock unless they see that their companions
need assistance.
"'The militia of Tondo will start out at 3 o'clock in the morning;
if all do their duty our revenge will be complete. Brothers, Europe
contemplates us; we know how to die as men, shedding our blood in
defense of the liberty of our country. Death to the tyrants.
"'War without quarter to the false Americans who have deceived us.
"'Either independence or death.'"
There is not sufficient reason to assume that this paper setting forth
an order to carry out a conspiracy of house burning and assassination
is beyond belief. It is characteristic of the Filipino literature
that relates to Americans. General Otis is a man whose communications
may be relied upon absolutely. He is a believer in the exact truth
and has shown exemplary care in stating it. The Filipino faction
of warriors are habitually false, and wherever they have an agent,
are circulating falsehoods manufactured to order. The Junta of the
Aguinaldo pretenders, issued at Hongkong a statement as follows:
"Information which has leaked through the Pinkertons, sent by President
McKinley to investigate the shipment of arms to the Filipinos,
shows that the first shipments to Aguinaldo were made by order of
the American government, through Consul Wildman, hence the shipment
per the Wing Foi. The American government subsequently telegraphed
to cease this, coincident with the change of policy to annexation.
"Mr. Wildman and Rear Admiral Dewey promised to pay, but have not yet
paid, for a subsequent expedition by the Abbey, authorized by Admiral
Dewey, who afterward seized the steamer, and it is still held. Papers
respecting this are now in the possession of the Secretary of the Navy.
"The protestations of Admiral Dewey and other Americans that they
made no promises are ridiculous. In view of these facts let the
American people judge how the nation's word of honor was pledged to
the Filipinos and confided in by them, and violated by the recent
treachery of General Otis."
There may be an occasional member of Congress who cannot help believing
this, but he does not allow his ignorance to be moderated by any
ingredient of information.
On the same day the above publication appeared there was given at
Hongkong to the American Consul, Wildman, news of the "discovery of
20,000 rifles and 2,000,000 cartridges stored on lighters at Nankin by
Filipinos and ready for shipment to the islands. The American Minister
promptly induced the Chinese authorities to impound the munitions,
thus inflicting a hard blow to Aguinaldo.
"The extraordinary thing is that the Japanese government sold the
arms to the regular agent of the Filipinos at Yokohama, although,
for the sake of appearances, a form of auction was used. The Japanese
officials, it develops, offered 100,000 rifles, with machinery for
loading and ammunition, to the Filipinos in September.
"Traitorous Americans here are aiding the insurgents to smuggle
arms. Agoncillo's dispatches are leading the Filipinos to believe
President McKinley intends to treat with them."
The official correspondence of the American Consuls at Singapore,
Manila and Hongkong with the State Department, proves that there was
no treaty with Aguinaldo, no deception so far as our Government was
concerned, and that he was a professor of Americanism, talking of
annexation and a protectorate and his gratitude; and then a sulking
and swollen little creature; as Wildman wrote, a spoiled child,
requiring flatteries to keep him in a good humor. Admiral Dewey was
very careful never to promise Aguinaldo anything--giving him some
old guns and encouraging him to keep the Spaniards busy, but never
presuming or allowing it to be assumed that he was speaking for our
Government. By way of Seattle we have an extract of a letter written
by an insurgent officer at Hongkong in these terms:
"More than 25,000 families have left Manila since we began our war
on the Americans. American soldiers are deserting and presenting
themselves to our officers. In order to get the American troops
who were ordered to Iloilo on board the transport many of the men
had first been made drunk, others were embarked forcibly. They all
protested against going, saying that they had come to fight Spaniards,
not Filipinos. After the boat got under way the men mutinied. Many
jumped overboard and swam ashore. Those who remained began to wreck
all parts of the vessel."
The intensity of the folly of the Filipinos making war upon the United
States is on exhibition in this letter, and it is serviceable as a
measure of their intelligence. It is with this equipment of elementary
knowledge that Agoncillo is in Europe to solicit the intervention
of the great powers for his country and asserts that he lost Dewey's
letters in a shipwreck. He should exploit his mission in Madrid.
It was on the nights of the 22nd and 23d of February that an effort was
made by the Filipinos to burn Manila. The attempt to destroy property
closely resembled in the stealthy preliminaries, and desperate strife
to burn the city, the cunningly prepared first attack upon the American
army, repulsed with a slaughter that has moved deeply the sympathies
of our statesmen opposed to the administration of our Government
the growth of the country and the public honor. The fact is they are
sentimentalists in decay or degenerates running for a decline and fall.
There was some fighting in the streets during the night, but the
Americans quickly quelled the uprising. A number of the insurgents were
killed and several American soldiers severely wounded. A large market
place was the first to burn. Between six and seven hundred residences
and business houses were destroyed. Fires started at several points
simultaneously, and, spreading with great rapidity, resisted efforts
to control them. Hundreds of homeless natives were huddled in the
streets, making the patrol duty of the Americans difficult. The fire
was started in three places. Native sharpshooters were concealed behind
corner buildings. They shot at every American in sight. Flames burst
forth simultaneously from Santa Cruz, San Nicolas and Tondo. From
these points the fire spread. In a short time a great part of the
city was burning. Notwithstanding the continual activity of the hidden
sharpshooters the American garrison turned out and fought the fire. In
many cases they had first to drive away the lurking assassins.
No one of our troops was killed, but seven members of the
Minnesota regiment ere wounded making a rush into the burning Tondo
quarter. Captain C. Robinson of Company C was one of the wounded. The
troops were rallied from some of the outlying encampments, quickly
spread through all parts of the city and subdued what was evidently
planned for a general uprising and massacre.
The fire lasted all night. The native rebels in the city have
been completely checked by the prompt work of General Otis and the
other commanders. It is evident that the incendiaries and assassins
believed that the entire town would be destroyed and with it the
foreign residents and the American soldiers.
General Otis telegraphed Adjutant-General Corbin February 23d:
"Determined endeavors to burn city last night. Buildings fired in
three different sections of city. Fires controlled by troops, after
severe labor.
"A considerable number of incendiaries shot and a few soldiers wounded.
"Early this morning a large body of insurgents made a demonstration
off MacArthur's front, near Caloocan, and were repulsed. Loss of
property by fire last night probably $500,000."
February 21st, 9:35 P. M.--"The natives of the village of Paco made a
bold attempt last night to burn the quarters of the First Washington
Volunteers by setting fire to the huts adjoining their quarters in
the rear.
"Fortunately the wind changed at the moment the fire was discovered,
and, fanned by a stiff breeze, the flames spread in the opposite
direction, destroying fully twenty shacks and houses opposite the
ruins of the church. The incendiaries escaped.
"Mysterious signals were frequently made along the enemy's lines
during the night."
From the high points in the city fires were seen in a dozen places,
and a cloud of smoke hovered over the city, conveying the impression
to people about the bay and in the outside districts that the whole
city was burning.
On the 21st of February the Nebraska troops drove a force of 300
insurgents three miles to Pasig. Twenty-one of them were found dead
on the field and many more were believed to have been killed. The
Americans had three wounded.
A most serious problem confronts General Otis in the protection
of Manila and the suburban towns from fire, not only because of the
treacherous character of the rebel Filipinos, but also because outside
of the business establishments the houses are built of the flimsiest
bamboo, hung with matting screens. Even the floors are made of strips
of bamboo, separated so as to allow the free circulation of air. It is
within the power of almost any person to set fire to these houses from
without or within in a few seconds, and, as they are closely built,
the ravages of a single fire in a quarter so closely constructed
might easily reach the $500,000 point mentioned by General Otis.
The foreign quarter is of better construction, but still includes
many of these light bamboo houses, which the older residents seem to
find cooler than those of more solid construction. The walled town,
which the insurgents threaten to burn, is said to be of substantial
structures, and probably is more easily defended against such an
attempt than any other section of the town.
February 26th, 6:30 A. M., a dispatch was received from Colombo,
Island of Colon, as follows:
"The United States transport Grant, which sailed from New York for
Manila January 19 with troops under command of Major-General Henry
W. Lawton on board, arrived here to-day. General Lawton received a
cablegram from Major-General Otis saying:
"'Situation critical. Your early arrival necessary.'
"He also received from General Corbin, United States Adjutant-General,
a cable dispatch urging him to hurry.
"General Lawton ordered his officers to buy supplies regardless of
expense, and the transport is taking on coal and water hurriedly. She
will try to reach Manila without further stop."
March 4th a dispatch from General Lawton on the Grant at Singapore
was received as follows:
"Arrived here to-night. Will stop six hours for coal. Have no serious
illness to report. Favorable conditions still continue.
"We shall probably reach Manila early on morning of March 10. Have
so informed Otis."
This shows the strong impression the Manila news made in the War
Department, of the attempt to burn the city, which was part of the
announced plan of the insurgents. Filipino spies and sympathizers
had been watched by the American troops day and night seeking to
locate places of weakness. Many were captured. Some of them were
disguised in women's clothing. Plots of all kinds were rife. There
had been constant fear for weeks in the city that a massacre and
conflagration would be attempted. General Otis warned his officers to
be ever vigilant. Since the first battle our troops have guarded all
quarters within the lines. The conclusion of the very serious phase of
the incendiary period was announced by General Otis in this dispatch:
"Manila, Feb. 24.--To Secretary of War, Washington: Scandia arrived
last night. On nights 21st and 22d and yesterday morning insurgent
troops gained access to outskirts of city behind our lines. Many in
hiding and about 1,000 intrenched themselves. Completely routed
yesterday, with loss of killed and wounded about 500 and 200
prisoners. Our loss was slight. City quiet, confidence restored,
business progressing.
_Otis_."
On the afternoon of February 25th it was stated in a Manila cablegram
that the military police had raided several suspected houses in various
districts, capturing small bodies of twenty or thirty prisoners
in each place. This and the 7 o'clock order effectually dispelled
the fears of a threatened outbreak of the natives, who do not dare
singly, or collectively, to appear on the streets after dark. The
feeling in the city decidedly improved, although the Chinese were
timorous. Hundreds of applicants for cedulus besiege the register's
office, the natives apparently being under the impression that their
possession insures them from interference and the ignominy of being
searched for arms on the streets.
There was a mystery lasting a day or two about this unusual cable
communication:
"Manila, Feb. 24.--To Secretary of Navy, Washington: For political
reasons the Oregon should be sent here at once.
_Dewey_."
It was not a secret, however, in Manila Bay in August that Admiral
Dewey wanted two battleships, just as he wanted and had needed two
monitors, and that he then preferred the Oregon and the Iowa. He
has deemed it of the utmost importance that he should have a force
at Manila Bay superior to that of any other power. The German fleet
had for a considerable part of the time since the destruction of
the Spanish squadron been in a menacing attitude. The Germans were
ostentatious in discourtesy during Admiral Diedrich's personal
presence.
The Congress of the United States that was so divided and distracted
about the Philippine question was unanimous as to the pre-eminent
merits as a naval commander of George Dewey, though he was the
embodiment of all the anti-Americans railed at. This is the official
paper that proclaims Dewey's promotion:
"_President_ of the United States of America.
"To All Who Shall See These Presents: Greeting:
"Know ye, that, reposing special trust and confidence in the
patriotism, valor and fidelity and abilities of
"_George Dewey_.
I have nominated, and by and with the advice and consent of the Senate,
do appoint him Admiral of the Navy from the second day of March,
1899, in the service of the United States.
"He is, therefore, carefully and diligently to discharge the duties of
Admiral by doing and performing all manner of duties thereto belonging.
"And I do strictly charge and require all officers, seamen and marines
under his command to be obedient to his orders as Admiral.
"And he is to observe and follow such orders and directions from time
to time as he shall receive from me or the future President of the
United States of America.
"Given under my hand at Washington the second day of March, in the year
of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and ninety-nine, and in the one
hundred and twenty-third year of the independence of the United States.
"By the President:
_William M'Kinley_.
"_John D. Long_, Secretary of the Navy."
The Admiral personally responded, cabling to the Secretary of the Navy:
"Manila, March 4.--Please accept for yourself, the President and
Congress and my countrymen my heartfelt thanks for the great honor
which has been conferred upon me.
_Dewey_."
He will draw from the Government $14,700 a year, including allowances,
and is entitled to a larger staff. His direct pay is $13,000 per annum,
a rise of $7,000. He outranks any officer in the United States army,
the fact being that Rear Admirals rank with the Major-Generals,
who are the highest officers at present in the army, and Dewey is a
full Admiral. This is the result of not being afraid of torpedoes or
to risk ships in front of shore batteries. On the 3rd of March the
President nominated Brigadier-General Elwell S. Otis, U.S.A., to be
Major-General by brevet, to rank from February 4, 1899, for military
skill and most distinguished service in the Philippine Islands. The
nomination was confirmed by the Senate. Secretary Alger sent the
following congratulatory message to General Otis:
"You have been nominated and confirmed a Major-General by brevet in
the Regular Army. The President wishes this message of congratulations
sent you, in which I cordially join."
The Spanish way of dealing with unfortunate officers appears in this:
"Madrid, Friday.--Admiral Montojo, who was in command of the Spanish
squadron destroyed by Admiral Dewey in the battle of Manila Bay, and
the commander of the Cavite arsenal were this evening incarcerated in
the military prison pending trial for their conduct at Manila. Admiral
Cervera has also been imprisoned, along with General Linares, the
two men in the Spanish service who gave the Americans trouble.
The Colon Gazette on the 23d of February publishes extracts from a
private letter dated Iloilo, January 12, that prior to the conclusion
of peace Lieutenant Brandeis, formerly of the Twenty-first Baden
Dragoons, with 800 Spanish troops, held the town against 20,000
to 30,000 Filipinos, who were monkeying about and assuming to be
conducting a siege, just as the Aguinaldo crowd was doing at Manila
when General Merritt arrived. When peace was declared the Iloilo
Spaniards presently surrendered and the Filipinos rushed in as
conquering heroes. The pacific policy of the President prevented the
United States troops from taking the place from the swarm of islanders
until the outbreak in front of Manila, when our strict defensive was
unavailable and General Miller quietly occupied and possessed Iloilo,
the important sugar-exporting town of the Philippines.
The natives of the Island of Negros sent a delegation to General
Miller, after he had captured Iloilo, to offer their allegiance to
the United States, and the General holds Jaro and Molo, where there
has been skirmishing recently. The insurgents have 2,000 men at
Santa Barbara.
The governor of Camarines, in the interior of Luzon, has issued
a proclamation declaring that the Americans intend to make the
Filipinos slaves.
March 4th the United States cruiser Baltimore arrived at Manila
having on board the civil members of the United States Philippine
Commission. On the same day the rebels of the village of San Jose
fired on the United States gunboat Bennington and the warship shelled
that place and other suburbs of Manila in the afternoon.
At daylight General Wheaton's outposts discovered a large body of
rebels attempting to cross the river for the purpose of re-enforcing
the enemy at Guadalupe.
A gunboat advanced under a heavy fire and poured shot into
the jungle on both sides of the river and shelled the enemy's
position at Guadalupe, effectually but temporarily scattering the
rebels. The enemy's loss was heavy. American loss, one killed and
two wounded. General Otis cabled:
"The transport Senator just arrived; troops in good health. One
casualty, accidental drowning.
_Otis_."
The Senator carried Companies A, B, C, D, H and K of the Twenty-second
Infantry and sailed from San Francisco on February 1. The remainder of
this regiment arrived at Manila on the transport Ohio, which followed
the Senator.
The transport Valentia sailed from San Francisco March 4th, carrying
in addition to 150 soldiers, stores and supplies, $1,500,000 to pay
the soldiers now in the Philippines.
March 3d general order No. 30 was issued from the Adjutant-General's
office, War Department of the United States:
"The following regiments will be put in readiness for service in
the Philippine Islands without delay, the movement to take place
from time to time under instructions to be communicated hereafter:
Sixth Artillery, Sixth Infantry, Ninth Infantry, Thirteenth Infantry,
Sixteenth Infantry and Twenty-first Infantry.
"The following troops will he put in readiness for early departure
for station in Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands:
"Twenty-fourth Infantry, one field officer and four companies;
one company from Fort Douglas, Utah, and three companies from Fort
D. A. Russell, Wyoming.
"The department commanders are charged with the preparation of their
commands for these movements. The Quartermaster-General will make
timely arrangements for the transportation of the various commands. The
Commissary-General of Subsistence and the Surgeon-General will make
necessary provision for proper subsistence and medical supplies
and attendance."
This means that our army at Manila will he re-enforced by 6,000
regulars. Recent advices show that Aniceto Lanson, President of Negros
Island, called on General Otis with his fellow-delegates, Pose De
Luzuriago, President of Negros Congress; Gosebio Luzuriago, Secretary
of Finance, and Deputy Andries Azcoule. They assured General Otis
of the hearty support of the Visayas except those few who have been
stirred into revolt by the agents of Aguinaldo on the Island of Panay.
The government of Negros, they declared, was in favor of American rule,
and there was no adverse sentiment whatever among the natives. The
stars and stripes are now floating over all the official buildings
on the island. The commission offered to raise an army of 100,000
Visayans to fight the Tagalos on the Island of Luzon. The commissioners
represent large sugar-interests in Negros.
The Negros Island deputation was greatly pleased with its reception.
Admiral Dewey's flag as a full American Admiral was saluted becomingly
by all the warships of foreign nations at Manila, even including the
Germans, who had not until then showed the Americans any significant
courtesy. The English led the function with an Admiral's salute. There
was no novelty in this, for they long ago in every friendly way
recognized Manila as an American port. The Germans have given signal
manifestation of their desire to promote the most cordial relations
between Germany and the United States by ordering the withdrawal
of all vessels of their navy from Philippine waters and placing the
lives and property of their subjects there under the protection of
the United States Government.
A Hongkong dispatch of February 28 contained this information:
"Professors Schurman and Worcester to-day, after a long consultation
with Wildman, who is looked upon as one of the best-posted men in
the Orient in regard to Philippine affairs, expressed themselves as
satisfied with the outlook.
"They are especially pleased with the action of President McKinley
in restoring to the wealthy Cortes family the great estates illegally
confiscated by the Spaniards.
"'It is good politics,' said a leading member of the Hongkong colonial
cabinet to-day. 'It will seal to America every Filipino who possesses
property. It is the hardest blow Aguinaldo has suffered.'"
Admiral Dewey is strengthened by gunboats enough to keep out the
Filipino supplies of arms picked up in Asia, and Congress may not
be making a noise agreeable to our enemies for the rest of this
year. There is compensation in the omission. There will be no European
or American interference in the process of pacificating the military
faction of Filipinos, who are ungrateful and murderous, during the
rest of the last year of the century.
Hugh Brown, an Englishman, who arrived at Hongkong from Manila February
11, gives in detail evidence of the conspiracy of the insurgent swarms
in attacking the American army. He was at a circus where there were
no natives when our soldiers were called out. They behaved nobly,
disarming natives, but not killing them. There was mysterious shooting
going on in the city "when an American shell struck a tree 200 yards
away, and four natives dropped to the ground. The trees were found
to be full of hiding natives, using smokeless powder." Aguinaldo was
fifty miles away and telegraphed Admiral Dewey that he was not to
blame, and for God's sake to stop the firing of the fleet.
Captain Frazer of London, late of the Imperial British forces,
arrived at Vancouver direct from Hongkong March 8th, and gave this
account of the declining health of Admiral Dewey:
"The war at Manila will have to end soon or the life of the great
American Admiral will be worth nothing.
"I dined with him at Manila within a month, and am convinced that if
he is not relieved of the terrible strain imposed upon him he cannot
last a month longer. As he sat at the banquet table, surrounded by
his staff, he looked to me like a dying man. His hair is snowy white,
his face ashen, and he ate hardly anything.
"I had the pleasure of a few minutes' conversation with him when we
retired to the smoking-room. Having in mind his enfeebled appearance.,
I asked him if he thought of returning to America soon.
"'I would like to, but my work is by no means finished here. When it
is, and only then, will I return.'
"I am thoroughly convinced that only the Admiral's indomitable will has
kept him up so long. The strain on him is terrible, and the climatic
conditions have reduced him to a shadow.
"One of his officers said to me just before I left Manila:
"'The war will be ended by the Admiral soon or it will end him. No
man can stand such a strain as he does in this climate and live long.'"
If this is to be literally accepted, and we may hope that it
is overstated, there has been a distressingly unfavorable change
within five months in the Admiral. His trouble is said to be with his
liver. There is no question the strain upon him has been more wearing
than the public have realized. Last summer his anxieties afflicted
him with insomnia at night, and he has not for a day since he left
Hongkong in April been free from burdens of harrassing care. His last
words on the deck of the China to the Author of this Book were that
the President had invited him to go home and counsel with him, but he
had written the substance of what he held to be the way to deal with
the Philippines, and would not leave Manila Bay "without peremptory
orders to go, until all things here are settled--settled--settled,"
a characteristic repetition of the important word. He had already
stated he wanted "two battleships" and the Oregon and Iowa were
accordingly ordered to join him. Instead of anticipating pleasure from
the ovations that thousands of letters and all callers assure him he
could not avoid in this country he sincerely dreads them, and when
told what the inevitable was whenever he put his foot on his native
shore he said: "That would be very distasteful to me." He is human,
and, of course, not insensible of the boundless compliment of the
endless enthusiasm of the public regarding him, but he habitually
insists that every man in his fleet did his duty on the day of battle
and victory, and it would be "injustice to brave men if one man got
all the glory." The Admiral knows the President's invitation to him
to come home is a standing one, and no limit on it, but the sense of
duty of the Admiral, in whose judgment there is perfect confidence,
forbids. The information of his declining health will certainly result
in his recall overruling his personal feeling and official purpose,
if it is believed that there is danger he is sacrificing himself.
NOTES
[1] In another chapter of this story of the Philippines will be found
Senor Filipe Agoncillo's personal account of this affair.
[2] Principally to Singapore.
[3] Principally to Japan.
[4] Principally to Singapore.
[5] Tagalo.--Name of one of the tribes of Indians inhabiting the
Philippine Islands.--Trans. Note.
[6] Tinapa.--Small white-bait fish, which, mixed with rice,
constitutes the daily diet of the lower class of natives in the
Philippine Islands.--Trans. Note.
[7] Gallego.--Native of Galicia, northwestern Province in Spain. On
account of their healthy and robust constitution, the lower class of
Gallego are found employed in the hardest work throughout the country,
where physical strength is necessary, although they are considered slow
and lazy. Their predominant characteristic seems to be an insatiable
greed of hoarding money.--Trans. Note.
[8] Cataluna.--Province of Spain, which capital is
Barcelona.--Trans. Note.
[9] This account of Magellan is from Antonio de Marga's rare volume
published in Mexico.