the channel for a mile inside of the entrance so brilliantly that the movement of small boats could be detected. Why the batteries never opened fire upon the searchlight ship was always a matter of surprise to me; but they never did. Stationed close to the entrance of the port were three picket launches, and at a little distance further out, three small picket vessels usually converted yachts-and, when they were available, one or two of our torpedo boats. With this arrangement there was at least a certainty that nothing could get out of the harbor undetected. After the arrival of the army, when the situation forced upon the Spanish admiral a decision, our vigilance increased. The night blockading distance was reduced to two miles for all vessels, and a battleship was placed alongside the searchlight ship, with her broadside trained upon the channel in readiness to fire the instant a Spanish ship should appear. The commanding officers inerit the greatest praise for the perfect manner in which they entered into this plan and put it into execution. The "Massachusetts," which according to routine was sent that morning to coal at Guantanamo, like the others, had spent weary nights upon this work, deserved a better fate than to be absent that morning. When all the work was done so well it is difficult to discriminate in praise. The object of the blockade of Cervera's squadron was fully accomplished, and each individual bore well his part in it-the commodore in command of the second division, the captains of ships, their officers and men. The fire of the battleships was powerful and destructive, and the resistance of the Spanish squadron was, in great part, broken alımost before they had got beyond the range of their own forts. The fine speed of the "Oregon " enabled her to take a front position in the chase, and the "Cristobal Colon " did not give up until the "Oregon" had thrown a 13-inch shell beyond her. This performance adds to the already brilliant record of this fine battleship, and speaks highly of the skill and care with which her admirable efficiency has been maintained during a service unprecedented in the history of vessels of her class. The "Brooklyn's" westerly blockading position gave her an advantage in the chase, which she maintained to the end, and she employed her fine battery with telling effect. The "Texas" and the "New York" were gaining on the chase during the last hour, and had any accident befallen the "Brooklyn" or the "Oregon," would have speedily overhauled the "Cristobal Colon." "Oregon's" Brilliant Record. From the moment the Spanish vessel exhausted her first burst of speed the result was never in doubt. She fell, in fact, far below what might reasonably have been expected of her. Careful measurements of time and distance gave her an average speed from the time she cleared the harbor mouth until the time she run on shore at Rio Tarquino of 13.7 knots. Neither the "New York" nor the "Brooklyn" stopped to couple up their forward engines, but ran out the chase with one pair, getting steam, of course, as rapidly as possible on all boilers. To stop to couple up the forward engines would have meant a delay of fifteen minutes, or four miles, in the chase. Several of the ships were struck, the "Brooklyn" more frequently than the others, but very slight material injury was done, the greatest being aboard the "Iowa." Our loss was one man killed and one wounded, both on the "Brooklyn." It is difficult to explain this immunity from loss of life or injury to ships in a combat with modern vessels of the best type, but Spanish gunnery is poor at best, and the superior weight and accuracy of our fire speedily drove the men from their guns and silenced their fire. This is borne out by the statements of prisoners and by observation. The Spanish vessels, as they dashed out of the harbor, were covered with the smoke from their own guns, but this speedily diminished in volume and soon almost disappeared. The fire from the rapid-fire batteries of the battleships appears to have been remarkably destructive. An examination of the stranded vessels showed that the "Almirante Oquendo," especially, had suffered terribly from this fire. Her sides were everywhere pierced and her decks were strewn with the charred remains of those who had fallen, but the other Spanish vessels suffered almost equally, thus proving the great efficiency and accuracy of the American guns and the skill of American sailors in handling them. T LIFE AMONG THE PHILIPPINES. BY DEAN C. WORCESTER, (Member of the Philippine Commission.) a HE insurrection headed by Aguinaldo in the Philippine Islands having assumed proportions far beyond general expectation, with possibility that it may not be speedily suppressed, interest naturally now centres in the character of the population which has come under the guardianship of the United States and in the opportunities which the occupation of this large and valuable territory offers to American enterprise. The McEnery resolution, passed by a small majority of the United States Senate,--the vote in its favor being less than one-third of a full Senate, would have been much more important in its influence on the future course of the United States, but for Aguinaldo's attack upon our army at Manila. Had the Philippine insurgents yielded to American authority peacefully, after the passage of such a resolution by the Senate, they might have claimed that it was, in a certain sense, a guarantee of independence for the Philippines. As it is, the resolution amounts only to a declaration of policy, without any binding force upon the United States government. Not All of Them The people of the Philippine Islands are not all savages. The majority are semi-civilized, a few are civilized in the full meaning of that term, and a considerable number are still in a savage state. Nor are the civilized confined to the island of Luzon, on which Manila is situated, for influences of considerable political and social development are to be seen in sections of all the five largest islands of the group. In my tour of the islands I visited the somewhat remote town of Damaguite, in southern Negros, which to my surprise I found to be a typical Visayan place of the better class. Its shops are kept by Chinese merchants. The population, numbering, perhaps, eight thousand souls, is composed chiefly of natives, with comparatively few half-breeds, and still fewer Spaniards. The soil near the town is fertile, and the people seemed prosperous. The public buildings are more than ordinarily imposing. The church and a convent, or priest's house, are in excellent repair, and the population generally seemed happy and contented, although instances of the most cruel oppression on the part of the Spanish rulers were frequently witnessed. Living costs little. The average Visayan with a couple of bushels of shelled corn, or a measure of rice in the house, and a bit of dried fish for dessert, wisely lies on the floor, smokes his cigarette, thrums his guitar, and composes extemporary songs on current events. His wife does the cooking and brings the water. When the provisions give out, it will be quite soon enough to look for more. of Negros. The savages on the island of Negros may be described as good-natured people, who do no harm to others when they have no reason to fear harm to themselves. The Spaniards had been in the habit of The Rich Island shooting them, merely for amusement, and the so-called savages naturally resented this treatment. Negros, which is 4,670 square miles in area, is probably the richest island of its size in the archipelago. The fertile lowlands along the coast are extensively cultivated, although much good land still lies idle, and offers an opportunity to American settlers who have capital to invest in planting, and taste and health for that line of business in the hot climate of the Philippines. Fine tobacco is grown on some plantations, but sugar is the most important crop. It is a mistake to suppose that all Philippine towns are dirty. In this respect, some of them are considerably superior to Cuba. Zamboanga, on the island of Mindanao, one of the oldest Spanish settlements, is large and clean. It has a pier extending out to moderately deep water, though large vessels have to lie some distance offshore. Spanish extortion has driven commerce from Zamboanga, but under good American government Australian and other vessels will no doubt call there again, as in former times. Examples of Spanish Cruelty. The manner in which the Spaniards have treated the natives was illustrated during my stay at Zamboanga. There was a gray-haired old fellow about the hotel, who did some work in the stables. He chanced to pass through a room in which I was sitting, in company with several Spanish officers, and one of the latter ordered him to bring a drink. Although he was not a waiter, he set off on the errand; but he was old and slow, and, when he returned, the officer became angry because he had been gone so long, knocked him down, and kicked him in the ribs. I found the victim, later, dying in a manger. It may be mentioned here, that the chief Spanish official at Concepcion, on the Island of Panay, caused delinquent taxpayers to be caught and tied to trees. Vicious dogs were then set upon the victims, and encouraged to worry them. The same official ordered the natives to concentrate in the towns, and made a practice of riding about the country and burning the huts of those who failed to heed his command. Mindanao is next in importance to, and nearly as large as Luzon. It is probable that, notwithstanding the victories gained in Luzon, the Island of Mindanao will witness prolonged difficulty in the establishment of American authority. The reason is that the Spaniards have held only small strips of the coast, while the remainder is inhabited largely by pagan and Mohammedan tribes. When General Weyler commanded in the Philippines, he sent an expedition against the Mohammedans. The Spaniards marched into the forests of Mindanao, the enemy retreating before them. Fever and starvation disabled 80 per cent of the Spaniards, and the mortality was terrible. Weyler remained safe on a dispatch boat, while his troops were perishing, and sent messages to Manila, announcing glorious victories. These tribes remain unsubdued, and as most of them probably know no difference between a Spaniard and an American, it is likely that trouble will be encountered in bringing them to a recognition of American power. The experience of Weyler's troops will Still Unsubdued. be a valuable lesson for American military commanders, Tribes That are and may prevent the loss of many American lives. Mindanao is an island well worthy, however, of being rescued from the control of non-producing savages. The soil, especially in the river and lake regions, is remarkably productive. Little is known of the mineral wealth, but it is certain that gold exists in paying quantities at a number of points. Diggings have long been worked by the natives near Misamis and Surigao. The scenery of Mindanao, also, is very fine. The largest known flower, measuring three feet in diameter, has been discovered there. There are several active volcanoes on the island. Extensive areas are covered with magnificent trees, and apart from the valuable forest products which Mindanao has in common with several of the other islands, gutta-percha is abundant in certain localities. The island is well watered, and its rivers are more important than those of Luzon. Such is the rich territory which, although nominally possessed by the Spaniards for hundreds of years, is as free from civilized control as were the forests of Yucatan when Cortez landed on the Mexican coast. The presence of precious metals in the interior will certainly insure a large immigration of the same adventurous class that invaded California in 1849, and aroused the land of gold from its siesta of centuries. Character of the When the natives of the Philippines shall have been won over to the peaceable acceptance of American supremacy, they will, according to trustworthy opinion, prove useful and faithful friends of the United States. One great need of the Philippine natives is education. The savages are, of course, without any literary training at all. The education of the semi-civilized natives consists of a little catechism and a few prayers, which they learn in their own dialect. The more fortunate get some knowledge of writing and arithmetic, with, |