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July 9, 1898. |
The Cebu (which is not sunk) is moored off the end of the Luneta with the apparent object of crossing the fire from the walls at any troops who may have the courage to land in front of the Luueta.
CHINA OVERLAND TRADE REPORT. your representative obtained from the Linnet | and both iron and stonework have been ruth on her arrival at Hongkong is incorrectlessly cast down. In addition I am informed in a few particulars. The Captain-General that large quantities of petroleum are stored in Augustin has had no dispute with the Archbi- the Quartels, or barracks, outside the city and shop (who by the way is still in Manila and not these will be set on fire at the necessary moment. a refugee at Shanghai as stated by a paper The engineers have also decided to "cut" the has not resigned his command. bridges over the Pasig, all of which are Everything is still in the hands of General remarkably fine specimens of bridging art, Augustin, who, left by his Government at the particularly the Puenta d'Espana and the iron mercy of the Americans and insurgents, is bridge at San Miguel. It is a great pity that apparently doing his utmost to sustain the the confidence of the Engineer Corps in the honour of the Spanish arms. The two hundred defensive properties of the old walls of the city Spanish wounded brought by permission of against a heavy bombardment lead them to Admiral Dewey and Aguinaldo from Cavite last commit these atrocities. An Englishman Sunday complain of bad treatment and neglect secured the orchids in the Botanical Gardens by the rebels. Considering that the Spanish for a few dollars, though the collection was never encumber themselves with either in-worth some hundreds. surgent prisoners, whole or wounded, the Spanish should be grateful for their preserva- tion. The fort and magazine at Malate hare not "been captured after very bitter fighting in full view of the fleet." The insurgents for nearly three weeks attempted day and night to capture the Polvorrin, but in spite of every effort their attempts have been unsuccess- ful. The chief objection is the Spanish artillery, and the insurgents have not yet had sufficient military discipline or experience to stand a shell fire. Attacks are constantly made on the Spanish lines, but those attacks are of brief duration, for the insurgent fire always terminates when the Spanish field pieces and mountain guns reply. I understand that Mr. I. M. Jackson, a former Captain in the U.S. regulars, and well known at Shanghai, is drilling the natives into shape at Cavite. With the telegraphed reports of a Spanish Squadron en route for the Philippines, the peculiar attention the Germans are paying "to their vast interests in Manila," which re- quire a big fleet to guard, and the non-arrival of naval and military reinforcements, the posi- tion of Admital Dewey is unpleasantly respon- sible.
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The old city is crowded with human beings, and there must be at least 12,000 people within its walls, and it is very much to be doubted if the troops are sufficient now to man the outire defences. Yesterday the native soldiers were withdrawn from the outposts in consequence of desertions to the enemy.
H.M.S. Pigmy and the steamer Yuensang arrived on Saturday, 25th inst., and yesterday H.M.S. Bonaventure left for Weihaiwei, being relieved by the Iphegenia. The French Admiral also arrived on the 25th on the Bayard..
The 8.8. Esmeralda is about to leave with many Chinese passengers for Amoy and Hong. kong, and the Crown Prince of Germany is leaving with 1,000 Chinese coolies for your port.
The semi-official statement made in Berlin that the large German squadron is necessary to protect Gorman interests here is extremely in forming, considering what such interests really amount to, which a gunboat of the Rattler dis- placement would be amply sufficient to protect. Comparatively speaking then the whole of the British Asiatic squadron should ride in Manila Buy. The Germans are so careful !
Mr. Rawson Walker, the genial British Consul, is again residing on shore, being a guest of Mr. R. Wood, of Smith, Bell & Co. Most of the foreigners have left the hips in the Bay and one and all are hoping that the exist
Manila, 30th June.
The defences of the old city are still being proceeded with. Sand bags now line all the walls, excepting in places where thick wooden beams are placed parallel, resting on small blocks of wood and this leaving a space for firing from. Everything affording cover in front of the walls has been removed and the place now wears au entirely altered aspect. The magnificent avenue of trees leading from the Puerta de Espana to the Luneta has been cut down bying state of affairs will soon terminate. gangs of convicts presided over by the Engineer Corps and to-day the destruction gang com- menced cutting down the trees in the Botanical Gardens. From a picturesque point of view Manila has been robbed of her chief attractions for many years to come, though it is difficult to harmonise this with the enlightening statement in the Comercio a few days ago to the effect that the trees had been removed to beautify the scene, improve the perspective, and to show that "Manila was not a hamlet in a forest but a walled city." The man who wrote that was an unconscious humorist and evidently missed his vocation in writing obituary paragraphs. One nice little trap prepared for the attackers I particularly noticed. Several artillerymen were engaged in covering the approach leading to the ditch in front of their guns with small sharp pointed bamboo stakes over which they loosely sprinkled earth with the object of concealment, No doubt the soldier who suddenly jumps or kneels on one of these will probably miss his aim. The branches of the trees that have been cut down have also been judiciously stuck in the creek in front of the walls, though the ultimate result of a decayed and stagnant vegetation right under the walls will be more harmful to the occupants of the city than to the beseigers who will not be allowed by Spanish rolleys to get near it and realise its effects.
There has been a good deal of discussion going on amongst the Consular Corps concerning the possibility of securing a place for a neutral zone to be occupied by foreigners-the rough weather lately compelling a general exodus from the vessels in the bay-and to be guarded by foreign sailors. On Friday afternoon the Consuls met and Mr. Rawson Walker, the doyen, was instructed to approach Admiral Dewey on the subject, and I learn that the Ad- miral has preferred to let the question stand over until the arrival of the American General. Early this morning the engineers attacked the railings in front of the Botanical Gardens
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Things are pretty much the same as when I wrote two days ago. The insurgents keep to their positions and the Spanish do likewise and at some time during the day and night they blaze away at one another periodically, when little harm is done on either side. The in- surgents cannot stand the music of the shells from the Spanish field artillery, and are pro- bably beginning to realise now that intrenched positions cannot be captured by indiscriminate volley-firing from a distance. One thing is obvious --that the insurgents will never break through the Spanish lines, and if the Spanish only had them, to deal with they would undoubtedly make short work of them, in spite of their retirement from Zapote. I was informed that the rebels burst one of the field pieces they received from the Americans through improper handling. To show you how defective the rebel firing is, I may state that Captain de Coucha's naval brigade, which was stationed at the Polvorriu for one week, where there were incessant rebel attacks in foroo day and night, only sustained a loss of seven killed and wounded. How the insurgents managed to capture so many prisoners is somewhat of a mystery, unless the beseiged Spaniards were starved into submission.
General Monet, who was reported to have been shot in fire places and thus met with a soldier's death fighting hard for his country, astonished every one by turning up at Manila on Tuesday last. It appeared that he had left his force of 700 cazadores (deserted it, we would call it in Anglo-Saxon) and had brought down the Captain-General's wife and family, and several Spanish ladies. He escaped from the Pampanga river in 8 small steam launch and steamed down fying the Geneva cross, fully expecting to be captured by the Americans, to whom he was fully prepared to surrender himself, The American look-out was deficient, for he steamed into the month
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of the river and hauled up at the Captain of the Port's office, without the slightest inter- ference. He reported that his soldiers were starving and were surrounded by thousands of rebels. Also that there are eighteen priests with the soldiers, whom the insurgents bare a premium on, and there is also on the Pampanga river a small Spanish gunboat, the Leyte, com- manded by Lient. Peral. The Indian troops mutined against the general, and joined the insurgents. Yesterday it was reported that he had left in a steam launch to return to his post, but I am unable to verify this.
Coronation Day was fittingly observed by Captain Chichester holding an
At Home" on the Immortalité, to which all British subjects were invited. The weather was too boisterous to admit of many accepting his hearty invita tion.
Manila, 1st July, Noon. The U. S. cruiser Charleston, convoying the City of Peking, City of Sydney and Australia, arrived yesterday afternoon, after I had sent my last dispatch, with the U.S. troops ou board.
It is expected the disembarkation of troops and stores, etc., will occupy three days, which period it is believed Admiral Dewey will use for his period of ultimatum.
To-day the Spanish have retired from the Waterworks, which the rebels will take posses- sion of.
It is expected the populace will compel Augustin to surrender in spite of his prepara- tions for defence, as they fear a bombardment.
A VISIT TO THE LINES OF THE PHILIPPINE INSURGENTS.
The following is a description by Mr. P. G. McDonnell, correspondent of the New York Journal, of a visit paid to the insurgent lines near Manila :-
Manila Bay, 28th June.
I have just returned from the insurgent front, after having made a trip across country to the district where the most active fighting is taking place, and been under the fire of the Spanish guns at Malate. This fort is the southern outpost of Manila itself.
On Monday morning I set out from Cavite Arsenal accompanied by Lieut. W. R. Brice, Secretary to General Anderson, and Mr. Pri- deaux, chief officer of the Zafiro. The journey from Cavite to Novaleta was made in caromatas, the little two wheeled native carts resembling an overgrown ricksha more than anything else. At Novaleta we secured four little native ponies, scarcely larger than our Shetlands, and here the real part of the trip commenced. All along the soft muddy road there were evidences of the recent fighting between the Spanish and insurgents. Almost without exception, the bridges were wrecked or entirely blown up, and frequent trenches and barricades turned the road bed aside, much to the discomfort of the one little cart that carried our baggage and edibles.
After an hour's riding we reached Cavite Viejo (Old Cavite). As in most of the towns, the only substantial buildings are the churches, and the walls of these are of several feet of stone
and brick. It has been the custom of the : Spaniards to retire to the churches when hard pressed, and here they were safe from the bullets of the insurgents. But recently some few field pieces have been captured and one or two guns were taken from the arsenal at Cavite. This church at Old Cavite is the first evidence of the insurgent skill in using the newly acquired weapons. Immense holes are torn throngh the roof and walls and one corner under the tower is almost entirely shot away. At Old Cavite some 270 Spaniards surrendered after having been cooped up and fired on for several hours. A temporary barricade of heavy stone had been constructed around the walls, and when driven from this they retired within the church and after tearing up the floor used the boards and earth to barricade the doors and windows. The statues, pictures, and tapestry have all been removed, the altar was shattered by a shell that passed through the heavy wall just behind it, and along what was once the communion rail is the guilded ruin of the bishop's state chair. AsT photographed the inside some 100 natives ac. companied me and pointed out the havoc that had been wrought. We passed on without inter-