10. At Sea to Catbalogan. At anchor off Biliran.
We got underway at 5 a.m. and headed towards north west Leyte. In the afternoon passed through the deep channel between Biliran Island and Leyte and at half past five anchored off the small town of Biliran. I went ashore, inspected a lorcha and found a corporal and five soldiers at the town.
11 Catbalogan, Samar, and Parasan.
Started at five oclock through the very narrow channel near Biliran. When the Princeton off Catbalogan was sighted she hoisted the Senior Officer’s Pennant. We headed through the two dangerous and unbuoyed reefs off Catbalogan. and anchored at 950 a.m.
At half past two the Princeton signalled “Seek shelter and return here seven-thirty in the morning if weather permits.” We steamed to Parasan a perfectly landlocked harbor in an island and by a city of the same name. Parasan Harbor is approached through a deep winding channel. The harbor is about 300 yards wide and 500 yards long, steep to all around. It has been carefully surveyed by the officers of the Isla de Cuba. It is about ten miles from Catbalogan.
The town of Parasan is prettily situated but a poor village. Very little, besides chickens and eggs can be bought.
[Page 113]
1901 U.S.S. Mariveles, Parasan, Catbalogan, Jamarrago, Daram.
Sept. 12.
At 600 a.m. left Parasau and anchored off Catbalogan at 722. As we passed the Princeton we received the following Megaphone message, “Send boat to wharf at 8 o’clock for five soldiers. Report on board for orders at 8 o’clock. Be ready to leave at 825.”
Comd’r Selfridge came aboard at 825, but the soldiers--six of them and an interpreter were late. We got underway at 925. and steamed to Jamarrago, a village on the west coast of Buat
[i]
Island.
This village had smuggled some rice to the insurgents. Colonel Price came to warn them that another offense and the town would be burned. The Presidente was brought off to the ship, and the soldiers searched the town for contraband articles.
At 1145 steamed over to Daram, on Daram Island. As we approached the natives began to wave white flags. Three sheets a towel and several napkins or handkerchiefs were waving from sticks or poles on houses or carried in the streets. The Presidente started off to us in a boat before we had anchored. In the stern of the boat, a pole with a sheet on it as a white flag. The boat held a band of four musicians, with a guitar, a clarinet, a flute and an immense home made bass guitar. The boat rowed round us the band playing. We gave them some rice.
The town was search, the Presidente warned and we returned to Catbalogan at 3:00 o’clock. When the Colonel, Commander, and soldiers had left we steamed to Parasan.
13.
Remained in Parasan, painted ship, cleaned bilges and storerooms and altogether did a weeks work in one day. The men worked excellently.
[Page 115]
Sept 14 Left Parasan Harbor at 600 a.m. Stopped off a small island and the one and three pounders. The first shot of the 3 Pdr. burst four inches inside the muzzle, bulging it a little.
We anchored off Catbalogan, and at 1000 a.m. Commander Selfridge, the Senior Officer Present on the Cebu Patrol Station, Naval Cadet Greenslade and Assistant Surgeon Plummer, came aboard from the Princeton as a Board of Inspection.
The crew was inspected at Quarters, and then an inspection made of the ship. Fire Quarters and Arm and Away Boat were drilled at, and a few bags and hammocks were brought up for inspection. Commander Selfridge was satisfied with everything, pronounced the discipline and spirit of the crew excellent, and said that the condition of the ship as a whole was very praiseworthy.
Liberty was granted to a large part of the crew in the afternoon. A heavy breeze came up, which rolled a large surf on the flat beach at Catbalogan. The whole liberty-party tried to come off in the 1st cutter, but the boat made so much water that it was necessary to put back, bail out the boat and make two trips.
When the liberty party was aboard we steamed to the Northeastward of Buri Island, about five miles distant, for shelter during the night.
15 Calbayoc,
[ii]
Samar, P.I.
Left Buri Island anchorage at 530 a.m. Went alongside the USS Princeton off Catbalogan and received 3 tons of fresh water. Steamed to Calbayoc, 25 miles distant, where Commanding Officer called on Brig. Gen. Hughes. Went to leeward of Libukan Island, distant 10 miles, for the night.
[page 116]
1901 U.S.S. Mariveles. In the Gandara River, Samar, P.I.
September 16.
Left Libukan Island anchorage at 625 a.m. Anchored off Calbayoc at 745 a.m. Took on board stores for messes and rations for twenty days for four soldiers. At noon, in company with Army Tug Baltimore started down the coast for the Gandara. The tug was disabled and going so slow that we took her lighter in tow, and she went back.
We arrived off the Gandara at the highest tide and went through the shallow and difficult passage. At 215 p.m. anchored in deep water in the river. 2d Lieutenant Smith, 1st Inf. in charge of the Army Tug Hercules sent a detail of a Corporal and four Privates on board.
We steamed about twelve miles up the river to where it forks, following the Hercules which was towing three lighters full of Commissary stores.
The Gandara River has an average width of about 200 ft. from the mouth, which is opposite the Libukan Islands, West Coast of Samar, to where it forks, about twelve miles to the eastward. The depth seems to exceed two fathoms in every part, and it is steep-to on both shores. The river is very tortuous, and at some places eddies throw the ship’s head to one side if they are not prepared for by a timely shift of the helm. The Hercules pointed out one rock, which is the only danger in the river, and it is well to one side of midstream.
The duty of the Mariveles here is to protect the Hercules, and to prevent any natives from approaching the river. The Pampanga, the Paragua and the Bosco have patrolled the river during the last year.
All towns that bordered the river have been burned. Except for a few scattered, abandoned huts, there is no sign of
[Page 117]
civilization or habitation.
Sept. 17. Both banks of the river are lined with dense vegetation. The trees are intertwined and locked together with vines and creepers, bamboo, abaca, banana trees grow in between, and the remaining space is filled with a tall tough grass, the whole forming a jungle hard to penetrate.
Many birds of all colors are seen. White parrots and small herons are abundant. One flock of ducks was seen today.
The bananas seem to grow wild and can be obtained with ease. Some chickens were shot by the soldiers who went ashore to burn some huts.
I climbed a high wooded hill and found the top fortified with staked pits, and abandoned. The pits were well made and nicely drained.
18 At 700 a.m. the Hercules came down the river. We got underway and proceeded down the river. On the way discovered a boroto, or dug-out canoe, with five Filipinos, who tried to escape. We fired at them, and destroyed the boroto by chopping it with an axe. We anchored near mouth of river. Went ashore with five men to inspect a village. Found only isolated houses, burned one of them because it contained pointed bamboo sticks for pit-falls.
19 Steamed up river, anchored near junction of two mouths. An eddy current sent us into the bank, but without damage. Went ashore to burn houses, and burned two. There is a large hill cultivated with camotes or sweet potatoes at this place. Returned to the ship and proceeded up the river at 1015 a.m. Came upon a Filipino in a boroto, who jumped into the bushes. Went ashore for him, destroyed the boroto, from which we took a large quantity of shrimps and some crabs. We burned eight shacks. Steamed up river & anchored at 110.
[Page 119]
Sept 20 Remained at anchor all day. Held sub-calibre target practice with one-pounders.
21 Steamed up river, near to where the river forks and just beyond the place where 1st Lieut. Wallace has established a camp with about twenty-five men of the 9th Infantry, U.S.A. A party went ashore and killed six cariboa [sic], one of which was a young calf which we ate, finding the meat not different from beef. The Army camp sent up for some meat.
22 Sat underway and anchored about two miles up the left fork of the river, opposite an old stone church, and near the place where the cariboa had been killed. Went ashore with five men to kill the rest of the herd. Followed what seemed to be fresh trails for some time but could not find them. On this trip we came across a large number of guava trees, the fruit ripe. Pomolo, or thick skinned grape-fruit is abundant, and we take it to the ship in boat loads. We found a bed of squashes and loaded a boroto--which we found on the bank--with them, and three of us paddled to the ship; finding another boroto and taking it in tow. There were alligator pears, Filipino mangos, and a large affair about one foot by six inches and oval shaped (breadfruit). One lemon was found, making with bananas, seven different kinds of fruit. Steamed down the river, anchored below the fork. Sent the wherry for two borotos, which they brought to the ship and destroyed, making four for the day, besides a large lorcha, which was found under a destroyed sugar mill on the bank.
23. Remained at anchor. Painted awnings.
24. With four men, Corporal Bedford, Gunner’s Mate Shepley and two soldiers, rowed up the river and into the small creek on the left side of the left fork of the river, and a very short distance above the fork. The mouth of this
[Page 120]
creek is nearly hidden by bushes, but once in it, the creek is deep and long, though narrow and winding.
Rowed about one and a half miles up the creek and landed. Came upon a house in which were a woman and several children, including one boy of about fifteen. Had the boy show us to another house from which, Bedford said, he saw four men escape. This shack was larger and better fitted up than the average. In it was a child, and two women came up from a ditch behind. An American army blanket was found, which we thought showed traces of two American deserters thought to be in this neighborhood. Burned this house, putting the natives in the first house found. Burned a second house. Captured a pig and four chickens and boroto and returned to the ship.
The camp of Lt. Wallace, 9th Inf., on the opposite side of the river, has burned forty-eight shacks in two days.
[The morning of 26 October 1901 Midshipman Noa, with an armed crew of six men, put off from Mariveles in a small boat to watch for craft engaged in smuggling contraband from the island of Leyte to Samar. When ready to return to Mariveles, they found the wind and the tide against them. As the boat was taking on water, they put into a small cove on the island of Samar. While scouting the adjacent jungle, Noa was attacked an stabbed four times by Filipino insurgents. He died before aid could reach him.]