isting only of a few small guns called _lantacas_,
some new guns of small calibre roughly cast out of the church bells,
and iron waterpipes of large diameter converted into _mitrailleuse_
mortars. They were strongly entrenched behind a mile and a half of
strategically constructed earthworks defending the town of Novaleta,
which they held. They were supposed to have at least 20,000 men
in occupation there. Including San Francisco de Malabon, Silan,
Perez Dasmarinas, and the several other places they held, their
total force in the whole province was estimated at 35,000 men. About
one-fifth of that number was armed with rifles (chiefly Mauesers), the
remainder carrying bowie-knives and bamboo lances. The bowie-knife was
irresistible by the Spaniards when the native came to close-quarter
fighting. The rebels had ample supplies of rice, buffaloes, etc.,
stolen from the non-combatant natives. To my personal knowledge
they had daily communication with Manila, and knew everything that
was going on there and the public feeling in the capital. They had
failed in the attempt to seize the town of Santa Cruz (La Laguna),
where they killed one Spaniard and then retreated. Loyal natives in
Vinan organized volunteer forces to keep them out of that town. Those
Manila volunteers known as the _Guerrilla a muerte_ battalion, with
a few regulars, frequently patrolled the lake coast in steam-launches
from Manila, and kept the rebels from occupying that district. North
of Manila the rebellion reached no farther than Bulacan and Pampanga
Provinces, where Llaneras's flying column, together with the rebels
in the mountain fastnesses of Angat and San Mateo, amounted to
about 10,000 men. Llaneras notified the Manila-Dagupan (English)
Railway officials that they were to cease carrying loyal troops on
their line; but as those orders were not heeded, a train was wrecked
on November 19 about 20 miles up from the capital. The locomotive
and five carriages were smashed, the permanent-way was somewhat
damaged, five individuals were wounded, and the total loss sustained
was estimated at P40,000. In the last week of November the friars'
estate-house at Malinta, some five miles north of Manila, was in
flames; we could see the blaze from the bay. The slightest reverse
to Spanish arms always drew a further crowd of rebels into the field.

The total European force when General Blanco left was about 10,000
men. In Cavite Province the Spaniards held only the cam