being starved out, and
the American commander had strictly forbidden Aguinaldo to make an
attack on the city. Aguinaldo, however, had been wonderfully active
elsewhere. In several engagements the Spaniards were completely
routed, and in one encounter the rebel party took over 350 prisoners,
including 28 officers; in another, 250 prisoners and four guns; and 150
Spaniards who fled to Cavite Viejo church were quietly starved into
surrender. Amongst the prisoners were several provincial governors,
one of whom attempted to commit suicide. At Bacoor a hotly-contested
battle was fought which lasted about nine hours. The Spaniards were
surprised very early one morning, and by the afternoon they were
forced to retreat along the Cavite-Manila road to Las Pinas. The
Spanish loss amounted approximately to 250 troops wounded, 300 dead,
and 35 officers wounded or dead. The rebels are said to have lost more
than double this number, but whatever may have been the sacrifice,
the victory was theirs. The Spaniards would probably have come
better out of this combat but for the fact that a native regiment,
hitherto loyal, suddenly murdered their officers and went over to
the rebels. The Spaniards undoubtedly suffered much from unexpected
mutinies of native auxiliaries and volunteers at critical moments,
whilst in no case did rebels pass over to the Spanish side. [199]
They were not long left in possession of Las Pinas, where a subsequent
attack in overwhelming numbers drove the survivors still nearer to
the capital.

Long before the capitulation of Manila the rebels were as well armed
as they could wish from three sources,--that is to say, the Americans,
the Spanish arms seized in warfare, and consignments from China. They
also made good use of their field-pieces, and ever and anon the
booming of cannon was heard in the streets of Manila. The Spaniards,
hard pressed on all sides, seemed determined to make their last stand
in the old citadel. The British banks shipped away their specie to
China, and the British community, whose members were never united as
to the course they should adopt for general safety, was much relieved
when several steamers were allowed, by the mutual consent of Admiral
Dewey and General Augusti, to lie in the bay to take foreigners on
board in case of bombardment. Emilio Aguinaldo, on his return to the
Islands, had declared himself Dictator. The Dictatorial Government
administered the provinces as they were conquer