o the capital depended), 380.

In Panay Island General Rios published an edict offering considerable
reforms, but the flame of rebellion was too widespread for it to
have any effect. The Island of Cebu also was in revolt; the harsh
measures of General Montero effected nothing to Spain's advantage,
whilst that miserable system of treating suspects as proved culprits
created rebels. Neither did the _Moro_ raid on the Cebuanos, referred
to at p. 406, serve to break their spirit; more than half the villages
defied Spanish authority, refused to pay taxes, and forced the friars
to take refuge in Cebu City, which was, so far, safe. Those who were
able took passage to ports outside the Archipelago. In Leyte Island
there were risings of minor importance, instigated by Tagalogs, and
chiefly directed against the friars, who were everywhere obnoxious
to the people. At Catbalogan (Samar Is.) an armed mob attacked the
Spaniards, who fled to the house of an American. General Rios had not
sufficient troops to dominate several islands covering such a large
area. He was so hard pressed in Panay alone that, even if he had had
ample means of transport, he could neither divide his forces nor afford
to spend time in carrying them from one island to another. Towards
the end of October he ran short of ammunition, but, opportunely,
the Spanish mail-steamer _Buenos Aires_ brought him a supply with
which he could continue the struggle. Fresh Tagalog expeditions were
meanwhile sent south, and coerced or persuaded the Panay people to
rise in greater force than ever, until, finally, General Rios had to
fall back on Yloilo. By the middle of November practically the whole
island, except the towns of Yloilo, Molo, Jaro and La Paz, was under
rebel dominion. In December General Rios held only the town and port
of Yloilo. He had ordered the bridge of Manduriao to be destroyed, so
as to establish a dividing line between him and the rebels who were
entrenched on the opposite bank of the river, neither party being
willing to make a bold onslaught on the other, although frequent
skirmishing took place. On receipt of the news of the conclusion of
the Treaty of Paris, General Rios proposed to the rebels a mutual
cessation of hostilities, on the ground that no advantage could
accrue to either party by a further sacrifice of blood and munitions
of war, seeing that within a few days he was going to evacuate the
town and embark his troops, and that, so far as he wa