nd on
his way back to the capital he was waylaid by the natives, who foully
murdered him. Senor Fuset then resumed his labours, and, as a result
of his appeal to the generosity of his countrymen, he was able to
set out for Boac and Batangas in the little steamer _Castellano_ to
carry supplies to the prisoners detained in those localities. On his
journey he distributed to them 500 cotton suits, 290 pairs of shoes,
100 pairs of _alpargatas_ (a sort of hempen shoe or sandal made in
Spain), 14,375 packets of cigarettes, and P1,287. Several subsequent
expeditions carried supplies to the prisoners, the total amount of
material aid furnished to them, in goods and money, being estimated
at P60,000.

After five months of fruitless effort General Diego de los Rios
left Manila for Spain on June 3, 1899, and was succeeded by General
Nicolas Jaramillo as the negotiator representing Spain. Moreover,
it was desirable to recall General Rios, whose cablegrams commenting
on the Americans' military operations were making him a _persona non
grata_ in official circles.

With the requisite passes procured from Aguinaldo, two Spanish envoys,
Senores Toral and Rio, and the Filipino Enrique Marcaida set out for
the insurgent seat of government, which was then at Tarlac. On their
arrival there (June 23) Aguinaldo appointed three commissioners to
meet them. At the first meeting the Filipinos agreed to liberate
all except the friars, because these might raise trouble. At the
next meeting they offered liberty to all on the following terms,
impossible of acceptance by the Spanish commissioners, viz.:--

(1) Spain is to recognize the Independence of the Philippines and
repudiate the cession of the Islands to America.

(2) After the recognition and repudiation stipulated in Clause 1, the
Philippine Republic will liberate all the prisoners, without exception,
and will pay their expenses back to Spain. If Spain cannot possibly
accede to the conditions of Clause 1, the Philippine Republic will
accept, in lieu thereof, arms, munitions and provisions, or their
money equivalent.

(3) The Spanish Government is to exchange the receipts given for
money subscribed to the Philippine loan for the certificates of that
loan. [229]

The Filipinos declined to say what sum they would consider an
equivalent, as per Clause 2, and invited the Spaniards to make an
offer. The Spaniards then proposed P1,000,000.

On June 29, at the third conference, the Filipinos