province (including the customs
receipts) is spent therein. No remittance of funds is made to the
Insular Treasury, but provincial accounts are subject to Insular
Government audit, and have to be rendered to Manila.

The troops assigned to this command are as follows, viz. [259]:--

Armed Forces in the Moro Province. Present and Absent.
Officers. Troops.

Regular troops [260] 236 3,766
Contract and Dental Surgeons and attached Staff 25 --
Total American forces 261 3,766
Native troops 11 543

Total Strength, Military District 272 4,309
Philippine Constabulary (Moro and Christian mixed)
under Civil Government orders 22 530
--- -----
294 4,839

On General Wood's recommendation, the Bates Agreement (_vide_
p. 571) was rescinded on the ground that it was an obstacle to
good government. In truth, the Sultan of Sulu was probably quite
as unable as he was unwilling to carry out its provisions. However,
under Philippine Commission Act No. 1259 (amended by Act No. 1320 of
April 12, 1905), certain small annual money allowances are made to
the present Sultan of Sulu and his principal advisers.

In Mindanao, trouble again arose on the east shore of Lake Lanao,
and an expedition was organized to march against the Taracas, who
were, however, only temporarily subdued. Defiant messages were sent
by the _Dattos_, and General Wood decided to conduct operations in
person. According to private information given to me by officers
in Mindanao some months after the battle, immense slaughter was
inflicted on this tribe, whose _cottas_ were annihilated, and they were
utterly crushed for the time being. About the beginning of 1904 the
depredations of the Moros in the upper valley of the Cottabato River
were revolting beyond all toleration. Cottabato town was pillaged under
the leadership of Datto Ali and of his brother, Datto Djimbangan. In
March an expedition invested the Serenaya territory in the Cottabato
district and operated from the 4th to the 14th of that month without
any American casualties. Datto Ali's fort at Kudarangan was taken and
destroyed. [261] This formidable stronghold is