Morro could not get in if the attempt were made to enter it, and thus
made it a place of security to our troops. The Morros a few years ago
massacred more than one hundred Spanish soldiers in the block house
Astora. It was a cruel and treacherous piece of cunning of savage
barbarians. The Morros had been warring against the authority of Spain,
and causing the Spanish troops much trouble. At last apparently tired of
rebelling, the Morros agreed to make peace with the Spanish. According
to an ancient custom of the Morros, when making peace with an enemy they
would give pearls or some other gift to their enemy. The captain of that
Morro company was going to make peace, according to this custom, and
taking some fine pearls and a body guard of one hundred of his men he
entered the enclosure where the Spanish soldiers were lined up in two
columns with unloaded arms to receive them. The Morro captain and his
body guard marched between these lines, and as the guard neared the
Spanish captain the Morro advanced with his pearls, and getting near the
Spaniard instead of giving him the pearls he quickly drew his sword and
dealt the Spanish captain a death blow. The Morros, who understood the
prearranged treachery, opened fire on the Spaniards, who were helpless
with unloaded guns, and the entire garrison of more than one hundred men
was massacred except one man, who, in the noise and consternation,
succeeded in crawling into a sewer pipe, and through it into a big
stream of water, and escaped without injury. The Morros gave the Spanish
a great deal of trouble, probably as much as any other tribe of the
Philippines. The Morros have a bad record. I believe that I had rather
fight the other tribes than the Morros; they are more treacherous than
other tribes. They go armed all the time with the bolo, a large knife
carried in a wooden scabbard. From the oldest man down to little boys,
they all carry the bolo or a big knife. I have seen old men, so feeble
they could scarcely walk, carrying a fine bolo. They will not part with
them day or night, but keep them as their only friend, refusing to let
any one take them from their hands to merely look at them. These arms
are very fine, and range in cost from five to fifty dollars. They are
manufactured of the very finest steel, the handle of many of them is
made of silver and finely engraved. The edge is kept very sharp. The
blow of this dangerous weapon is generally enough to kill a man. I was