nto holes of deep water. On reaching
land a line of skirmishers was formed and the town was entered without
any trouble. But one Filipino was seen. He was almost frightened to
death. With the aid of field glasses we could see Filipinos on the
mountains. When we left they returned, but before going we burned some
large buildings in which supplies were stored, mostly rice and sugar. We
returned to the gunboat and cascos late that evening.

Captain Grant, of the gunboat, wanted to go about thirty miles up the
bay from Santa Cruz. We made the run in three hours. It was a very
bright moonlight night. The objective point was reached about eight
o'clock. On getting very close to shore an old priest was seen on the
dock waving a big white flag, which he continued to wave until we
landed. Captain Pratt took an interpreter with him and learned from the
old man that everything there was all right. He informed Captain Pratt
that he thought the town would be bombarded if not surrendered without
it. There was a fine church at this place; the town was built of bamboo.
A few stores and about four hundred Filipinos were there. The Filipinos
had gone to the mountains while we were landing, but returned when the
old priest rang the church bell as a signal that all was well. We were
preparing to sleep in their bamboo houses, but Captain Pratt, fearing
some treachery, ordered us to the cascos and gunboat to sleep, but as we
were wet and muddy large camp fires were built where we could dry and
eat our salmon and hard tack before going on the boats.

We had had some hard service for four days and felt very much like
sleeping, but the boats rolled and plunged until we could not sleep. We
were in a dangerous place. Had all the Filipinos who came into that
place that night been around they could have given us a hard fight, and
possibly have killed us, but, fortunately, they did not appear to have
any arms. Next morning two cascos were loaded with captured wood and we
left this place to go down and across the lake to take another town.

Our boats were anchored two miles out and an armed detail sent out in a
small launch to reconnoitre. It was found to be too strong for our
forces. A strong fort and almost three thousand Filipinos were in the
town. We remained in front of this place until the next morning watching
for Aguinaldo's gunboats. He had four in the bay. One had been
captured. Just before dark one of these gunboats was sighted coming
ar