vidence was convincing, and he was forced to admit
it. Gambling is a national custom, deeply rooted.

I shall never forget the joy I experienced when we got two milch
cows. What visions of milk, cream, and butter,--fresh butter, not
canned; then, too, to see the natives milk was truly a diversion;
they went at it from the wrong side, stood at as great a distance
as the length of arms permitted, and in a few seconds were through,
having obtained for their trouble about a pint of milk--an excellent
milk-man's fluid--a blue and chalky mixture.

One day I heard what seemed to be a cry of distress, half human in
entreaty, and I rushed to see what could be the matter. There, on its
back, was a goat being milked; there were four boys, each holding a
leg, while the fifth one milked upward into a cocoanut shell. It was
a ludicrous sight.

One of their dainties is cooked grasshoppers, which are sold by the
bushel in the markets. I cannot recommend this dish, for I never
was able to summon sufficient courage to test it, but I should think
it would be as delectable as the myriad little dried fish which are
eaten with garlic as a garnish and flavor.

The poor little horses are half starved and otherwise maltreated by
the natives, who haven't the least idea of how to manage them. They
beat them to make them go, then pull up sharply on the reins which
whirls them round and round or plunges them right and left, often
into the ditches beside the road. It was no uncommon sight to see
officers or men getting out of their quielas to push and pull to get
the animal started, only to have the driver whip and jerk as before.

Some of the natives bought the American horses and it was painful to
see them try to make our noble steeds submit to methods a la Filipino.

Beggars by the thousand were everywhere, blind, lame, and deformed;
homeless, they wandered from town to town to beg, especially on
market days. One blind woman, who lived on the road from Iloilo to
Jaro, had collected seventy-five "mex," only to have it stolen by
her sister. Complaint was made to the military commander, but it was
found that the money had been spent and that there was no redress to
be had. She must continue to beg while her sister lived hard by in
the new "shack" which she had built with the stolen "denaro" (money).

About three miles from Jaro was quite a leper colony, shunned,
of course, by the natives. During confession, the lepers kneeled
several rods aw