nd must have been quite
exhausted, for they camped at night on a plateau along the precipice,
where an attack by us would have been inadvisable. The troops were
new and untried; the experience for them was something they had not
anticipated. Yet they kept at it stubbornly, slinging their carbines
on their backs, and climbing up hand over hand in places where they
had lost the trail. Their guides were evidently somewhat of a puzzle
to them, as the Montese idea of distance is indefinite. "When I have
finished this cigar we will be there," they say; and "_poco distancia_"
with them means often many miles.

We were not inconvenienced much by the engagement. Our American
lieutenants superintended the construction of intrenchments, back
of which we lay, and fired a volley at the enemy. At their advance
our army scattered, and a number of our soldiers, taking inexcusable
advantage of the opportunity, deserted. On the next day we set out,
reduced in numbers to two hundred and fifty-two. None of our men were
killed or wounded in the fight.

We then proceeded overland to Lake Lanao, the journey occupying sixteen
days, during which time the army had no rice, but had to exist entirely
on the native fruits. Our tardiness in reaching Lake Lanao was caused
by two attacks by Moros, June 15th. In order to avoid this enemy
we made a detour, coming dangerously near the coast at Tucuran. At
Tucuran three men deserted. Thence our march led inland to Bacayan,
following the south shore of the lake. Before we reached Bacayan
we were met (June 29th and 30th) by Dattos Casiang and Pindalonan,
with their combined forces. Our side lost two killed, three wounded
(who were taken captive); and the Moros, thirteen killed, three
wounded. Arriving at Bacayan July 1st, we waited there twelve days.

Then we set out along the south shore to Uato on the lake, which
place we reached without engagement on the nineteenth of July. We
stopped at Uato ten days, there borrowing $500 "Mex" from Datto
Bancurong. We were obliged to leave Captain Isidro Rillas with the
datto for security. The very money that we now were borrowing the
Moros had received from us for their protection during our campaign,
and for their promising not to molest us all the time that we were
in their territory. Having loaned us money, they now sold us rice,
in which negotiation, just as in the former one, they took advantage
of our helplessness. The deal, however, was a necessary one, beca