LUKBAN
timely because another of Lukban’ s men, Abuke, was intending to burn the place a day after his arrival.
On that same day, Company F under Captain Cooke was dispatched on the steamer San Bernardino and a schooner furnished by Mr. Scott, agent of Warner, Barnes & Co., free of charge, as he was anxious to have Catarman occupied. Major Allen, who arrived here on this date, decided to accompany the expedition. Scott believed that with the American troops in town, his company’ s interests would be better protected against the rebels.
The group, which included Gilmore, arrived off Catarman at about 7 a. m., the next day. The town was situated about a mile from the mouth of the river. There was no harbor, and the coast was covered with rocks, which formed reefs extending way out into the sea. The channel leading into the river was not more than 20 yards wide, with a swift current flowing through it, making it very dangerous to enter the river. On the right-hand side going in was a sand beach, while the left was all reef.
The San Bernardino, which had towed the schooner Malabon to Catarman, gave her a start for the mouth of the river, and then anchored about three-quarters of a mile from the shore, as she drew too much water to enter the river. Major Allen, who had arrived separately, and Gilmore with 7 men embarked on a rowboat and landed on the sand beach about a mile from the town. They were met by the presidente as they approached closer. There were some 200 to 300 men in the town, but very few women because they were afraid of the Americans who were rumoured to have abused women. Many of them had gone to the hills.
Catarman had a population of 9,000 and a good number of wooden houses. Its church badly needed repairs as it was in a sorry state of decay, but the convent was in an excellent condition. Hemp was the main product here. Since the troops arrived, it had been reportedly quiet in Catarman.
On their return to the boats, they found out that the schooner had been carried by the current onto the rocks on the left of the river. They anticipated that the boat would be smashed on the rocks or sunk because of them. So they got other small boats to save the ship’ s cargo, all the company’ s property, and the sacks of rice on board. But only 100 sacks of rice were saved, while 200 sacks went down with the schooner when it capsized.
The next morning, Gilmore and his men sailed for Laguan, leaving the company agent Mr. Gibson behind to see if the boat Malabon could be saved. According to Capt. Dey who headed the detachment at Laguan, the place was quiet. Captain Dey had, following Gilmore’ s orders, sent
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