nor that his people could no longer support the troops
quartered on them, as the adherents of the Katipunan had burned or
stolen all of their property. [267]

The sum total of Blount's description of affairs in this, the
most populous province of Luzon, is derived from the narrative of
Messrs. Wilcox and Sargent and reads as follows:--

"In Pangasinan 'the people were all very respectful and polite and
offered the hospitality of their homes.'" [268]

Doubtless true, but as a summary of conditions perhaps a trifle
sketchy.

_Nueva Ecija_

Nueva Ecija was the next province visited by Wilcox and Sargent. They
have failed to inform us that:--

"In December, 1899, certain men charged with being members of this
society [Guards of Honour] were interrogated in Nueva Ecija as to
their purposes. One of those questioned said:--

"'That their purpose was one day, the date being unknown to the
deponent, when the Ilocanos of Batac came, to rise up in arms and
kill the Tagalos, both private individuals and public employees,
excepting those who agreed to the former, for the reason that honours
were granted only to the Tagalos, and but few to the Ilocanos.'" [269]

Blount has assured us that the Filipinos were a unit at Aguinaldo's
back and were and are an united people, and here are the Ilocanos of
Nueva Ecija spoiling his theory by remembering that they are Ilocanos
and proposing to kill whom? Not certain individual Filipinos, who
might have offended them, but the Tagalogs!

That there were other troubles in Nueva Ecija is shown by the following
statement:--

"On January 7, 1899, the commissioner of Aguinaldo's treasury sent to
collect contributions of war in Nueva Ecija Province reported that the
company stationed in San Isidro had become guerillas under command
of its officers and opposed his collections, stating that they were
acting in compliance with orders from higher authority." [270]

And now, in following the route taken by our tourist friends, we
reach Nueva Vizcaya and the Cagayan valley.

CHAPTER VI

Insurgent Rule in the Cagayan Valley

Nueva Vizcaya is drained by the Magat River, a branch of the
Cagayan. While the provinces of Isabela and Cagayan constitute the
Cagayan valley proper, Blount includes Nueva Vizcaya in the territory
covered by this designation, and for the purpose of this discussion
I will follow his example.

Especial interest attaches to the history of Insurgent rule, in the
Cag