Wednesday October 2, 1901

Events have crowded so fast that we have had rarely time to live through them. The journey from Iloilo on the lorcha was not so uncomfortable after all. We were towed out by a government launch and had a delightful sail among rocky islands covered with palms. The Philippine Investment Company, members Paxton, Purcell, Banks, Palmer, Eley, Howell, Stone, Lee, Truman, Rand, was formed with P.P. Rand as general manager. Meeting of stock holders to be held two year from date of formation Sept. 17. At Bacolod we were transfered to a row boat and taken to almost to shore; there a government ambulance was driven into the water and we were hauled to dry land. I was taken to a large house built after the Spanish plan, with a very lovely unornamented entrance leading to an enclosed place on the ground. Doors led out on either side to places for the storing of carriages. Upstairs were the living rooms. My hostess Señora Leonora received me very prettily and allowed me to get Margaret. After the first few days we began to enjoy ourselves fully. Señor Garbanzos is a well educated Filipino, very friendly to the Americans who showed us every possible kindness. Our trip to the fish corrals was most interesting and enjoyable. After ten days of instruction in the art of teaching Filipino children, by people who knew as little about the matter as we, we were assigned to our stations and allowed to depart. Peggy and I were given Silay and we have spent much time wondering if our social airs and graces got us the plum. We left Bacolod one very rainy afternoon at two o’clock. Our baggage was piled on a covered cart drawn by a caribao, while we rode in state in a quelis with a trottering bull for a fiery steed. We jogged through little hamlets & sugar plantations, forded two rivers and reached Talisay. There were sought the Presidente, and gave him a message from Mr. Stone, which as events proved, he did not grasp the meaning of. Then the trotting bull was changed for a caribao –which kept getting the single rope by which he was driven mixed up with his tail. The poor beastie could not trot and we could not blame him for the road resembled the [illegible] in a log. Part of the time the wheels sank to the [illegible] in mud, then we would be drawn out with a jerk and the quelis would balance on the back step or one wheel until another pull would right it. After such treatment we usually extricated ourselves without a murmur from a pile of suitcases, cameras and boxes and settled ourselves for the next mix up. We arrived at the Presidente’s at half past five rather wet, and extremely dirty. A crowd of females met us –and as no introductions were considered necessary we were rather in doubt as to names. The two who seemed most in evidence said they were sisters of the Presidente, and we afterwards found that his wife was at the hacienda. We tried our best to be agreeable but it was a rather difficult matter as they laughed continually. Mr. Rockwell and Mr. Thompson arrived about seven from the Lee Fat. We greeted them with joy and gladness and took a new grip on life. They entertained the family that evening and the next evening Major Orvid appeared. As we were talking to him two of the officers here Lieuts. Franck & Grennen came to invite us to their quarters. As usual we got into a holer by accepting before we had considered. It occured to us that there would probably be not other women there and Mr. Rockwell had said they were all half seas over the night before. Major Orvid suggested that we ask the women in the house but the Presidente said they could not go without their husbands. Finally it was settled that we should walk over and if there were no women we could come back. The Presidente & Major Orvid came too, and as we expected found no women there. A table with a lot of empty bottles and some half filled glasses was in the middle of the room and some Filipinos stood around to look at us. Part of the orchestra was in another room. We were introduced to Lieut. Young who offered us some wine & looked a thousand things when it was promptly refused. They all seemed to geel that they must do something with us and proposed going to a house near where an informal baile was going on. We agreed and came down like a thunder clap, on a dancing lesson. We had met all the girls anf began to feel somewhat more at ease, when we discovered that they had all fled to make elaborate preparations for the evening. After one or two dances we were escorted to supper where we had ham, sandwiches and claret. Then more dances. I refused even to try a waltz until a Filipino was brought up who said he was a dancing master and wished to teach me. At last I saw he would feel offended if I did not try so I got up. I was promptly seized and whirled round and round until every thing grew black. It was a time when I longed for a large list of Spanish words, but the little I did know seemed to have forsaken me and I could only gasp “no puedo.” When he stopped I was obliged to fall up against him and was escorted to my seat at the farther end of the room, with his arm around my waist. I have yet to discover whether it was intentional or not. The officers have not called upon us since.