Manila, 5th October.
Quarantine has been abolished, as you are no doubt aware, and the shipping people are consequently elated.
Affairs in the country still remain in a state of disturbance similar to the condition a week ago.
Last Friday the Spanish Transatlantic Company's steamer Catalune arrived with 937 of the 1,500 troops expected and to-day the Montserrat, belonging to the same com-any, arrived with probably the same numer aboard, for the number stated to have been sent is also 1,500. The streets in consequence have been decorated with arches and floral displays, while the buildings are draped with the national colours, red and yellow. Meanwhile the firing can be Keep pounding away at the rebels of the plainly heard, as the gunboats and fort Cavite province, who hover dangerously near the village of Old Cavite. Yesterday morning @ severe engagement took place near Binacayan, where the Government powder magazine is established, and the Spanish forces thought it prudent to withdraw and wait for reinforcements. Fortifications have been erected by both rebels and Spaniards and as yet the latter have acted only on the defensive. At present out of.the 22 villages in the province the rebels hold 19, With the Bponish reinforcements arriving the Go-yernment will soon no doubt be able to put a force into the field sufficient to drive the badly armed troops into the hills. But what then? Will the Spanish be able to pursue and subdue them completely Opinions do not vary on that point, Tt is almost an impossibility unless the Spanish can put ten men inthe field where they have one now. The mother country cannot do this until the Cuban difficulty is settled.
The native troops have been loyal to the Spanish from the first and it is to say the east, most creditable. Throughout the difficulties they have not yet swerved from the path of duty. And this, one must remember, at a period when the power was in their own hands, and they could have 8 nard in Manila if they so desired.
a bullet through the heart of every
Will the government recognise this loyalty hey should. One cannot view the profuse displays, the expense incurred in decorating and banqueting the arriving Spanish troops, but wish that the. money 50 spent, or a similar sum, be afforded to give to these poor weary natives whom one sees marching backward and forward in the heated streets, a testimonial of the appreciation that the citizens have for their loyalty.
Arrests continue, and it is said that over two thousand prisoners are now confined, packed in ill-ventilated dungeons to an extent that if not proving fatal to great numbers causes great suffering. But the fearful incident of the black hole of Manila," when fifty-seven suspects were smothered to death, - will probably not be "again repeated, for the Governor-General, who is generally known to be a man of sterling qualities, was greatly enraged over the affair, which the guards in attendance swear was an unavoidable accident, and has given such orders that the soldiers are aware it would be greatly to their disadvantage to allow any more such " unavoidable accidents."
ELMS. Pigmy is here and it {8 reported that the officers have had a slight controversy with the Spanish Naval authorities as to what the duties of a foreign warship ina similar position may be. A mutiny broke out aboard a Nova Scotia ship yesterday morning and a squad from the Pigmy went aboard to quell it. This the {Spanish feel was not the proper thing, for in Spanish waters they do not like it to appear that they cannot protect foreign ships that may for the time be in their jurisdiction.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.