152 Menage Expedition to the Philippines 



quite near the mountains. The natives of Tagbaroos had re- 

 ported to us that at a distance of a day's march from their town 

 there existed a mountain goat. As their knowledge of the an- 

 imal was very slight and we greatly doubted the existence of the 

 animal, we sent our trusted hunter, Mateo, in advance to see if 

 he could find any evidence. Mateo is the Malay who returned to 

 America with Dr. Steere in 1874 and was afterwards his chief 

 hunter here. He was gone three days and a half and reported 

 that there was no evidence whatever of the existence of a goat 

 in the region he visited ; in fact, the country wa*^ not suitable for 

 such an animal. 



Upon the receipt of this news we decided to divide our forces, 

 one remaining in Tagbaroos to take care of the peacocks, squir- 

 rels, wild cats, etc., that were being brought in daily by the na- 

 tives, and the other going back to Puerto Princesa and from there 

 across the bay to another native village, called Igwahit, to start 

 the people there also on a hunt for birds and mammals. At 

 the end of a week's time we were to unite in Puerto Princesa, to 

 get our home mail and then start out together for Igwahit. This 

 plan we carried out. The lot fell to Mr. Worcester to go to 

 Igwahit, and with Mateo and one servant he left on January 5th. 

 During my stay in Tagbaroos I was kept fairly busy with pea- 

 cocks, animals, etc., and felt fairly well satisfied with the week's 

 work. 



On arriving at Puerto Princesa on January loth, I found 

 Mr, Worcester already there and was delighted with his account 

 of operations across the bay. He reported that the natives had 

 taken hold of the work' in earnest and the village was engaged 

 in setting snares or hunting animals. For two days both he and 

 the two servants had been busy from morning till night, when a 

 native came along and reported that they had captured a large 

 snake and asked if he would buy it. They were in the woods 

 hunting for porcupines and had found this snake in a hollow 

 log and had, with great trouble, captured it and dragged it to 

 the nearest house, wdiere they had it tied to the posts beneath 

 the house. After a very few questions Mr. Worcester perceived 

 that if the snake was as large as they reported, it was an ex- 

 ceedingly valuable specimen, so he immediately agreed upon a 

 price and early next morning with a servant he set out for the 

 house. 



