SIMPITAN EXPEDITION, 
(May 17-29, 1904). 
lay 17, 1904 
Ijeft C abac sa Ian Island (sometimes called Isabella), in the Rio Grande 
of Mindanao on the steam launch Cheyenne to crosse Lake Liguasan. Soundings 
9®, 7 feet, etc. Floating grass islands moving all over the lake. Lotus 
lilys covering large areas in places. At last we found plenty of open water. 
Fish were jumping out. Stuck in the mud. Drop anchor. Pulling up anchor 
very difficult and liberates suffocating quantities of marsh gas* Entering 
a larger area space of open water we find 2 very tame Pelicans. Hie lake is 
now dotted and streaked with open water. Very hot, even under the awning. 
Several Moro signal fires burning on the shore. I have always observed num- 
erous fires whenever approaching hostile Moros, even when traversing friendly 
country. We are floating, with no open channel ahead. Hot.' It is now 
dusk. I have been aboard the launch all day watching birds I could not get 
at. The General's launch breaks down and ours tows them in to Cabacsalan# 
Slept on the Saba h. 
Mav 18, 1904. 
General Hood's order is issued. 
I assigned personnel of medical 
department. Took small Moro vinta, 3 Moro paddlars and 1 Hospital Corps 
soldier. Went out on Lake Liguasan and shot some birds. The solar head 
coagulated the albumen in the muscles of two of the birds I shot and left 
exposed on the bottom of the barota, which turned the meat white as if cooked. 
The floe ting islands are composed mainly of two species of grass* and the cogon 
also grows wherever the hanks become locally solid* There are an abundance of 
water cabbages and entangling vinesof* perhaps* a species of buckbean (specimen 
preserved) bearing fleshy leaves and white flowers# Locally convolvulus, senna* 
sedge* and Polygonum are abundant# Senna is the only shrub# Returned to the 
Sabah at Cabascalon Island* at 1 P* M* In the afternoon I walked about the 
is land in company with Captain Da r rail* and Dr# Munson of the Navy « 
May 13* 1904# 
Slept well under mosquito bar aboard the Cheyenne on Lake Liguasan 
Transferred to small Moro vinta with my luggsge, some rations, 4 oarsmen and 
2 artillery soldiers. Crossed Lake Liguasan to Buluan on the upper part of 
the Buluan River. We slept in the boats in a patch of lotus where there 
were no mosquitoes, as mosquitoes dislike the lotus. There were myriads of 
mosquitoes above and below this spot. lake Liguasan contains many open stretch- 
es of water, a number of which were crossed. In some pieces water cabbages 
had floated against masses of the lotus, which latter are rooted deeply in the 
mud of the lake bottom. These beds of vegetation are the home of myriads of 
birds . 
✓ 
(Learned today that from Buluan there is a good trs.il wo the Malala River 
(8 miles), thence up the Malala River to divide (20 miles), then over the divide 
8nd down a stream t6 Santa Cruz on the Gulf of Davao (25 miles)* Jo ia j. distance 
53 miles. Bilanes tr ibe. ) Captain McCoy afterwards made the journey in company 
with Bishop Brent; and at a still later date Capt. McCoy crossed this divine 
from the Santa Crus side and killed Datto Ali, In this manner tlie^aoovc 1 orm 
at ion, noted by me, came to the accomplishment 
ill uIJ Ip (JlCvilHy* Si 
of an important result. 
