415 CHAPTER XXXV.

THE SIEGE AND CAPTURE OF MANILA.

WHEN Commodore Dewey had destroyed the Spanish fleet under Admiral Montojo, in Manila Bay, silenced the batteries of Cavite, and taken possession of the arsenal on the morning of the ist of May, he found that he could make no further progress without the help of a considerablemilitary force. Through the Britishconsul he sent to General Augustin, the Spanish commandant of Manila, a summons to surrender.

Augustin, knowing perfectly well that Dewey had barely enough men at his disposal to hold Cavite,and probably had not enough ammunition left to bombard the city or engage its batteries, replied with a defiant refusal. In response to his message to Washington, Dewey was informed by his government that he had beenpromotedtothe rank of Admiralinrecognition of his victory, that supplies and reinforcements would be sent to him, and that an army would be despatched to assist in the reduction of Manila.

Spaniards were forced to capitulate, the Americans wouldbe masters of thesituation.

GeneralAugustin had to hold more than the old walledcity on the south bank of the Pasig. He had extended a line of defence round the landwardsuburbs of Manila,beginning at Malate on the south, this line being formed, like the improvised fortifications of Santiago, of blockhouses 200 or 300 yards apart, connected by shelter-trenches,with barbedwireentanglements in front of them. There was an advanced post near the village of San Juan del Monte to protect the waterworks of the city. Some fieldpiecesanda numberof oldcannon weremounted here and there in the entrenchments.

A force of 8,000 regulars and sailors and 2,000 volunteersheldthis extendedline. Away to the southwardBakor,Old Cavite, and the line of the little river Zapote were guarded by a detached force of tworegular battalions and 2,000 volunteers. The only reinforcement that could be expected for some time to come was a column under General Mouet, which hadbeen operating in theprovince of Bulacan,and which Augustin hael recalled to Manila.

But these reinforcements could not arrive for some weeks,and meanwhile General Augustin had to concern himself chiefly with the defence of the city against the insurgents. The first result of the American victory was the rapid spread of the rising through the south of the island of Luzon, and up to the very suburbs of the capital. The despatchboat,HughMe Culloch, which had conveyed the news of the May-day light to the cable station at HongKong,brought back to Dewey's fleet the insurgent leader Aguinaldo. who was put ashore at Cavite on May 19th, and at once took command of the rebelsin the neighbourhood of Manila. Their gi "uing strength became a source of serious anxiety to the American admiral. He did not wish to see the wealthy city sacked by a halfsavagerabble, and there wasunfortunately only too muchreason tobelieve that if the place were stormed,some hours of plunder, massacre and incendiarism wouldfollow. He therefore plainly told Aguinaldo that he couldnot co-operatewith him in an attack on the Spanish defences. The fleet would merely blockade Manila until the United States troops arrived. Then if the Towards the end of May the insurrection had spread through all the provincessouth ofManila. Old Cavite,blockadedon the sea side by Dewey, on the land side by the insurgents, was forced to capitulate. Bakor was abandoned by the Spaniards, and on May 31st Aguinaldoadvanced from Caviteagainst the line of the Zapote. The position on the right bank was held by the 6th and nth Spanish Infantry, and the 68th and 74th native regiments. There was a sharp engagement. The regulars and the 68th made a good fight, butthe 74th,which was commanded bv a relative of Aguinaldo's, threw down its amis, and the insurgents turned the Spanish line and drove thedefending force back towards Manila,capturingseveralgunsand1,600prisoners. Four days of desultory sighting followed. By June 7th Augustin held only the city and its suburbs, and the ground that was swept by his cannon.

On the 8th he wrote to his governmentthat he was invested in the city ; that he hoped