The municipality of Gandara included a watershed in north central Samar from which the Gandara River flowed in a southwesterly direction to the sea. Within this watershed, parallel 12½ north of the equator intersects the 125th meridian of longitude east of Greenwich. Northern Samar is a very rich hemp country, Catarman hemp being usually quoted higher than any hemp listed on the London market. If you stand at the highest point of the Gandara watershed you can see four streams flowing off north, northwest, northeast, and southwest to the sea. There are some half dozen streams having their source there. Brigands making their headquarters there could always, when hard pressed, get away in canoes toward the sea in almost any direction they wished. The following is Lieutenant Calderon’s list:
RELACION POR MUNICIPIOS DE LOS BARRIOS QUEMADOS.
(List by Municipalities of the Barrios Burned.)
MUNICIPALITY OF GANDARA
| Tauiran | July 10 |
| Cantaguic | July 12 |
| Cauilan | July 13 |
| Erenas | July 16 |
| Blanca Aurora | July 19 |
| Bulao[4] | July 21 |
| Pizarro | August 8 |
| Cagibabago | August 8 |
| Nueva | August 10 |
| Hernandez | August 10 |
| San Miguel | August 10 |
| Buao | August 15 |
| El Cano | August 17 |
| San Enrique | August 20 |
| San Luis | August 25 |
MUNICIPALITY OF CATBALOGAN
(Calderon’s List of Barrios Burned, continued)
| Malino | July 31 |
| Silanga | August 9 |
| Ginga | August 13 |
| San Fernando | August 15 |
| Maragadin | August 20 |
| Talinga | August 21 |
| Santa Cruz | August 22 |
| Dap-dap | August 29 |
| Palencia | August 31 |
| Albalate | (date not given) |
| Villa Hermosa | (date not given) |
The above list of villages burned in the township of Catbalogan shows how bold the Pulajans had then grown. By that time they were committing depredations, robbery, murder, and town-burning, in all the various villages within the municipal jurisdiction of the township of Catbalogan, coming often within a few miles of the town proper of Catbalogan itself, the seat of the provincial government. In the attack on Silanga, which occurred August 9th, a number of people were killed. Silanga was but little more than an hour’s walk from the court-house at Catbalogan. The Governor at once wired Manila as follows: