to the Philippines.

General Polavieja advanced against the revolutionary forces with
16,000 men armed with Mausers, and one field battery. He had scarcely
reconquered half of Cavite province when he resigned, owing to bad
health. That was in April, 1897.

Polavieja was succeeded by the veteran General Don Fernando Primo de
Rivera, who had seen much active service. As soon as Rivera had taken
over command of the Forces he personally led his army in the assault
upon and pursuit of the revolutionary forces, and so firmly, as well
as humanely, was the campaign conducted that he soon reconquered the
whole of Cavite province and drove the insurgents into the mountains.

Then I established my headquarters in the wild and unexplored mountain
fastness of Biak-na-bató, where I formed the Republican Government
of the Philippines at the end of May, 1897.




CHAPTER II

The Treaty of Biak-na-bató


Don Pedro Alejandro Paterno (who was appointed by the Spanish
Governor-General sole mediator in the discussion of the terms of
peace) visited Biak-na-bató several times to negotiate terms of
the Treaty, which, after negotiations extending over five months,