Mr.Taft was inaugurated on July 4, 1901.

Thenceforth he exercised control over the provinces where civil government had been established, while the military governor continued in charge of each of the remaining provinces until it was duly organized and transferred to civil control.
In August, 1901, the commission sailed on a tour of the remaining northern provinces, visiting La Union, Ilocos Sur, Abra, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan, Isabela and Zambales in the order named, and establishing a government in each.

On the trip to Abra those members of the eommission not previously accustomed to roughing it in the islands were given a novel experience, for we went up the Abra River on bamboo rafts.

However, a veritable ship of state had been prepared for Governor Taft, and no one suffered any great discomfort.
At Vigan, the capital of Ilocos, we narrowly escaped drowning in the surf when returning to our steamer.

For a time our good _viray_ [466] with some twenty oarsmen was unable to make headway through the rolling waves.