It was here that a detachment of United States marines under the command of Major Waller, while attempting to cross the island, were lost for nearly two weeks, going without food for days and enduring terrible hardships.
At the time in question there were not five miles of road on the island passable for a vehicle, nor were there trails through the mountains over which horses could be ridden.

The only interior lines of communication were a few footpaths over which the natives were accustomed to make their way from the mountains to the coast.
Troops have perhaps never attempted a campaign in a country more difficult than the interior of Samar.

The traditional needle in the haystack would be easy to find compared with an outlaw, or band of outlaws, in such a rugged wilderness.
Upon the outbreak of trouble troops were hurried to Samar, and by December, 1904, according to Blount himself, there were some 1800 native soldiers on the island who were left free for active operations in the field by the garrisoning of various coast towns with sixteen companies of United States infantry.
If the nature of the feuds between the Samar lowlanders and highlanders had then been better understood, the ensuing troubles, which were more or less continuous for nearly two years, might perhaps have been avoided.

As soon as it became evident that the situation was such as to demand the use of the army it was employed to supplement the operations of the constabulary.
About the time that trouble ended in Samar it began in Leyte.

There was no real connection between the disorders in the two islands.