Mr.Higgins undertook to make a trip down this valley to the plains of Pangasinan, reporting to us on his arrival at Manila, so we returned to that place and awaited advices from him.

He was furnished with a guard of soldiers from Trinidad, and attempted to go down the river bed, but encountered unexpected difficulties, and his progress was finally checked by a box canon from which he escaped with difficulty, spending a night without food or water on a chilly mountain top known as "Thumb Peak." The following morning he managed to cross to a high mountain called Santo Tomas, whence he returned to Baguio.

He was, however, of the opinion that the trip down the canon could be made without special difficulty by a party suitably provided with food and tentage.
Convinced by our report that active measures should be taken to establish communication with this wonderful region, the commission, on September 12, 1900, appropriated $5000 Mexican, "for the purpose of making a survey to ascertain the most advantageous route for a railway into the mountains of Benguet, Island of Luzon, and the probable cost thereof." Captain Charles W.Meade, then serving as city engineer of Manila, was selected to make the survey.

There was every theoretical reason to believe him competent, and we did not question either his integrity or his ability.

After being absent from Manila for some time, he reported in favour of the Bued River valley route, saying that it was entirely feasible to build a railway along it.
He suggested that, as the construction of a wagon road would be necessary in building the railroad, we might as well undertake that first, and so be able to go to Baguio in wheeled vehicles before the railroad was completed.