Four Young Explorers Part 31

"When shall we get there, Captain?" asked Dr. Hawkes.

"Day after to-morrow morning; but I shall lay off so as not to get there at three in the morning."[1]

FOOTNOTE:

[1] On board of a steamer from Colombo, Ceylon, to London, I met an educated Scotch gentleman from Manila, who p.r.o.nounced the name Philippine, the last _i_ long. On the steamer from Liverpool to Boston, I met a lady, also from Manila, and she p.r.o.nounced it with a long _i_ in the last syllable. I conclude this is the fas.h.i.+on among English-speaking people in the Philippine Islands.--O. O.

CHAPTER XXVIII

THE DESCRIPTION OF AN EARTHQUAKY CITY

In the afternoon of the second day out Professor Giroud called his pupils together in the library, which was the schoolroom of the s.h.i.+p, and resumed the lessons which had been interrupted since the arrival at Sarawak. The long intermission had sharpened the intellects of the cla.s.s, and they were very earnest in their studies. But it could be only for the afternoon and the next day, for the commander was very diligent in the business of sight-seeing.

At half-past nine the next forenoon, the pa.s.sengers were all a.s.sembled in Conference Hall, as the captain had appointed; and the siamangs, who spent much of the time aloft running up and down and along the foreyards, were in their usual places, for chairs had been provided for them; and they looked as grave and attentive as though they understood the whole of the lecture. Captain Ringgold appeared on the rostrum, after he had patted Mr. and Mrs. Mingo on the head, and glanced at Miss Mingo in the lap of Miss Blanche.

"Manila is the capital of all the Spanish possessions in the East, as the professor has informed you; it has a population of 270,000, which is 40,000 greater than Havana," he began. "It is on the south-west coast of Luzon, 650 miles from Hong-Kong, which is a run of about forty-seven hours for the s.h.i.+p. It is located on both sides of the little river Pasig, which is the outlet of Lake Bahia, or the Lake of the Bay. When I was here many years ago, I spoke Spanish enough to get along; but I shall leave the language now to the professor and Mr. Belgrave, for I forget most of it.

"In going to the city we have to pa.s.s through Manila Bay, which is really a sea of itself; and, though it is land-locked, it affords little if any protection for vessels in heavy weather, for it is about thirty miles long from north to south, and twenty-five from east to west. A west or south-west wind rakes it about the same as the ocean.

"The city forms a circle, with a piece of it cut off on the bay; and the suburbs are on several islands in the river and bay. To keep a clear channel, the Pasig is extended into the bay between two piers, with a fort at the end of one, and a lighthouse at the end of the other. The anchorage in the bay is good enough so far as holding ground is concerned, except in the south-west monsoon, when vessels of four hundred tons or more have to go to Cavite, ten miles south south-west from the city; and their cargo must be taken to and from them in lighters.

"The oldest part of Manila is on the southern bank of the Pasig, and is strongly fortified; but it has a dilapidated look, for it was founded in 1571. On the north side of the river is the Binondo suburb, as it is called, which is more populous than the old part. The foreign merchants live here, and it is the more important commercial centre. You would hardly know, if you waked from a sleep there, whether you were in a Spanish or an Oriental city, for you would see something of both.

Gloomy-looking churches, awkward towers, and heavily built stone houses are mixed up with pleasant cottages in groves of tropical trees. I believe the people are now inclined to build more of wood than stone on account of the prevalence of earthquakes, which shake down the heavier structures, and crush the occupants under the weight of the material.

"As in Burma and Siam, the cottages I mentioned are built on posts; for the land is sometimes inundated, and the water requires a free pa.s.sage, or it would do more mischief. In the month of August, nearly two feet of water falls on a level; and it makes bad work in the low places. The streets are wide and not paved; and in the rainy season, with a foot or two of water lying loose around, they become very nearly impa.s.sable. The houses are built in Spanish fas.h.i.+on, with a central court-yard. They are generally two stories high; for in an earthquaky country like this, where terra firma becomes terra shaky, the people are not encouraged to erect buildings twenty stories high, as in New York and Chicago.

"An iron suspension bridge connects the old town with Binondo. It was formerly a stone bridge, built more than two hundred years ago, which was thrown down by the earthquake of 1863. A street in the new suburb, called the Escolto, seems to be the Broadway of the city; for it is the great shopping locality, and it is flanked with shops and stalls, filled with people of various races. Beyond this the Chinese, Tagals, and half-castes congregate in numerous occupations, as jewellers, oil and soap dealers, confectioners, painters, and those of other trades. Here you will find plenty of gambling-houses, if you are looking for them.

"As in Singapore, certain sections of the city are given up to particular branches of business. At San Fernando, there are immense cigar manufactories, like the one you saw in Sevilla in Spain, where six thousand women are employed; and probably as many are to be found in some of them here," continued the commander, consulting memoranda he took from his pocket. "At Santo Mesa is a cordage manufactory; at Alcaicerfa the Chinese have a landing-place for their sampans; fishermen and weavers live at Tondo, whose gardens supply the markets with fruit and vegetables; Malate is the resort of the embroiderers; Paco is favored by artists and artisans; and Santa Ana and San Pedro Macati are health resorts."

"McCarty!" exclaimed Felix, as he caught what sounded like an Irish name. "I wondher if he comes from Kilkenny."

"A place, and not a man; and it did not come from Kilkenny. It is a Spanish name, spelled Ma-ca-ti," replied the captain. "I have read off all these names from my memoranda, not that I expect you to remember them, but to show you how things work here. All the buildings for public use in a capital city are found here, and a cathedral, the palaces of the governor-general and the archbishop, an elegant town-house, churches, three colleges for young men, and two for young women (not behind the times, you see), a large theatre, probably not as large as that in Barcelona, custom-house, barracks, etc. The Prado is the largest public square, and is ornamented with a statue of Charles IV., or Carlos, King of Spain from 1788 to 1808; and I wonder there is not one of Magellan, who discovered the islands, and lost his life here.

"The streets of the city are lighted with kerosene-oil lamps, and not with gas, for the reason that the earthquakes made bad work of the latter; and the works were destroyed in a hurricane in 1882, as was half the city. They do not build houses of brick or stone now, but of wood, the former being so destructive of human life in an earthquake. The native dwellings are constructed of bamboo, thatched with the leaves of the nipa palm.

"Gla.s.s windows are not used here; but the flat sh.e.l.l of a large oyster is subst.i.tuted for gla.s.s, and the sashes all slide horizontally. Both of these departures from ordinary methods are said to be to exclude the great heat; but I confess that I cannot see it. I find among my memoranda that 21,000 women and 1,500 man are employed in making cigars; which in Sevilla includes the putting up of tobacco in papers for smoking, and it may be so here. Before I close I wish to say that authorities differ in regard to the population of the city; but I think the professor was about right in putting it at 270,000. Lippincott gives it with the suburbs at 160,000, and Chambers at nearly 300,000. You have been patient and longer suffering than I intended you should be, and I thank you."

The commander made his bow, and descended from the rostrum. Hearty applause followed, and the siamangs joined with repeated cries and squeaks. Miss Mingo had fallen asleep in her comfortable quarters; but the noise woke her with a start, and she sprang to the shoulder of Miss Blanche, where she gave her "Ra! Ra! Ra!" and the squeak which is the "tiger" at the end of it. As the audience left their chairs for a walk on the deck, Mr. and Mrs. Mingo sprang into the fore-rigging, climbing the shrouds, and over the futtock-shrouds, disdaining to crawl through the lubber-hole to the top.

Miss Mingo looked up at them, and then sprang into the rigging; for her strength and agility seemed to have greatly increased since she came on board, making it probable that the sea-air agreed with her. But her mamma did not appear to be quite satisfied with this venture; and she sprang over the futtocks, and seized her with one arm as she began to mount them.

Mr. Mingo ran up the topmast rigging, and seated himself on the cross-trees. The anxious mother looked at him a moment, and then darted down to the deck with the baby in her arm. Then, seeing Mrs. Belgrave seated in one of the arm-chairs on the promenade, she carried Miss Mingo to her, placing the infant in her lap. The lady immediately folded the little one in her arms so that she could not escape, caressing her so that she did not offer to follow her mother up the rigging, though she watched her ascent.

Mrs. Mingo ascended to the cross-trees, where she and the gentleman siamang seemed to hold a conference. The latter then sprang up to the topgallant yard, and was closely followed by his mate. They turned somersets, and went through a variety of athletic feats, which greatly interested their audience on deck, who gave them a round of applause.

They seemed to understand and appreciate this manifestation of approbation, for they attempted various other feats.

Mrs. Mingo got hold of the topgallant halliards, and finding them loose, swung out over the lee side of the s.h.i.+p. Captain Ringgold was startled at this movement. She swung out as far as she could, the line yielding, and suddenly she dropped into the water. The captain rang the gong to stop the screw, and then to back it. If the siamang could swim at all, she was very clumsy in the water; and the waves, for there was considerable sea on, seemed to bother her.

"Clear away the second cutter, Mr. Gaskette!" shouted the commander as soon as he had rung the gong to stop the screw, and the s.h.i.+p was as nearly at rest as she could be on the billows.

"All the second cutters, on deck!" shouted Biggs, the boatswain, after he had piped his whistle, at the order of the second officer.

The boat was swung out in as much haste as though the cry had been "Man overboard!" and her crew took their places in good order. The cutter was lowered into the water, and the men gave way on a favoring wave and went clear of the s.h.i.+p. They pulled with all their might; and Lanark, the c.o.c.kswain, steered her for the siamang.

"Stand by, bowmen, to haul in the lady!" called Mr. Gaskette, as the cutter approached the unhappy animal. "In bows!" and the two bowmen tossed their oars, and brought them down in place, the men springing into the fore-sheets to seize hold of the creature. "Way enough!"

It looked to those who were anxiously watching the operations of the men, fearful that Miss Mingo would become an orphan, as though the boat would strike Mrs. Mingo, and kill her by the collision.

"Stern all!" cried Mr. Gaskette with energy.

The order was obeyed, and the cutter came to a stop when near the animal. The bowmen were reaching to get hold of her, when she made a vigorous leap into the fore-sheets, grasping the rail as she did so. She shook herself with all her might as soon as she was in the boat, and a cheer went up from the deck of the s.h.i.+p. The lady then seated herself on the little platform in the bow, and seemed to be as happy as ever, and that was saying a great deal.

"Give way!" said Mr. Gaskette, laughing at the apparent self-possession of Mrs. Mingo when her troubles were over. The cutter came alongside the s.h.i.+p under its davits, the falls were hooked on, and the boat was hoisted up. The lady was the first to leap from her place to the rail of the s.h.i.+p.

The pa.s.sengers applauded as she moved aft; and she replied with her usual cry, and ended it with a squeak. She went directly to the promenade, which she mounted, and then hastened to Mrs. Belgrave's chair. She looked at her baby as though it had been overboard. Miss Mingo's keeper had taken care that the infant should not see her mother in the water; and the little one could not have told what was the matter if any one had asked her, first because she did not know, and second for an obvious reason.

The s.h.i.+p was going ahead again, and the captain came to the promenade.

He took the lady into the sun, and persuaded her to lie down and dry herself. She seemed to understand the matter, and stretched herself out.

"What made her fall overboard, Captain?" asked the lady--meaning Mrs.

Belgrave this time, and not the siamang.

[Ill.u.s.tration: SHE MADE A VIGOROUS LEAP INTO THE FORE-SHEETS.

_Page 267._]

"The fore topgallant halliard was not made fast to the cleat, and when it ran out, it jerked her from it," replied the commander. "It ought not to have been loose, and there is a bit of discipline for some jack-tar."

The s.h.i.+p went along as before; and when the pa.s.sengers turned out the next morning Manila was in sight, and not five miles distant.

CHAPTER XXIX

GOING ON Sh.o.r.e IN MANILA

The s.h.i.+p had slowed down in the afternoon, and reached the entrance of Manila Bay about eight bells, or four o'clock in the morning. At the Boca Grande she had taken a pilot; but she still had twenty-five miles to run. She had come in by the larger of the two pa.s.sages, formed by a group of islands, both of which are called "mouths" (_bocas_); and the smaller of them is the Boca Chica. The Blanche had followed the example of the Guardian-Mother in slowing down, and had taken a pilot at about the same time.

The pa.s.sengers had asked the steward on watch in the cabin to call them at half-past five, and they were all on deck as soon as it was light enough for them to see the sh.o.r.e clearly. But the bay is so large that they could make out the sh.o.r.es only ahead of the s.h.i.+p. They could see the mountains in the distance, with a lower stretch of land between them and the low ground of the sh.o.r.e. All that they could observe was tropical verdure, with lofty palms on every hand. The low ground, covered with water in the rainy season, was planted with rice-fields.

The ladies declared that the view was lovely; and certainly it presented variety enough, with the high lands in the background, and the rich and luxuriant growth near the bay. The pilot was a Spaniard who could speak a little English; and the commander ordered him to bring the s.h.i.+p to anchor at a safe place, as near as convenient off the end of the two piers at the mouth of Pasig. The Blanche took a position abreast of her, off the fort, while the first was off the lighthouse.