The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1869-04-28

NUMBER SEVENTIES.

bosom of the placid Pacific, often imagin.
ed to myself the gslleons of the early
Spanish navigators. cropping their way by
'dead-reckoning, over the same track we
were now pursuing. with an advantage
however, that they cid not possess-an
instrument generally IS true as the needle
to the pole-the chroIometer. 1t is, how
ever, really surprising to observe the accu-
rate Judgment of experienced seamen in
estimating the rate of speed at which a
vessel travels on given course, and arriv-
ing at conclusion as TO the latitude and
longitude When it is remembered that
leeway, currents of the ocean, and varia-
ton of the compass. have all to be consid-
cred in this connection, it must be allowed
that it is something wonderful. Thus, fire.
quently on our passage to Manila, while
taking the observation at noon for the lat
itude, have heard the captain say to the
mate, 1--WE are in about so and So" This,
too after We had been steering half a
dozen different courses during the twenty
| four hours. in order to avoid The islands
and shoals 10 our track. and had observed
various currents setting in various direc-
tions. When the altitude was obtained
and the latitude worked out. it would he
found that the ~old man" was generally
within mile or two, one way or the other
of the true fgHre-near enough for safety,
if we had been unprovided With instru-
ments.
As an illustration of the remarkable de-
gree of skill in navigation to which our
seamen arrive. after long years of expert
ence. the hardy whalers may be Instanced,
who cruise among the fogs and around the
shoals. and through the ice-felds of the
North Pacific; where. often for weeks.
they get no sight Of either sun. moon. or
stars. Scarcely ever though. is vessel
lostin those dangerous seas, except through
very heavy stress of weather.
/ have heard it SAID that the shippers
of the New London craft that used to
trade to the West Indies always found
their way home again by the shingles which
they had dropped overheard. at intervals
of mile or two. on the passage out. But
don't believe this is true.
A few weeks after leaving the Fijiis we
came up with the Philippine Islands.
Passing through the strait that separates
the island of Luzon-on which Manila is
situated-from another and smaller island
of the group, We came at length to the
bay of Manila. 1t is truly magnificent
sheet OF water, second only, in my opin-
ion, to that of Rio Janeiro. Narragan-
sett Bay, in Rhode Island and the Bay of
Islands, in New Zealand, may compare fa-
vorably with it.
Before reaching our anchorage. we were
hailed from "guarda costa"-a long clum-
sy looking row-boat, with thirty rowers,
double banked. The rowers were all Ia
galees-aboriginal natives of the Phillip
pines-and in the stern-sheets were two
Spanish officials, with cooked hats, epau-
lets and gold lace. In the bow of the boat
was brass six-pounder The hail was in
Spanish, which our captain understood
pretty WELL The order was for us to an
chor at certain place, until the port ply
sician should board US and examine our
condition as to health. This was done
early the next morning. grizzly, NOUS
tached, gold-laced, spectacled and POM
pous little Spaniard, making his appear
ance in another great clumsy. thirty-oared
boat, similarly armed as the guarda costa.
He was received by the captain with Cas-
lillian politeness, and conducted to the
quarterback. All hands we're called aft.
and we were each subjected to critical
examination, which extended to running
out our tongues and exposing our teeth to
inspection. After pronouncing everything
"bueno.' the doctor delivered written
paper to the captain. which was our clean
bill Of health. and entitled US to enter the
canal-as the lower part Of the river is
called-on both banks of which. Manila is
built. 1t was not. however until the day
had nearly passed. that the officer came on
board, whose duty it was to rise our bill
of health-without which red-tape cere-
mony we could not have passed the battery
and gunbOats which were stationed at the
mouth Of the canal. Early the next morn
ing, We hauled into the canal, and after a
great deal of tugging and pulling with
lines. at about three o'clock in the after
noon. we were moOred 10 our berth on the
side of the stream opposite TO that where
the natives mostly lived. No foreign YES
sells we're allowed to anchor on that side.
but we're invariably kept on the Spanish
side. The Spanlards of Manila. with but
few exceptions, live or herd together on
one side of the river. Here are all the
palatial residences of the government Off
cials 'he princely merchants, and the
nlanters. Here are also several cathadrsls