The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-07-03
A PEN PICTURE OF MANILA.
Spanish Incidence and SquaIOr Evil
dent on Every Hand.

Prof. Dean C. Worcester, in the Independ-
1 am going to invite you to enter the city
and walk it's streets with me, and to share
with me some of the experiences which fell
to my lot in the course of my residence at
the capital of the Philippines.
Imagine that we have completed tenn
pestuous voyage of three days duration
across the restless China sea, have entered
the bay, and are approaching the city. For
a long time we search the shore line in vain
for any sign of it's Wherea bouts; then we
see the spires of two or three cathedrals
and the masts of shipping, and then sudden
ly the city lies before us. 1t is on level
ground, but few feet above the sea at it's
highest point, so that one point does not
appear above the horizon sooner than an
other and little idea of the extent and gen.
eral plan of the city can be gained from
the bay.
AS we approach the mouth of the dirty
River Pasig we slow down, and finally drop
anchor just at the edge of the bar. where
we await the arrival of the pilot, the cap
tain of the port. the port doctor and the
customs officers, Quite possibly some of
these worthless are asleep or occupied" in
which case we must await their conven-
fence; and it is also entirely possible that
after the last formally, has been gone
the tide, for our good ship will stir up the
mud in the bar at best But sooner or later
slowly into the river, passing the insignia
cant little brick fort at its mouth the office
of the captain Of the fort, the custom house,
the dismal fortress now known as 1.-The
Black Hole of Manila and finally come to
anchor in mid-stream opposite the foreign
business houses.
assemblage of crafts. The mail and cargo
steamers which ply between Manila and the
provinces are, in places, two or three deep,
mingling in seemingly hopeless CONFUSION
with small sailing vessels, Cavite and up
river ferry boats, households, cargo lighters
and picturesque native canoes, with palm
leaf covers and bamboo outriggers.
There is no natty steam launch in waiting
to take us and our luggage ashore. In fact,
we shall not be allowed to take even our
hand luggage ashore ourselves, unless we
understand the ways OF the country. The
customs officer insists that everything must
go to the aduana and be inspected, and as
It is now nearly noon and the aduana closes
at u o'clock, there is every prospect or be-
ing compelled TO wait until the next. day
for even the most necessary toilet articles.
Now it would be a. fatal mistake to offer
to bride Manila customs officer, for his
honor would suffer an irretrievable injury.
and, having very little left, he is naturally
choice of what remains. Should feel
inclined TO bestow a small qualification
however. those insurmountable difficulties
which prevented him from allowing us to
take our grips with us will suddenly dis
appear and he viii allow US como amigos
to take our belongings and depart.
We have already been besieged by a
swarm of canoe men, who clambered up the
sides of our vessel while she was still under
way still clinging to the tow lines Of their
boats trusting TO companions to keep
them alongside. They now redouble their
clamor of "Banca, senor;" but we have
not yet learned that In Manila banca means
boat, not bench: and we fail TO comprehend
the tenor of their remarks, which are part
Spanish. part Tagalog or Bisaya, possibly
even part French.
Finally, there leisurely approaches q boat
man who speaks little English. He is IN
no haste, for he spotted us for fIngleses''
as soon as he saw Us. and he has marked
US as his own He modestly offers to trans
port us over the few yards OF muddy water
which separates us from the shore for the
lnEi8nilieant sum ek s. each. lie IS ErleVed