The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-11-06
Native Life in Manila.


The native house OF the common type
is a small structure built entirely OF oam-
boo and thatched with palm leaves inse-
nioasIy folded over bits Of stick and tied
10 The rsfters BY rattan The caves are
broad. and the window openings. which
are innocent of glass OF OF The shell case
ments in use IN the better class Of houses,
are provided with palm-leaf shutters hung
at the top and propped open. shading The
interior from the sun and shedding the
rain Al night AL are closed Up tightly.
There are usually Two rooms il the house
and the furniture consists chiefly OF sleep
inS-uats. pillows. and a few wicker stools
perhaps The simplest and most print
tive utensils are in use IN the kitchen.
The stove is an earthen affair like "A
br2zier. with projecting knuekles 70 hold
the cooking vessels Frequently tbs SIN
pie dwelling-whsch Is. indeed. as a ruie.
as clean and cdy as constant scrubbing
can make its extended. according 70 the
taste or ingenuity OF the owner, into
quite an eiaoorsts arrangement OF plat
forms little sto-s-rSOnis. and shelters
The whole structure Is built around tall
posts. which. as IS the case with al the
houses here. even With the elaborate and
expensive bungalaws. are firmly fixed in
the ground and extend 10 the wall-plste
supporting the rafters.
The living and sleeping rooms are. as
have before remarked. raised nve or
six feet above the ground. a custom which
prevails in all the architecturs here. some
times the space under the house Is en-
closed by mats, but is oftener LETT open
and IS used as store-house for the large
earthen water-jars and the great nat
wash-tubs followed out OF a large block
OF wood. One thing always strikes even
the casual observer. and that is the clean
iinesS OF the people. They are always
bathing and washing. and il IS the rsrest
thing to see soileG garments. Even the
begsars are clean. II is IN consequence
o: these cOmmendable habits that so few
annoying pests of insect life are met with
Although ! have during my two months
stay in the country. slept in all sorts OF
places, from the meanest hut OF the peas
ant 10 the Governor-GeneraIs palace L
have never had my rest disturbed by any
thing more annoying than mosquitoes
which are mild and unenterprisinE enough
as compared with the breed which infests
most places in America and many recorts
in Europe. The writers on the Phillip
pines have almost unanimously declared
the country 10 be the home OF all sorts
OF insects and reptiles which make life
burdensOme. But one soon finds that the
innocent little Lizards which run over the
walls are engaged in catching flies and
mosquitoes. that the great beetles are
harmless as srasshoppers and that there
is here, indeed, a remarkable immunity
from the peytt annoyances which one ex-
poets TO find in a sojourn in the tropics
But TO return TO our excursion. There
assembled at dinner, not only our party.
but quite a number OF natives. men and
women residents OF the village. whose per
feet decorum and gentle. simple manners
quite captivated US. They spoke Span
ish with ease and nuency. and the ladies'
at least had the grace OF the CaStlhans
An orchestra OF ten native musicians. who
played with skill and taste all sorts OF
classical music. and encouraged Us 20 join
in the dance which naturally followed.
was a surprise, not 20 say a delight. When
the party broke up and the guests from
the village and the orchestra strolled
away across the lawn in the clear. soft
moonlight, singing as they went faSci-
mating native afr. the effect was simply
enchanting. and We hung over the balcony
and watched the white figures disappear
among the palms. and listened to the van
ishing strains OF the song until Il be-
came so faint that n was drowned by the
chirping of the crtckets and the shrill call
of the tree frogs.-Manila Correspondence
London Times.