The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-08-25

Here. there was everywhere to be seen
plenty, activity, and Joy smiled on the
countenances of all the inhabitants.
My own dwelling had become the rem
devious, or resorting place, of all the
travellers arriving at Manila, and refuge
of convalescence of many patients, who
would come and breathe the good and
mild air of Jala-Jala, as we'll as enjoy it's
pleasures and amusements. Under that
roof there was no distinction, no differ
ence: all were equals in our eyes, whether
French, Spanish, English, American. No
matter to what nation belonged those who
landed at JaIa-Jala, they were received
like brothers, and with all that cordial
hospitality to be found formerly in our
colonies.
My visitors enjoyed full and active
liberty on my little estate; but he who
was not DESTROYS of eating alone was
bliged to remember the time OF meals;
turing the other hours OF the day one and
Ii followed their own inciinatlons. For
instance, naturalists went in pursuit OF
insects and birds, and made an ample
harvest Of every species OF plants.
Persons ailing met with the aSSiduouS
care of a physician as well as with the
! kind attention and enjoyed the company OF
| a most amiable and well-infOrmed mistress
! of the house, who had the natural talent
of enchanting all those who spent but d
short time in her society. They who liked
walking might look about for the fine
/ views, and choose their resting place
either in the woods, the mountains, near
the cascades or the brooks, or on the
! beautiful borders of the lake.
HUNTERS PARADISE.
| To sportsmen Jala-Jala was really a
promised land; there they always found
| q good pack of hounds, Indians to guide
| them good, stout horses to carry them
| across the various mountains and plains,
| where the stag and wild boar were to- be
met with most plentifully; and were they
DESTROYS of less fatiguing exercise, they
only had to jump into some OF our light
| canoes and skim over the blue waters,
shooting on their way at the hosts OF
aquatic birds flying around them in all
/ directiOns-they could even land on the
! various small islands situated between
| Jala-Jala and the Isle of Talem. There
| they could find a sort of sport utterly
unknown in Europe-that is, immense
| bats, a species OF vampire, designated by
naturalists by the name Of roussettes.
| During six months in the year, at the
| period Of the eastern monsoon, every tree
| on these little isles is covered from the
| topmoSt down to the lowest branch, with
| those huge bats, that supply the place vi
| the foliage, which they have entirely de-
| stroyed. Mut1ied up in their vast wings,
| they sleep during the whole day, and in
| the night time they start off in large
bodies. roaming about in search of their
prey But as soon as the western mon
soon has succeeded the eastern, they
disappear, and repair always to the same
place, the eastern coast of Luzon, where
| they take shelter; after the monsoon
changes they return to their former quar-
tiers.
| As soon as our guests would alght
upon one of these islands, they opened
| their fire, and continued it till-frightened
| by so many explosions and the screams
| of the wounded, clinging to and hanging
| from the branches-the bats would fly
away in a bOdy-en maSse. For some
time they would whirl and turn round and
round like dense cloud over their aban-
doned home, initiating, in most perfect
way, those furies we see in certain en-
cravings repre- Senting the internal regions,
and then, flying off short distance,
would perch upon the trees in neighbor-
ing isle.
SHOOTING IGUANAs
If the sportsmen were not over-fatigued
by the slaughter, they might then follow
them, and set to again; but they generally
found they had made victims enough and
diversified their pleasure by picking up
the slain from under the trees. The bat
shooting over, our sportsmen would then
proceed to a new spOrt-that is, in pur-
suit of and shooting at the iguanas, a
large species of lizard, measuring from
five to six feet long, which infest the
rocks on the borders of the lake. Tired of
firing without being obliged to show any |
skill, our chasseurs would re-embark in
their pirogues and row in search of new
was, to shoot at the |
eagles that came lowering over their
heads. Here skill was requisite, as well |
as a prompt, sure glance of the eye, as it
is only with ball that these enormous
birds of prey can be reached. Or fowlers
would then return home, with their boats
full of game; and everyone, of course, had
his own feats of prOwess to relate.
The flesh of the iguana and the bat is
savory and delicate; but as for its taste,