The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-03

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 officers insists that everything
must go 10 the aduana and be inspected.
and as 1t is now nearly noon and the
aduana closes at IL O'Clock, there is every
prospect Of being 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 q Manila customs officer, for his
honor would suffer an irretrievable injury
and having very little left he is naturally
choice of what remains Should we 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 will allow US como ami
gos' 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, or trusting to companions
to keep them alongside. They now re-
double their clamor of "Banca, senior"
but we have not yet learned that in Manila
bunca means boat, not bench; and we fail
TO comprehend the tenor of their remarks.
which are part Spanish, part Tagalog or
Biscaya, possibly even part French
Finally, there leisurely approaches a
boatman who speaks little English. He
Is in no haste, for he spotted US for I'm
giese,' as soon as he saw us, and he has
marked us as his own. He modestly offers
to transport US over the few yards of
muddy water which separate us from the
shore for the Insignificant sum of -
each! He is grieVed at our refusal to ac-
cept his offer. but soon decides that as
friends, he viii take US foT 50 a head We
llnally compromise with him at 10 cents
and are transferred to the bank
Here new difficulties await us, and our
last end Is worse than our first We are
instantly surrounded by a swarm of dirty.
persplrlng porters, who jostle and fight
each other for the chance to carry our lug
gage, while carriages and carts bear down
on US from all directions, their drivers dis
playing quite as much readiness to trans
port our persons as 90 the porters 20 carry
our eirects. The odd Spanish and uufarnil-
idr native words ningle IN q jargon OF, to
as, meaningless sounds, and in disgust we
strengthen our grip on our luggage Ell
bow through the crowd and start on foot,
determined to walk around bit and take
a look at the hotels. Within two blocks
We maze q discovery and on the strength
OF AZ we RECONSIDER our determination The
discovery is that Manila is a very not
place.
an
take a carriage; but there is no need to re-
trace our steps, for there is a carriage at
our very side. It's driver is a student Of
human nature This is not the first time
he has seen "Ingleses" set out on foot to
see the sights He could have told US
within fifty years of how far we would
walk before we decided to ride and prefer
ring the certainty Of bagging us to the
chance of picking up passengers at the
wharf he has quietly followed u.s. With
satisfied smile he queries, Carriage,
senores?" Decidedly, we will take a car
Tiage, and as we all sit down and mop our
perspiring brows our driver inquiries
"a donde?"
Sure enough! Where are we going This
serious question confronts every new ar
rival In Manila, and there is no satisfac-
tory answer to it; for the hotels are both
few and bad. 1t is a choice between evils,
and as We are now chiefly concerned with
trying to cool off, and are indisposed to
unnecessary mental eXertion, we reply, |
"a la fonda" let the driver decide which
hotel il shall be. He, Of course takes US
to the Hotel de Oriente the most expan-
sive establishment in the city In paying
him we make the unfortunate mistake Of
offering him little too much. Had we
handed him the correct fare he would nave
accepted &c with thanks, but now he fol- |
lows US into the hotel, vigorously demand |
ing more, and insisting that he has been
cheated
No polite clerk greets us as we enter |
and no officious Office boy seized our lug
gage. In fact, we cannot find any office
at all. We ask for the proprietor; HE is
asleep" For the major domo, then: "He |
is occupied" For anybody; but for some
time no one comes. At last the major |
domo appears and we are assigned to a |
room with high ceiling and bare floor. 1t
Is furnished with several beds, and to |
them our attention is at once attracted. |
Each has four high posts which support |
a mosquito net. In place of a woven wire |
mattress we find woven rattan, over which |
is spread a thin. hard Malay palate, or
sleeping The bedding consists Of a |
bolster. pillow and two sheets.
IL is now high noon, and before we nave !
time to investigate our quarters further a I
bell summons us to the midday meal The |
guests, all Spaniards are seated when we |
reach the table, and regard US wita q !
frank curiosity which we fully reclprocate, |
and finding that we speak little Spanish |
our nearest neghbor settles the matter /
with a direct question. The guests are |
pleased 20 learn that we are Americans |
and not English; at least they woAd have /
been in SO!
We note with some surprise that they
ali eat vegetables and gravy With their
knives. The service Is abomnable, end /
the meal is enlivened by the antics Of a
newly arrived Spanish colonel. VINO finally
loses his temper, jumps up from his place,