The herald., 1898-07-30
'MANILA'SPRfTTY GIRLS
NAVAL OFFICER RECALLS THREE
WEEKS OF DELIGHT
No End Of Black-Eyed Young Women
Who Like to Be Stared at and Are
Fond of Dancing

II am wondering whether the soldier anC
sailor boys whom Uncle Sam is sending
lover to Manila these days will And society
there the same as when l was on the Y. s.
S. Powhatan In the early 's0s," said re-
tired ensign. "Of all my cruises with the
Asiatic squadron the three weeks We lay
| at Manila with the squadron under Admiral
Beardslee were the most delightful. Many
time lately have been envying the young
chaps in the navy and army who are prob
ably hereafter to be stationed for long pc
RODS over there. The Powhatan sailed
from Hong Kong in November. In my
journeyings over the globe nothing has ever
reused my sense of beauty as the scene on
entering Manila bay. Why, the bay of
Capri is not to be compared with it. The
| heavens were the deepest of cerulean blue.
with not cloud anywhere. The water was
smooth as a floor and wonderfully clear.
The shore of the immense bay was mass
of living colors. Whole hills were an ex-
Quisite royal purple. Away back the
great serrated volcanic mountains of deep
black lifted themselves athwart the blua
sky. Away off to the left huge volcano
was in action. Gaunt palms by the tens
Of thousands and cocoanut trees stood up
amid the flaming shrubbery. Banana
groves ran close down to the waters edge.
The air was pungently fragrant with spices
and the song of myrads of birds fioated
across the water to our ears.
I'VE had heard for months of the sights
to be seen at the Luneta in Manila So one
evening half hour after the sun went
down, when the beauty and fashion of the
ancient city was out on dress parade, q
"a -; 10 I
meta is an elliptical park, where hundreds
of prisoners were formerly shot to death
Hundreds of carriages were going in the
same direction, and in nearly every one
were two or three ladies in evening dress
without cloak or hats. There were great
many pretty black-eyed senoritas. who
glanced at us from under their long lashes
in such d bewitching way.
1.-The drive is along the shore of the beau u
tiful bay, and the scene one of life beauty
and enchantment. There are some unique
social institutions over there. On reaching
the end of the drive all OF the carriages
haul off into an open space and stop, and
the people gaze at each other and nod in
recognition; nude little Philippine peasants
dance around and offer you light; the sun
goes down in a blaze of green and gold
across the bay; the moon beams forth, ST.
lence regns and you sit gazing at the poo
pie. Gradually the carriages start off and
drive up and down for an hour, then the
band begins to play and all stop at the
paseo or promenade, broad wall, with
trees on either side and lamps which make
1t very light even where there Is no moon,
and the moonlight and lamplght in the
foliage form a pretty combination. Here
all alight and slowly promenade back and
forth; you watch the graceful, undulating
step of the Spanish girls, Listen to the music
and take your own exercise for the day.
II heard the older officers, who had been
in Manila years before, talking among
| themselves about the Mestizo young ladies
and their charming companionshp. The
Mestizos are the creoles of the Philippines.
They have Spanish, Malay and native
blood in their veins. In many the Spanish
blood predominates, and then the Mestizo
is most attractive human specimen. Some
Mestizos are very rich and they go In the
best society In Manila. Commonly, how
ever, the Spanish look down on the Mesti-
EOS The Mestizo girls are uncommonly
beautiful Robert Louis Stevenson has
told about that in rhyme. All the naval
have much TO tell of the charms of the
Mestizos. Well, the second week the Pow
hatan was at Manila 1 happened TO be
among those invited to a ball given at the
home of rich Mestizo rice merchant by
several of his English and American Gus
toners. Promptly at o'clock We drove into
the basement of the house, assembled the
stone stairway and an array of brilliant
i -
The Mestizo girls were sitting in row on
one side of the room. about forty of them,
some decked in gay plumage, yellow, pink
and green being prominent colors; others
dressed in sorlber hues. They We're very
pretty, with 1.-THE, graceful figures and eyes
as black as coal. The men lowered near
the doors of the grand sala like hawks
cycling chickens. There were few infor-
NAL introductions and some of us were
presented in whole squads. no names being
| used.
"At the first note of stringed orchestra
concealed behind a lattice all the men made
a pounce for partners. Seeing that pounc-
ing was the go, I made dive for pretty
girl In yellow and green, ratified off sen.
tence from the fifteenth lesson of Ollen.
dorf-
"'Wil you do me the favor to bailar cor
mgo?'-and started off on a dance l had
never seen before, but which was easy tc
learn. 1t was the habanera, sort OF
walking embrace to slow music; you take
step to the right, rise on your toes, ster
to the left, rise, swing round. step to the
right. rise, and so on; then when you wish
to balance, you wink at some fellow, stoI
in front Of him and go through the ladies'
chain. then clasp your partners waist an6
take the other lady's right hand. The othel
fellow does the same, and now with the
music you sway UP to the center, sway
back, and revolve in an elliptic at the same
time, after the manner of the planets. AT
ter swaying six times you drop the othel
lady's hand and gradually sail off agaii
with the step and turn. The girls cling quite
closely and gaze up occasionally, Spanish
fashion. The Mestizo girls understood NJ
English, and It was fun to hear the remark
of our fellows. One lieutenant flew pas
me and called out: Steer clear of this plan
Ietary system!' Another cried. Port YOU
helm, Tommy; don't you see her starr,
toplights? And another fellow came dash
ing down the room saying: Clear the deck
-gangway for Silver Heels! So we kept
up, dance after dance, and the hall re
sounded with laughter.
when the time for supper came I fel
into line and escorted blooming Filippin
to the table, I asked resident American
what should help her to- and he said, EN-
phatically, Ham and turkey; give her plen