The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-17
MANILA'S PRETTY GIRLS.
y1TAB OFFICER RECALLS THREE
WEEKS OF DELIGHT.

Liked to BE stared AT, Arc EOuu ok
D,pein9, and Consume Quantities of
Ham and Turkey Holiday Entertain-
u.pts- Vaccinations of the MeStinos.
81 am wondering whether the soldier md
,,uor bows whom Uncle Sam IL sending over TO
Manila these days will find society there the
.,me rs when 1 was on the o.. s. 3. Powhatan
IN the early eighties" said o retired ensign.
"Oi all my cruises with the Aslatic squadron
,hs three weeks we lay at Manila with the
,ouadron under Admiral Beardslee wero the
most delightful. Many a time lately 1 have
been envying the young chaps in the navy and
army who are probably hereafter to DO sta
Toned for long periods 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
Raw of Capri is not to be compared with 1t.
The heavens were the deepest OF cerulean blue,
With not a cloud anywhere. The water was
amooth as a floor and wonderfully clear. The
abore Of the Immense bay was q mass OF living
colors. Whole hills we're an exquisite royal
purple. way back the great serrated volcanic
mountains OF deep black lifted Themselves
athwart the blue sky. Away on to the left Q
huge volcano was in action. Gaunt palms by
The tens OF thousands and cocoanut trees stood
mn amid the uaHlUk IL ulNbtEys Ddhok0 kiONCb
ran close down to tho waters edge. The air
was punGently fragrant with spices, and the
sone OF myriads Of birds hoated across the
water to our ears.
THE fourth day we were In Manila one OF tho
midshipmen who had letters Of Introduction
from relatives in Hong Kong was invited to call
et the nome Of a family in the city and to bring
a few of his friends. / was immensely pleased
N be one OF the midshlpman's friends. We
drove down a long. narrow street paved with
eobblestones. shut in by two-story stone and
brick buildings built flush with the thorough
fare. Each building was rooted with heavy red
tiles, each window was latticed with heavy
wood. and from the second floor Of every build
ing a balcony projected three or four feet into
the street. There was absolutely no variation
IN architecture on the street, except that some
balconies we're more elaborate than others. and
the latticed work was sometimes OF intricate
design. When we reached the house to which
we had been invited we drove straight through
the great arched open front door and stopped
at the foot of the stairs. A dozen Malay ser
wants were Longing about smoking and chat
ting. ATaGal Indian boy took our cards up.
We alighted. and while waiting l remarked that
the horses, COWS, &c. resided on the ground
floor, which was OF stone. and that the carriages
were also kept there. We then walked up a
X vi S'tAA0 eA0t fNocAAe
through an opening without doors. found our
selves in the large sala, a spacious room with a
dark wood floor. polished like q piano top.
"On entering the room one must offer his
hand to every lady and gentleman. without
exception this we did. Some of the lessons In
Spanish that we had learned at the old An
napolis Academy luckily came to mind as we
stood there. l recalled three tender sentences
that l had once committed to memory-from
the tenth lesson in Ollendorf. I think. The
conversation soon became very brilliant, in one
or two cases going as high as the twenty-ninth
lesson. and some good things were gotten of
from Aims Spanish Reader The midship-
man. who knew nothing whatever in Spanish.
except that romantic account familiar to all
Annapolis students. beginning The Island oil
Cuba Is the most beautiful of all the Antilles
went through 1t with much eloquence. deity
inserting 'Luzon' for Cuba and Philippines
for Antilles; : but he brought confusion upon
himself. for the subsequent conversation. all
addressed to him. was 30 deep that he arose in
despair. remarkinR that he was of soundings.
and We took our leave. shaking hands all
around as before.
We had heard for months Of the sights to be
seen at the Luneta in Manila. We improved
our first chance to go there that same evening
a half hour after the sun went DOWN and when
the beauty and fashion Of the ancient city was
out on dress parade. The Luneta is an ellipti.
cal 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 cloaks or hats. There were q
great many pretty black-eyed senoritas. who
glanced at us from under their long lashes In
such a bewitching way as to give one a sort Of
THE drive is along the shore Of the beautiful
pay, and the scene one OF life. beauty and en-
s~titutions over there. On reaching the end o.
the drive all the carriages haul of into an open
e 6ESe an, and st89P: and the people gaze At each
pine peasants dance around and offer you 6
nG6t Go the sun goes doWn in a blaze Of greer
Silence reigns and you sit gazing at the people
Nothing pleases a young Filippina more. and
stare az her, tried several determined starei
at pretty girls and they endured it with perfect
Gradually, the carriages start of and driv,
mp and down for an hour; then the band beginI
to play. and all stop at the Paseo. or promenade
lamps, which make It very light, even wher
there Is no moon. and moonlight and lampligh
al al All aitr l65tl aSS t form 2 pretty icon sodnPbi nnt sGd Her Her
spanish girls. listen to the music. and take you.
Always held in high esteem in Manila. .Littl'
iiagaI girls skinned around us and, asked us Il
aSpd We kissed a few. The carriages used ii
Mantle, are small barouches and y~ictorias
drawn by native ponies. When tired OF walking
we took to our carriage again, leaned back, pu
up onr ieet. and drove to the city by the light o
ths, moon, The barouches Jingle along. tn,
ttRdles 80 by in their white, ganzy dresses. ant
me natives pass in their brilliant costumes
m.sal Tell IN love with Manila at first sight.
A. ! beard the older officers. who had been ii
Manila years before. talking among themselve
hhout the MestizQ young ladies' and their charm
ing companionship. The MestiZos are TIL
Malay and native blood. in their. veins. Ii
many the SPANISH. blood predominates. an,
men the Mestizo Is a most attractive humal
ssbbeSimen, Some Mestizos are very. rich an,
monty, however, the spanish look down on In
SM aaN : The Mestlzo girls are uncommonl
about HEm that in rhyme, All the naval oficeI
Tho haye ever stopped a fortnight have muc
70 tell OF the, charms of the Mestizos. Well, tn
fSsG9nd week the Powhatan was at Manila
happened 70 be. among those invited I
Z PAL given at the home Of a ric
Ff estiSS rice merchant by several OF b
a. q O'Clock we 1roya into the haas