Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1900-01-19
MANILA, P. l., |
Nov. 81, 1899. IL

MANILA, P. l.,
Nov. 81, 1899.
II was on the morning of the second day
of the voyage that we left the path of 1.-THE
monsoon and were introduced to the dis
tant mountains of Luzon, whose abrupt
sides entered the,sea with decidedly wide
angle and offered shore for villages only
in the many beautiful bays which make the
coast very irregular. Entering the harbor
of Manila about 10 o'clock at night, and
passing the forts and the famous promon-
tory of Cavite under the dazzling glare of
the watchful searchlight we continued on
over the exact course taken by the Yer
mont Admiral and anchored for the night
below the mouth of the Pasig river. Up
this river, fortified at its mouth by an an
Gent Spanish fort now converted into
United States barracks, we were trans
ported on tug after much unnecessary,
unsystematic and over-executed red tape
by the United States customs officials (who
tax everything imported for personal use,
display inexperience and accept brides or
enforce arbitrary commands) and left on
che water front to talk corrupted Spanish
to get information, or walk unguided to
the hotel
With a combination of classic Latin and
an attempted pronunciation of the Spanish,
a "carametta" (two-wheeled miniature cab
and a sharp hip-boned Philippine pony
was found and the hotel became realized
satisfaction. Situated in the centre OF the
CITY, which is without an exception per-
fectly flat and estimated to contain be-
tween 100000 and 100000 people, this
only desirable hotel, with a drinking gar
den and bar covering two-thirds OF the
ground floor, offers about 70 enormous
bare rooms foored with naked planking
averaging two feet in width and furnished
with artistically canopied Castillan beds,
which are representative of the name only
that they have a pillow for the head and
feet, as the bed proper is but cane woven
surface covered with sheet In fact, one
needs no covering and a coating of mosqui-
toes is always enough and more than sufii-
cient. The ceilings are ridiculously high
and the halls are unnecessarily broad, but
agreeably airy and well ''punkered."
The city itself is a mixture of Spanish
and Philippine architectural creations and
though chiefly built on Spanish ideas, with
innumerable medieval churches and an
Gent weather-worn public buildings and
palaces, there is a blending of native at
tempts and the typical matched houses OF
Filipinos prevails long before the city
limits are reached. The streets are paved
and broad and respectfully clean, with
many shaded parks and once well-working
| fountains; in fact, palm tree is more apt
| to adorn a corner than lamp-post and iti
services are more appreciated
Surrounded by the river on one side, g
moat on another and the bay on the front
| = IL ballad ~ Of Manila Fortified hX
strong wall with several gates and bu
recently protected by primitive bronze anC
| iron cannon.
Within, the buildings are mostly of ston'
and consist of the palaces and administra
tive buildings of the Spanish governors anC
officers, though at present they are tn
headquarters of Gen. Otis and United
States officials who are today issuing or
ders and planning battles in the magnifi
cent halls of the early Spanish Dons, who's
pictures still wear centuries of dust.
Along the water front for about a mile i
the "luneta" or boulevard of the city,
well-made and preserved driving road
bordered by regularly planted palm tree
and commanding from one end to the othe
a view of all Manila Bay and the distan
point, Cavite. At either end is a bant
stand, and it is on this "luneta" that tn
elite and the would-bes promenade ever,
night at about 4:30, enjoying the cool breez
which accompanies the. setting of the sui
(said to be the finest in the world), and lis
ten to the music-a custom usually neg
lected, but most acceptable and readil
adopted by the Americans, who now con
slider it the prize of the isle and show thei
appreciation by their patronage.
With an American military band in eac
stand and hundreds Of tropically dresses
Americans Officers and their wives) linin
the avenue with carriages, coupled with
cool zephyr from the bay, and the though
that the surroundings are part of the Unit
ed States, it requires but few notes of GU
national air to bring every soldier to atten
ton, cause every hat to be raised, an
make every loyal American proud of thi
garden-spot of the earth. And not alon
do the Americans respond, but the littl
Filipino drivers and footmen uncover thei
heads with seeming sincerity.
In a word, the contrast between the pee
pie of Japan and the Filipinos is mos
striking, since the latter have a high ide
of morality, are naturally clearly, have a
equal expression of personal pride in thei
clothing and dress and show all the respeC
to their superiors you'd expect from a rae
so long handicapped by unjust dictatio
and oppression, whereas the Japs will Gu
tivate anyone to an excess and neglect a
the others commensurately.
The human two-legged horse of the Or
emit is here unknown, and instead they hal
ness water-buffalo Called cariboo) to tive
wheeled carts for heavy work, and use th
little dwarfed Filipino pony for riding pu
poses, and its hardly ever one sees natiy
mother or belle in a carriage without
large Manila: cigar in her mouth often
mother with an unweaned babe in hC
arms will be seen in the window enjoyiu
a cool breeze, smoking a fat cigar in sol
comfort. The women wear a gauze still
ened fabric made of pineapple or banaI
] stalks fashioned most becomingly, and CT
low enough to make short suspenders us
less and a gentle zephyr feel like t.
phoon.
The men are really dressed and look ov,
loaded after three months of nakedness
Japan and China. Usually all Dire
{ in white duck trousers and wear a &C
larless blouse, on the pajama order,
the thinnest fruit fibre imaginable.
AS people of 10000, 900 souls, the d
ferent sections of the country are all he
. tile to each other and speak several dialec
which seem to be based on the Spanish la
guage. In many sections now in arms Of
tribe is only too glad to have Americl
support in attacking their ancient enemi
and the services of the subdued Macabeb
: are now very useful in campaigns again
the hostileTagalos. In Manila, however, &
8 natives seem to be most submissive and OF
dent, and give every evidence of becol
ing a well-behaved, industrious class