The suburban citizen., 1900-06-09
SOCIAL LIFE IN MANILA.
THE SCENE ON THE LUNETA IS
BIZARRE AND COSMOPOLITAN.


HYHE fashionable life OF Lon
y. don, Paris or New York cuts
only a small figure in Ma
nila, but the dictates of local
custom are almost as exact as in any
Of these society centres, writes Ethe-
lyn Emery Hutton, in the Chicago
Record. The hours for performing
social duties and the manner of doing
are very we'll understood and closely
observed in this far Eastern city.
The activity of the people begins
early in the day, rests and sleeps in
midday, reaches it's most exciting
hours about sunset, follows on its
enjoyment until midnight or after and
sleeps again. The English and Span
ish people exercise early--before the
heat of day.-do their shopping about
nine or ten, have a light luncheon
about one in the afternoon, sleep,
have afternoon tea, take a cold bath
and dress to go out at 4.3O or D
O'Clock. The best period of the day
begins about this time. Every one
drives, and after calls the Luneta is
the objective point for all. Here a
band plays daily at $50.
The scene on the Luneta is very
bizarre and cosmopolitan. Spanish,
English, Swiss, German, East Indian,
| Chinese, native aud Mestize men and
women mingle with the strong major
ity of Americans. Imagine the va
riety of colors in the grouping of high
Roman Catholic bishops and dignita-
ries, white-robed priests, black friars,
both Spanish and Filipino, American
officers in white duck or khaki, Amer
lean soldiers in brown and released
Spanish prisoners in bluo, wealthy
Chinese merchants in heliotrope, blue
or white silk, East Indians from Bonn
bay in queer skirts, Spanish women
with enormous pompadour coifures
and painted faces, English women in
French hats, native women in the ma
tional dress of the Filipinos, Ameri-
can women in light, thin gowns, Chi
nese nursemaids in long blue coats
and black trousers, caring for the
children of English, Spanish and
American families. The interming'
ling of all these people is the pleas
ant social feature of the day-to-day
life. Everybody comes out to see
his friends, to hear the mlsic and to
see the glorious sunset.
The Luneta drive is large loop on
the bay shore, with the center within
the oval elevated for q promenade.
The bandstand is in the middle Of the
promenading space, large fountains at
either end Stone seats are scattered
about freely. The view is toward the
open sea across Manila bay. On a
clear day Cavite, in front of which
place the sunken Spanish hulks lie,
may be seen. Beyond and further
ont lies the island of Corregidor,
whose Aashlight Admiral Dewey
passed in safety the night before the
battle of the 1st of May. Over the
horizon the sun drops with truly
tropical garishness. After the sun
has gone and the short twilight has
passed the Luneta blazes with electric
light.
The drive and promenade continue
along the bay shore to the mouth ol
the river, the smooth course lying
between rows of palms and under the
shadows of the gray walls of the old
city, from whose parapets the great
guns of the Spanish threatened q
stern punishment for all trespassers
This inviting road, called Malacan
drive, ends in q small circle about 9
little garden of palms aud tropical
plants, where are fountain, a monu'
ment to Simon de Anda and band.
stand. The curve extends along the
bank to old Fort Santiago, which
commands the entrance ia the river,
standing gray and formidable in the
near distance.
A never-ending line of carriages,
moving always to the right, passes
around the Luneta; two or three
lines stop along the curb of the prom
enade or Of the beach side of the road,
and there is much visiting going on.
People speed past one another down
the Malacan drive to Simon de And0
monumeut-for the native coachmau
loves to drive as fast as he can-stor
there and listen to the music or watch
the boats on the Pasig River, and rqn
back to the Luneta, only to repeat the
above performance or to join the
groups of carriages assembled there.
Spaniards ere fond of good horses
of high mettle and one sees during al
evening on the Luneta many we'll
matched pairs of fat little native horses
which really have quite bit of speed
although their gait is of the toddling
order. Spaniards and Englishmen il
Manila seldom drive their own horses
so the favorite carriage is a low vic
toria with a high seat for the native
cochero. The calesa, two wheeled
cart with a cochero's seat behind
driven with one horse, is quite
popular with the Americans and som,
others who enjoy driving. The CARO-
mata is liked by the bachelors. It ii
also two. wheeled, with one horse, but
the coachman drives from a small sea
in front. One sees occasionally
brougham, quilez OF four-wheelet
calesa.
Dinner follows upon coming home