The National tribune., 1902-04-17

the composer of the air just played. How
ever, it was comprehended that this par
ticular tune was not the one we desired
to hear, and so he made few preliminary
flOurishes again, and then gave us "Oh,
Dem Golden Slippers" This time we
only smiled, while Col. Summers, who
acted as spokesman for the party, beat
time with his foot SO pleasantly that the
musician continued to the end, quite
pleased to have struck something salts
factory TO US. Then we again tried TO
explain that those were American pieces,
fact they did not know before, as they
had foated in with whaling ships, which
were accustomed to put in at Guam for
provisions and water, and that we wanted
brought out very pretty Spanish sere-
made.
We then tried our hand at getting a ma
tive dance, but with the same general re
suits. After deal of urging, the dreamy
musician and q slip of girl stood up,
while we watched with a great deal of
| interest the preliminaries that promised us
something new and strange. Finally they
clinched and started around the floor in Il
slow and listless waltz. Again the laugh
was on US. Col. Summers did his utmost
to explain that this was not what we
wanted; that we did that kind of dancing
ourselves. The Presidente nodded intelli-
gently and spoke a few sharp words. The
dreamy musician took his seat and began
playing lively air, while the girl re-
| manned on the floor and gave us a Span
| .sh dance Of some sort, such as Carmen
might have given if she were very tired
and had lost her ear for music. This con-
| Guided our first effort to see and hear ma
| tive dances and music of the Philippines,
and we learned later, as ! have said, that
III and around Manila, ut least, nothing
| If the kind exists.
These visits to the little shops Of Ca
yite became daily and nightly affairs. They
were our schools for the learning Of Span
| Ish, in which many Of use made such pro-
gress that when the army entered Manila
we were able to perform our provost
| guard duty there without the constant use
| Of interpreters, the latter being called into
service only in extended conversations and
| negotiations.
The only drink to be had in these shops
! beside cheap wine, was vinO the native al
,Ohol product Of sugar, favored with anise,
and called anisado, and n dark, heavy
Deer, made in Manila, of which there was
a small supply in bottles, which was soon
| exhausted. Without ice, in so warm a
climate this was tasteless enough, but the
American habit Of treating was irrepres-
Sible, and we never visited one Of these
shops without buying something.
A NIPA VILLAGE.
But it was in the native village Of San
| Rogue where we saw the Filipino more
IN his native state. Here lived the labor
ers in the Cayite machine shops, the steve
dOres, the drivers of carromataS, fisher
men, etc. With but few exceptions the
houses of San Rogue were Of the genuine
native bamboo style, matched with leaves
Of the nipa palm and known as nipa huts.
The streets Were narrow, and looked as
though they had been laid out on the
Boston plan of following the COW trails
while an almost continuous fence of close
ly-set bamboo palings lined them on either
side. In the center Of the town was a
market, partly under cover and partly
open, which | visited often TO make pur-
chases for my company or my own mess
1t was the dirtieSt, muddicst place
ever saw devoted to the sale of things to
eat. though the things themselves were
kept clean enough. The continuous rains
and the tramping Of the crowds kept the
ground in front Of the stalls mucky, which
the Filipinos, with their bare feet OF
wooden sOled shoes seemed not to mind in
the least. Similar markets ! have visited
in Manila and other LuZOn cities, but
they were all under cover and more agree
able, except as to smell. In that partic
ular, they had no advantage, but rather
!, being larger, were at a disadvantage, as
. the smell was in proportion to the size
Of the market.
Il There were stalls for the sale of fish
: musscls and very poor quality Of native
/ oysters; others where pork was cut uI
and sold in small pieces; others devoted
10 the sale Of cgarets, cigars, tobacco and
small nick-nacks, and still others where
cloth, combs, etc, We're kept, while Others
dealt in rice, vegetables, green corn and
fruit. Squatted about on the ground
t wherever a dry enough place could be
found, were small dealers in kindred arti
cles to those kept in the stalls, as well
; as women with bamboo baskets of chick,
ems and eggs. My own purchases were
confined to chickens, eggs, squash, fish and
a very poor quality of sweet potatoes, mus
sells and corn.
found that dine was the es sence of q
; contract with a Filipino, for even 5-cent
( purchase had to be haggled over in order
to get the worth of ones money. The ORR
entail custom Of asking two prices and
} gradually coming down to one under q
, sharp crossfre Of bargaining obtains in the