The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-08-19
CAv1TE, P. 1. Jelly grid

teaSt portion OF your readers.
first wish to mention tina! a party of
four, including myself again went to see vol
cano Taal, the others for the first time and
to get down into the crater if possible.
We went by the same route as before and
got standing room, atleast, on one OF the
native river and lake boats. Before we
were started an hour we encountered a
bar in the river and ran aground. Boats
before and after US got stalled, so our mis-
cry had company. We maneuvered a
round for an hour and a half before pass
ing the shallow portions of the river which
in the winter months, is liable to be
serious menace to the river craft Ihe
boats only draw about four feet of water
too
Our boat landed freight and passengers
at five or six small towns or barrios on the
Luguna de Bay SO it was after 20 p, m.
when we arrived at Calamba. friend OF
ours, Rev. 7. E. Shook, Presbyterian mis-
sionary to the natives, met US, and by the
aid of his knowledge of Tagaog, we Sc
cured couple of carramatas to take US on
our Journey The rice in the irrigated
paddles was looking luxuriant and green,
which was about the only signs of aggres
sive agriculture we met with. The orange
trees which before had held aloof such
quantity of fruit were now barren. Ban
ruas also we're scarce.
Our driver refused to take US to Lake
Taal that same evening, so we we're oblig-
ed to stay at Tanauan again. We did
not care much, for the remainder of the
road was rough and. the ladrones are not
all dead or in prison. Next morning we
got an early start and succeeded in getting
across the lake and to the island itself by
o'clock. The part of the island where
we landed had vegetation only near the
shore so when we assembled little we
walked over barren field of lava In due
time we reached the top and stood for
awhile looking down and around at the
vapors arising from the assures at the
sides and the craters within.
Our boatmen who came with US pointed
out the zig gag path which one must take
reach the bottom. The sides are SO pre-
cipitous that we decendea in the shade I'M
til we were nearly at the bottom We as
cended the rim of the first inside crater,
and looked over the edge, but found we
would have to go around to get to the next
rim. Dry gulches and beds of streams in
terrupted our path, but we got around
safely. A part of the basin which in the
wet season is covered with water and
other liquid, is now dry sand, SO we could
walk out on it if we cared to do so. did
not care to do so however. In the bed of
one ravine we found some greenish yellow
mud which may have contained much sui
phur Indeed we found numerous sulphur
rock scattered ..around The appearance
of some of the stone would indicate that
that had been elected in recent years. AT
ter another short climb we got fairly close
to one of the active pots of liquid, but the
wind varied so that the vapors of sulphur
and birthstone were waited in our direc-
ton with frequency which babe US come
no closer. AS it was, several times while
we we're gazing. we had to run down the
slopes to escape the stiffling fumes when a
cloud rolled over us. We took some pic
lures there; picked up some stone and Ia
va then turned our faces homeward The
ascent was more difficult than coming
down, and one man came near getting
used up for the sun now shone down with
penetrating force.
We reached our banca about o'clock
and ate our lunch, after which we started
for the other side. But the wind was
against US, and blowing hard, and our
crew made little progress against il and in
an hour we were not forty rods from our
starting place. We then put to shore and
tried to push the boat along in the shallow
water but that presented difficulties too.
so we concluded to wait for the wind to &C
down We waited all night. Our pro-
visions were nearly exhausted and the few
native dwellers on the island had nothin E
we cared to eat, we got chicken though
and boiled it in dirty looking earther
vessel and did very nicely. A fire of BAN
boos built beside some pampas grass KEEP
US warm and we laid right down on the
ground and took rest. The moon rose
about a. m. and by its feint light we go
away once more Though the wind hae
gone down considerable. yetit was nearly
four hours before our crew got us across
the lake. 1t was so late we had given NJ
hopes of reaching the boat at Calamba. 81
we first breakfasted Our ''cocheros'
were hitched up and waiting for US and W.
started off at a lively clip and kept it W
till we got to Calamba. The boat was lat
and had pulled out about half hour be
fore, So hgur ...vely speaking, we kicke'
ourselves for not starting before breakfast
Our forced stay at Ca,amba was no