The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1903-04-21
TIT: HEART
OF MANILA
Mr.. c. K. Schafer Writes OF
Philippine Journey.
Letter to Review Telling of Inland
Voyage to Our New Posses
siOns.
Special to Review.


SiOnS.
Special to Review.
Having for some time great longing
to circumnavigate the Laguna de Bay
which lies few miles from Manila,
and is connected with Manila Bay by
the River Pasig, and obliged to take
our vacation before January 1st, or
lose it forever. l, in company with a
fellow clerk applied for and had grant
ed three days leave of absence. We
"per diem men are allowed only fif-
teen days each year, and must be here
one year before we are entitled to any,
and it is not accumulative either The
day after our vacation was granted,
the Commandment announced that owing
to tie presence of the whole Asiatic
fleet, he had decided to grant
no more leaves, So we counted our
selves fortunate to get away.
There are no boats leaving here for
Manila early in the morning, so we are
forced to take the native ferry on the
p M. previous TO our start, The Com
pany now affords passage to Manila or
vice versa, four times daily which is an
Improvement over the old plan. But
whereas the fare used to be zoe Mex. it
is now Ace and loo extra if you desire a
chair, But even that is not so excess.
i've as the distance is about 10 miles and
affords one an hours delightful ride,
when the weather is fair. A light rain
had fallen, so that navigation when we
arrived at Manila, was not delightful
pastime. You know it is winter here,
too, and the days which ,are never long.
are noticeable for their shortness.
While they do vary in summer and
winter, the extremes are not so great
as at home. Or January the End the
sun rose at 6:2l and set at $40, but it
must be remembered that we have
very little twilight. so in effect, the
days are shorter than the figures would
indicate.
The main shops or stores on the Es-
Gotta, which is the.main street of Man :
lila, close at 2 P. NJ, SO there is little
opportunity for shopping, and we seek
our downy (?) touches, Perhaps a, de-.
scription of our beds would prove Of
interest to some readers. They are
composed of hardwood frame across
which is woven cane splints very sim
liar TO the hand-work of cane-bot.
tom chair. So you may Judge of the
buoyant (o) feeling one experiences
when, wearied by the labors of the dav.
he gingerly reclines on one of these
| sleeping machines. These frames are
supported by four carved, jointed posts
about SIX feet high, and around their
tops is fixed light roof which is to be
covered with cloth which is useful in
keeping off lizards and other loose rep
tiles that might desire to turn hand
spring from the ceiling and dexterous
ly alight on your person. OF course a
mosquito,net is suspended from the posts
for think no one, at least no white
person, will care to combat mosqui-
toes when they are having a reunion
in your domicile. 1. personally, have
not seen centipee, but they too must
pause in thei: search for gore when
they reach the netting, unless, per-
chance, your hand is flung IN blissful
Inn n,f
ting.
If you wish to fix up your couch more
artistically, you may gracefully drape
some lace IA to Is inches wide, from
your roof and also from your bed frame
Over the cane is spread a grass mat
aud then sheet and pillow com
plete the accoutrements. OF course we
have blankets with which to cover,
but.at some hotels, these are omitted
from the furnishings. The desira-
bility of jointed bed-posts is obvious
when you wish to move. for then they
are disjointed, the roof laid on the bed
frame, aud the posts piled on that. to-
gether with any bedding and two
"hombres" will trot off with itas nice as
you please. Thescost of these indispen-
sable outfits is $l4. Mex. for the cheap.
est single bed, to $3.50 Mex. or more
fora "matrimony" bed, depending upon
the amount of wood and the carving
These latter are sometimes nearly six
feet wide, and | believe, could stow
away an entire Filipino family if laid
as thick as sometimes have seen them.
However, they are intended for two
persons only.
Well, we retired in due form. and
when we were not awake, we slept,
perhaps only to dream of bold intru.
ders and ousting them successfully, for
our doors would not admit of being
locked And in due course of time we
arose, for our boat leaves at A. NJ.
and we must breakfast before leaving
1t was Sunday, December, 21st., and