The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-01-04

esque, being surrounded by thirty-foot
wall, very broad at the base and tapering
toward the top. The top, however, is broad
enough TO permit the passage of two We
hicles. This wall is tunneled in many places
by huge gates, many of which still have
the remains of the>old portculis and draw
bridge across the moat. On one side of
each gate the wall Is tunneled TO form
guardroom and dungeons. Stone tablets
over the gates carry the Spanish coat-of-
arms and the date of the formation of the
opening Some of these are over three hun
dred years old. that the wall itself must
be even older. The wall surrounds the city
in general elliptical form. the west SIDE
facing the bay about two hundred yards
from the water line, the north wall abut-
ting the south bank of the river, the east
wall paralleled by broad moat which Is
now a morass filled with aquatic plants,
weeds, wild rice and flags, while the south
end faces the famous Luneta, the Champs
d'Elysees of Manila.
PATRONIZE THE BOULEVARD.
This Luneta resembles an oval race
course of about a third of mile track.
The boulevard around it is broad and is
thronged every evening by residents of the
city who come out to enjoy the ocean
breeze and listen to the band concert given
by one of the military bands. which vie
with each other in the excellence of their
productions and alternate in their use Of
the quaint pagoda-like bandstands at the
north and south segments of an inner cir
cle This inner plot of ground is covered
with a finely-cared-for sod, has broad walks
and numbers of rustic seats for the weary.
On pleasant evenings. and allow me to
state that inclement evenings are very rare
here, all Manila may be seen in the Luneta.
The scene is most picturesque and thor
oughly cosmopolitan. The people of all ma
tions are present, with all their national
characteristics of dress, habits, vehicles
and customs. First comes a Chinese car
gadore,' with heavy loads depending from
either end of pole balanced across his
shoulders and wearing a palm-leaf hat a
yard in diameter, pair of short white cot
ton breeches like bathing trunks. and a
pleasant smile--nothing else. Following him
comes a bunch of Negritos. just in from
the provinces, with their rude weapons in
their hands and clad solely in breech clout.
Then follow in quick Kaleidoscope effects,
high class japanese and Chinese in all
their Oriental finery; Russians. with their
heavy. hot-looking clothing; Singalese.
with their white drapery and variegated
turbans wound round their heads; beach
combers, tramps are called here; globe
trotters. from every civilized nation; Amer
lean army officers. American and foreign
naval officers. with their varied style and
cut of uniform, and the whole literally
sprinkled with the ever rough and ready
kahki-covered American soldiers. Imagine
this cosmopolitan parade with a back
ground consisting of a beautiful tropical
sunset making opalescent the clear waters
of the bay. and outlining the forest OF
masts and tunnels of the mighty fleet al
ways anchored here. and you may. perhaps.
realize the blessing of an hours rest on the
Luneta after an arduous days work.
After a years residence 1 feel qualified
to speak about the weather, and the ex-
preston. tropical sunset may lead you to
think seriously of the heat here. have
never experienced the effects of heat In
Manila as / have in Washington and In
dianapolis. The temperature here varies but