GOING ON SHORE IN MANILA
The ship had slowed down in the afternoon, and reached the entrance of
Manila Bay about eight bells, or four o'clock in the morning. At the
Boca Grande she had taken a pilot; but she still had twenty-five miles
to run. She had come in by the larger of the two passages, formed by a
group of islands, both of which are called "mouths" (_bocas_); and the
smaller of them is the Boca Chica. The Blanche had followed the example
of the Guardian-Mother in slowing down, and had taken a pilot at about
the same time.
The passengers had asked the steward on watch in the cabin to call them
at half-past five, and they were all on deck as soon as it was light
enough for them to see the shore clearly. But the bay is so large that
they could make out the shores only ahead of the ship. They could see
the mountains in the distance, with a lower stretch of land between them
and the low ground of the shore. All that they could observe was
tropical verdure, with lofty palms on every hand. The low ground,
covered with water in the rainy season, was planted with rice-fields.
The ladies declared that the view was lovely; and certainly it presented
variety enough, with the high lands in the background, and the rich and
luxuriant growth near the bay. The pilot was a Spaniard who could speak
a little English; and the commander ordered him to bring the ship to
anchor at a safe place, as near as convenient off the end of the two
piers at the mouth of Pasig. The Blanche took a position abreast of her,
off the fort, while the first was off the lighthouse.
The health-officer came on board, and by this time it was after sunrise.
He was blandly received by the commander, as every official or visitor
was, and the conversation was carried on in English. All the ship's
company and the passengers were mustered on the upper deck. The papers,
including lists of all the persons on board, were examined, and compared
with the number presented, which made it clear that no one was sick in
his stateroom or in the forecastle.
The custom-house officers were not far behind, and the character of the
steamer was explained. There was no manifest, for there was no cargo to
be invoiced. The principal officer was very minute in his inquiry, and
not particularly courteous. He was evidently impressed by his authority;
and the captain did not invite him to breakfast, as he would have done
if he had been somewhat less conscious of the magnitude of his office.
The duties on merchandise brought into the islands were formerly
discriminating in favor of Spanish vessels, which caused other
merchantmen to avoid the port to its commercial injury; but about
twenty years before a uniform tariff was established, without regard to
the flag under which the ship sailed, and all export duties were
abolished. The official went over the ship, and the arrangement of her
accommodations ought to have been enough to convince the man that the
vessel was a pleasure yacht. The self-sufficient officer retreated in
good order when he had completed his examination, leaving a subordinate
on board to see that no merchandise was landed. The latter was a
gentlemanly person, spoke English, and was disposed to make himself
agreeable. He was invited to breakfast in the cabin.
The passengers had seated themselves on the promenade during the
official examination, observing all the proceedings, and watching the
boats in sight, some of which were different from anything they had seen
before. They were near enough to the piers to see some distance up the
river. Of course the Blanche was subjected to the same examination; but
a different set of officials had boarded her, and completed their work
in a much shorter time. It could be seen that her crew were putting the
steam-launch into the water.
"The Blanchita will be exceedingly serviceable here," said the
commander, who had taken a stand near the steps of the promenade. "We
can go on shore, and land anywhere we please; for there are quays all
along the river."
"Boat coming down the river with the American flag at the stern,
Captain Ringgold," said Mr. Scott, saluting the commander.
"Our consul probably," added the captain. "Would you like to go to a
hotel in Manila, ladies?" asked he.
No one answered the question, but three of them glanced at Mrs.
Belgrave, as though they expected her to reply; but she made no sign.
"You don't answer, ladies," added the captain.
"We are waiting for Mrs. Belgrave to speak," said Mrs. Woolridge.
"I beg you will excuse me," said that lady, laughing. "I do not know why
I am expected to voice the sentiments of the party."
"Because, like the wife of the President of the United States at home,
you are the first lady on board," returned the wife of the magnate of
the Fifth Avenue. "Your son is the owner of the Guardian-Mother, and you
are the mother for whom the ship is named."
"I most respectfully decline to be so regarded; and if I have ever put
on any airs, I will repent and reform," replied Mrs. Belgrave, laughing
all the while.
"You have never put on airs, or assumed anything at all," protested Mrs.
Woolridge.
"I consider my son a very good boy, and an earnest advocate of fair play
with others," continued the "first lady" more seriously; and all the
party heartily approved the remark. "Louis found that the other members
of the 'Big Four' were disposed to rely upon him, and wished to do as he
desired. On the Borneo question he took a secret ballot, and would not
express his own opinion till the vote was declared, though he voted
himself. Every one voted for himself, and could not have been influenced
by his desire. I propose to follow my son's example. I wish the
commander to be guided by the views of all rather than mine."
All the passengers, gentlemen included, applauded her unselfish stand.
The lady tore off a blank leaf from a letter she took from her pocket,
and made it into twelve pieces, which she proceeded to distribute among
the passengers.
"I think the gentlemen are just as much interested in the question as
the ladies; and I invite them to vote, Mr. Scott included. The question
is, Shall we go to a hotel in Manila, or live on board of the ship,"
said the lady. "You will vote yes or no; yes for the hotel, and no for
the ship."
"Perhaps I ought to inform you before you vote that there are at least
three hotels in Manila,--the Catalana, the Universo, and the Madrid. Of
the merits of each I cannot speak; but we can obtain correct information
before we go to any one of them, and probably there are more than I have
mentioned," interposed the commander, very much amused at the
proceedings.
"Please to separate now; and I put you on your honor to be secret, and
not consult any person in regard to your vote," Mrs. Belgrave added. "I
appoint Mr. Gaskette to collect, sort, and count the ballots. After
voting, please return to the promenade."
The passengers went individually to various corners, and wrote their
votes. The second officer collected them in his cap, and then went into
the pilot-house to make out his return. It required but three minutes to
do this, as there was no scattering votes; and he returned to the
promenade.
"Whole number of votes, 12; necessary to a choice, 7; Yes, 2, No, 10,
and the No's have carried it," read Mr. Gaskette, handing the paper to
Mrs. Belgrave, and retiring with a graceful bow.
"Yes means hotel, and no means ship," said the lady. "Mr. Commander, the
party have voted to live on board of the ship. I am willing to
acknowledge that I cast one of the two yes ballots. But I am infinitely
better satisfied than I should have been if I had influenced you the
other way. I hope you all consider that the thing has been fairly done."
"Boat coming alongside, sir," reported Mr. Scott to the captain.
"Another boat near, flying the English flag, headed for the Blanche."
Captain Ringgold hastened to the gangway to receive the occupant of the
boat, whoever he might prove to be. One of the men on the platform
brought him a card, on which he found the name of the American consul,
who mounted at once to the deck just as the gong sounded for breakfast.
"I am very glad to meet you, Mr. Webb, and to welcome you to my ship,
which is the steam-yacht Guardian-Mother, on a voyage around the world,"
said the captain, as he grasped the hand of the official. "Captain
Ringgold, at your service."
"I am very happy to meet you, Captain, for I have heard of you; and I
tender my services for any assistance I may be able to render to you and
your party," replied the consul.
"Now I will introduce you to the ladies and gentlemen on board, and you
will do us the honor to breakfast with us," added the commander, as he
took the arm of his guest, and conducted him to the promenade, where he
was duly presented to all the passengers individually.
Louis Belgrave was presented as the owner of the steamer, for the
captain never omitted to give him a prominent position. The breakfast
was the usual one; but it was always very nice, and Mr. Sage had hailed
a boat, and obtained some very fine fish for the meal. Mr. Webb was
placed on the right of the commander, Louis's usual place; but he was
glad enough always to get the seat next to Miss Blanche. The consul was
next to Mrs. Belgrave; and he found her very agreeable, as she never
failed to be.
"Now, what are we going to do here, Mr. Commander?" asked the "first
lady," as some had actually begun to call her already.
"We are going to see the city, of course," he replied.
"I feel for one as though we had already seen it, and I can see it all
in my mind's eye now," added the lady. "You and the professor have given
us such a minute account of the place and its surroundings that it seems
to me that I have taken it all in."
"I think most of us have," said Mrs. Woolridge; and several of the
company expressed themselves to the same effect.
"We have several books in the library about the city and the islands,
and some of us have read them all," suggested Louis.
"What books have you on board, Mr. Belgrave?" asked the consul.
"We have 'Twenty Years in the Philippines' by Monsieur de la Gironière,
which some say was written by Alexandre Dumas, but I don't know about
that; 'Travels in the Philippines,' by F. Jagor, with an epitome of the
work in _Harper's Magazine_; and we have Chambers's Encyclopædia,
Lippincott's Gazetteer of the present year, and some other works."
"You seem to be well provided with information, and with the best
extant, unless you consult the archives of Spain at Madrid," returned
the consul.
"The Blanchita is coming alongside, Captain," said Mr. Scott, to whom a
message to this effect had been sent down by the officer of the deck.
The breakfast was nearly finished when the word came; and the party soon
went on deck, where they found all the passengers of the Blanche and the
British consul. The usual hugging and kissing on the part of the ladies
and handshaking by the gentlemen followed, and the two consuls were duly
presented to all.
"It is time for us to go on shore," said General Noury, looking at his
watch. "The Blanchita is at the gangway, and I have engaged a pilot for
her. Of course you are all invited to go on shore in her."
The two consuls volunteered to act as guides; and the company took their
places in the launch, which was large enough to accommodate double the
number. The pilot took her into the river; and if the ears of the
tourists had been filled full of Manila, there was plenty for the eyes
to take in, and it was not five minutes after they passed the lighthouse
before most of the passengers were laughing at some of the queer
costumes worn by the people.
They passed a craft which Mr. Webb called a passage-boat. It was a sort
of canoe, manned by three men, two of them rowing, and one working a
paddle to steer her. Over the after part was an awning, made of the big
leaves of the nipa palm; and under it were two men and two women, bound
up the river. But a freight-boat interested the young men most. The hull
of it looked more like a canal-boat than any other craft they could
think of. The planking of the sides extended a little higher up forward
and aft than amidships; and the whole was covered with an arched roof
woven on hoops, like those of a baggage-wagon, with palm leaves. The
portion at the bow and stern could be removed, as the whole could. The
man at the helm was under the stern section of the cover, and it was
lifted about a foot to enable him to look ahead.
A wide plank was secured on iron brackets fastened to each side of the
craft, on which were two men poling the boat up the stream. It was so
far like the mud-scows formerly in use on some of the waters of New
England, except that the men who worked her with poles walked on the
gunwale of the scow. The boys watched it till it passed out of view
astern. The Blanchita made a landing near the bridge, on the Binondo
side; and all the passengers went on shore.