Islands. Nothing of importance
occurred during this part of our voyage.

The next port we touched at was Manilla, the capital of the Philippine
Islands, which belong to Spain. On approaching the anchorage we passed
the naval arsenal of Caveti, situated in the bay about nine miles south
of the capital. Having come to an anchor, Mr Hooker invited us to
accompany him on a visit to Caveti. It cannot boast much of its present
glory, but it contained a curiosity--a Spanish galleon--probably one of
the last in existence, then rotting in the basin. We gazed with
interest at the high, ornamented, carved stern with its great lanterns,
its bow adorned in the same manner with carved work. We wondered how
such cumbersome-looking craft could get through with safety the long
voyages they performed. Returning to the ship in the cool of the
evening, we rowed up to Manilla, which is well situated at the mouth of
the river Pasig. This river runs down from a number of lakes, one
beyond another, the nearest of which is about three leagues eastward of
the city. We spent that night on shore at a hotel, and the following
day accompanied Mr Hooker on an expedition to the lakes. We engaged a
curious canoe paddled by Indians, who sat in the bow and stern, while we
occupied the centre. Part of this was covered over with mats, supported
on arched bamboos, which sheltered us at night from the dews, and in the
day-time from the sun. On either side of the river were the country
houses and gardens of the inhabitants. The river was very muddy and the
scenery not particularly interesting, so that we began to be somewhat
disappointed. It was growing dark when we approached the entrance to
the lakes. Sleep then overcame us, but our canoe-men continued paddling
on at a slow pace during the night.

When we awoke in the morning we found ourselves in a scene so totally
different that it seemed almost like enchantment. The mountains came
sloping down from the sky to the very water's edge, while numberless
picturesque Indian villages, built of the very useful bamboo, lined the
shores. Earthquakes prevailing in this region, has prevented the people
erecting any lofty edifices, while a bamboo hut will stand any amount of
shaking without being brought to the ground. By a hurricane, however,
they are easily overthrown. Over the wide expanse of water, which was
blue and clear like that of the ocean, fish of various sorts were rising
to the surfac