sh, though the geographers have generally adopted that orthography.
The Spanish name is _Las Islas Filipinas_."

"Thank you, Professor; and I think I understand it now," added Uncle
Moses.

"_Quiera V. ensenarme sus manillas, Signorina Blanche?_" said Louis with
a laugh. Of course she did not understand him; and he added, "Will you
show me your small hands, Miss Blanche?" But she did not do so.

"I should very much like to have all geographical names reduced to a
common standard, for I do not believe in translating proper names," said
the commander. "I have been sometimes greatly bothered by the difference
in names. When I came to Aachen in Belgium, I did not know where I was
till I looked in my guide-book, and found it was Aix-la-Chapelle.
Vienna has about three or four different names, and people there would
not know what you meant if you called it as we do, or Vienne as the
French write and spell it."

"I think you are quite right, Mr. Commander," added the professor.

"But I have a few words to say about our voyage; for I find it necessary
to repress the ambition of some of my passengers," continued the
captain. "Some of them wish to visit all the Philippine Islands, and
there are about two thousand of them."

"Oh! oh! oh!" groaned some of the party.

"But the number I gave includes every rock, reef, and shoal that lifts
its head above the water. Some call it twelve hundred. We will not stay
to count them; but there are many of them big enough to have quite a
number of towns on them. I wish to announce that it will not be possible
for us to go to any of them except Manila, spelled with one _l_, and
make an excursion up the Pasig River, and to the lake. But the ambition
of the party is more expansive in regard to China and Japan. As I have
told you, we can take only a specimen city in each country we visit.
Hong-Kong and Canton in China, with some more northern port or city not
yet selected, will be enough to give us an idea of the Central Flowery
Nation."

The party left the cabin, and went on deck to study the map of the
islands they were to visit.

CHAPTER XXVII

SOME ACCOUNT OF THE PHILIPPINES

The Guardian-Mother continued on her course without encountering either
typhoon or other tempest, and her passengers kept very comfortable under
the awnings. The ship was in about 10 deg. of north latitude and 110 deg. of
east longitude. She was sailing with the wind nearly dead ahead, and
therefore t