oily smooth, and fish jumped out of the water continually, the
sea-gulls swooping down upon them and carrying them off in their
talons. The sailors had been holy-stoning the decks and painting
every bit of available woodwork white, preparatory to our entrance
into Manila Bay, and the cable machinery for the nonce was still,
the native employees lounging about the lower decks, playing monte
or strumming their guitars in idle joy.

At sunset we all went aft to see Malindang for the last time. To
the southeast it stood stolidly against the flushed sky, a white
cloud about it, reminding one of some old Indian chief wrapped in
his blanket, passively watching the departure of the pale-faces who
had invaded his mighty solitude. To the north were Negros, Cebu, and
Siquijor; to the south Mindanao; and even far-distant Camaguin to the
east, with a faint wisp of smoke from its volcano. Then night came
upon us suddenly and blotted out Mount Never Pass--perhaps forever.

After our experiences in the far south, we found Oslob, Pasacao, and
Guinayangan strangely uninteresting, although at the beginning of our
cable trip I have no doubt we should have enjoyed them hugely. There
were the same curious natives who dogged our every footstep; the
same nipa shacks surrounded by palms and bamboos in the same dazzling
sunshine, of which no words or symbols or formulas could give one an
idea. There were the inevitable churches with decorations of faded
artificial flowers and much tarnished tinsel, the same wooden images
with large eyes and simpering little mouths, the same glaring chromos
of the Virgin and her angels.

In Oslob the church was further decorated by brown velvet portieres
being painted at each side of the long windows, an obvious advantage
in the event of house-cleaning, while the wooden pillars were also
stained to resemble marble. At the time of our visit women knelt on
the bare floor at their prayers, all wearing stiffly starched white
linen veils, which did not entirely conceal their fleshly interest
in ourselves, the while they told their rosaries with busy fingers.

Guinayangan had a wooden belfry to one side of its church, the bells
therein being made of metal arms captured from the Moros many years
before. We also noticed, on entering the church, a palanquin shaped
affair at one side of the door. This, we were told, was used by
the priest in processions, when altar boys dressed in scarlet and
white robes carry him thu