When the company gathered in Conference Hall, Louis was introduced as the speaker for the occasion, and promptly presented himself before his audience.

"I have very little to say, Mr. Commander, for General Noury has covered the whole subject under the head of Cochin China," he began. "What is more particularly known as French Cochin China contains 23,000 square miles, and a population of 1,800,000. The part in the north is called French Indo-China. The country is precisely that described so carefully by the general, and I need not repeat it. The Cambodia, or Mekhong River, flows through it with many bayous or cut-offs. On one of these, which is called the Saigon River, is the city of Saigon, the capital of the French possessions in the East, Lippincott says thirty-five miles, and Chambers sixty miles, from the China Sea; and of course both of them cannot be right, and you are all at liberty to take your choice. The town has grown up within the last thirty-two years; and, after the style of French cities, it is handsomely laid out, with fine streets, squares and boulevards. It contains numerous canals, with stone or brick quays; and perhaps it will remind you of Paris along the Seine. It is said to be one of the handsomest cities of the East. It has a navy-yard and citadel, and is the most important port between Hong-Kong and Singapore. The people are French, Annamese, and Chinese. It has a large trade, and contains two colleges, an orphan asylum, a splendid botanical garden, to say nothing of convents and other institutions. The population is put by one at ninety thousand, and by another at about half that number. I have nothing more to say."

Louis retired, and the next day the ship arrived at Saigon.



CHAPTER XXII

IN THE DOMINIONS OF THE FRENCH

It was not a long voyage from Bangkok to the mouth of the Mekhong River; and the sight of land was not as thrilling an incident as it had often been in the experience of the voyagers, and they were not in condition to appreciate the feelings of Captain Columbus when Watling's Island broke on his vision four hundred years before. It had been smooth sailing all the way; the Gulf of Siam had been as gentle and affectionate as a maiden among the flowers, and the China Sea was scarcely more ruffled.

Mr. Gaskette had finished up his new map of Cochin China, so that it was as creditable to his skill and taste as his former efforts had been; and it was displayed on the frame in Conference Hall, which was the usual sitting apartment of the company, though some of them did a great deal of walking on the promenade deck. The water was deeper inshore than farther out at sea, where several spots were marked at eight fathoms; and the passengers had a view of the land before they were within a hundred miles of the entrance of Saigon River.

"There is a broad opening in the coast, which must be the Cambodia, or Mekhong River," said Morris.

"That is Batac Bay, with a large island in the middle of it," replied Captain Ringgold. "It is one of the mouths of the Mekhong; for there is a Delta here extending about a hundred miles, the Saigon River being the most easterly."

"Mekhong seems to me a new word, though doubtless it was the native name of the great river; but when I went to school we never called it anything but the Cambodia," added Uncle Moses.

"It is now called by both names, and both are usually found on the maps and charts," said the commander.

A couple of hours later he pointed out the mouth of the great river. All the land was very low, and much of it was sometimes under water. Felix had become the owner of an excellent spy-glass, which he had purchased at second-hand at Aden; and he made abundant use of it. It was too large to be worn in a sling at his side, and he always carried it in his hand when the ship was in sight of land. After lunch, in the middle of the afternoon, he stationed himself in front of the pilot-house, and kept a sharp lookout ahead.

"Saigon light!" he shouted, some time before it could be made out without a glass.

The steamer was headed for Cape St. Jacques, near the entrance to the river by which she was to reach the city. The light soon came into view, and a boat was seen pulling out of the mouth. The signal for a pilot had been displayed on the ship, and one of the men in it was believed to be the person desired. The screw was stopped as he approached her, and the ladder lowered for his ascent to the deck. As usual, all the passengers wanted to see him. He was an old man, or at least well along in years.

"Good-day, sir," said Louis, who had gone to the main deck with the third officer to receive him; and he spoke to him in French.

He was conducted to the promenade deck, and presented to the captain. He said that he was born in France, but had been in Cochin China nearly thirty years. He was first sent down to Monsieur Odervie for a lunch after he had given the course, and the ship continued on her way. The cook was very glad to meet a compatriot; and, as he was getting dinner, he had several nice dishes, from which he treated his new friend. But the pilot's services were soon needed in the pilot-house. He spoke a little English, consisting mainly of nautical terms.

He took his place on the starboard side of the wheel, with Quartermaster Bangs on the other side, steering himself; perhaps because he was not willing to trust his English in giving orders. But the quartermaster seconded all his movements, and they steered together in silence. The ship was soon well in the river, and the passengers had enough to do in observing the shores on both sides.

There were many openings in the banks of bayous and cut-offs, and the land was as flat as it had been during the last hundred miles of the voyage. The soil was very rich, and produced abundant crops where it was cultivated. A very few villages were to be seen; but each of them had its temple or pagoda, and the houses hardly differed from those they had seen in Siam.

"I suppose this is all an alluvial soil, Brother Avoirdupois," said Dr. Hawkes, as the ship was passing a rice-field.

"So say the books I have consulted, Brother Adipose Tissue. It is just the right land for rice, and that is the staple product of all this region," replied Uncle Moses.

Both of these gentlemen weighed about two hundred and twenty-six pounds apiece, and they continued to call each other by the appropriate names they had given each other even before the ship left New York on her voyage all over the world.

"What is alluvial soil, Doctor?" asked Mrs. Blossom, who had read very little besides her Bible and denominational newspaper.

"It is the soil or mud which is brought to its location by the action of water; and here it is brought down by the mighty river which spreads itself out into a delta where we are," replied the doctor good-naturedly, and without a smile at the ignorance of the worthy lady; for though her education had been greatly neglected, she was esteemed and respected by all on board, for in sickness she had been the nurse of the patients. "It is just the right soil for rice," he added.

"I have seen so many rice-fields out here, that I should like to know something more about them," suggested the good lady.

"Naturalists class it as a kind of grass; but I will not vex you with any hard words. Rice is the food of about one-third of all the people on the globe. It requires heat and moisture for its growth, and it is raised in considerable quantities on the low lands of Georgia and South Carolina and elsewhere in our country. The plant grows from one to six feet high. I don't know much about the culture of this grain in the East; but in South Carolina they first dig trenches, in the bottom of which the rice is sown in rows eighteen inches apart. The plantation is prepared so that water can be let in and drawn off as desired. As soon as the seed is sown, the water is let in till the ground is covered to the depth of several inches. As soon as the rice comes up, the water is drawn off, and the plant grows in the open air rapidly under the hot sun. The field is again flooded for a couple of weeks, to kill the weeds, and again when the grain is ripening. The rice is in a hull, like wheat and other grains; and you have found parts of this covering in the rice when you were cooking it. It is threshed out by hand or machinery after it is dried, and then it is ready for market. There is a rice-field on your right; and you can see the channels which have been dug to convey the water to the plants, or to draw it off," said the surgeon in conclusion.

"I see them, Dr. Hawkes; and I am very much obliged to you for taking so much pains to instruct an ignorant body like me," replied Mrs. Blossom.

"It is quite impossible for any of us to know everything, and I often find myself entirely ignorant in regard to some things; and I have lived long enough to forget many things that I learned when I was younger," added the doctor with a softening smile.

The villages increased in number and in size as the ship approached the city; though they were about the same thing, except that in the larger ones the temple was a handsomer structure.

"How far is it from the sea to Saigon?" asked Bangs, speaking to the pilot for the first time; but the Frenchman could not understand him, and the quartermaster called Louis in, who repeated the question in French.

"Sixty miles if you go one way; thirty-five by another," Louis translated the reply.

"That may account for the difference in the distance given in the books," said the captain, who was in the pilot-house. "But the information we obtain from what are considered the authorities is so various on the same subject that I don't know where the fault is."

"This is the largest village we have seen," said Louis to the pilot in French.

"Yes, sir; and the next place is Saigon," replied the Frenchman; but he was so much occupied with his duty that he would not talk much, even in his own language.

The city was soon in sight, and the pilot began to feel about for the bell-pull. He spoke to Louis, and the quartermaster was told to ring the speed-bell. A little later, off the town, the gong sounded for the screw to stop. The anchor was all ready, was let go, and the steamer swung round to her cable. The Blanche had not so readily obtained a pilot as her consort, and she was an hour behind her in arriving.

The Guardian-Mother was surrounded by boats as soon as she was at rest, but the boatmen kept their distance till the port physician and the custom-house officials came on board. Both ships passed the ordeal of the examination, and the boats closed up. They were manned by all sorts of people, and they were in all sorts of craft. The captain said that most of them were Chinese sampans, and the boatmen were of the same nation.

"There comes the Blanchita!" exclaimed Felix, who was walking about the deck with his spy-glass under his arm.

"They got her overboard in a very short time," said the captain, who had joined the company on the promenade. "I am glad she is coming, for I desire to see the general."

The gangway had already been rigged out; and the launch came alongside the platform, containing General Noury, his wife, the rajah, Captain and Mrs. Sharp, Dr. Henderson, the surgeon of the Blanche, and the French maid of the princess. They were warmly greeted on the platform by the commander and Louis, and the ladies were assisted from the boat. They mounted to the deck; and the usual hugging, kissing, and handshaking followed in the boudoir.

"I am glad you have come, General Noury," said Captain Ringgold, after he had shaken hands with everybody. "We have been shut up on shipboard for some time now; and as we have come to a French city, I propose to take my party to a hotel for a day or two. Of course you can do as you please, General."

"I like the idea, Captain, if there is a decent hotel here," replied the pacha. "What do you think, Zuleima?" he asked, turning to his wife.

"I like it very much; and the hotel cannot be any worse than some we have lived in on our yacht voyages," replied the princess.

"Here is the medical officer, and he can tell us something about the hotels," suggested the commander.

The doctor was consulted by the general in French, and he said the Hotel de l'Europe was very good. The entire party of both ships were invited to go on shore, and remain at the hotel. All of them accepted, including Captain Sharp and his wife. Those on board the Guardian-Mother went below to prepare for the shore, and the Blanchita returned to the Blanche for the same purpose. The gentlemen were on deck again in a few minutes.

"A visitor to see you, Mr. Scott," said a seaman, approaching the third officer as he came from the cabin.

"Captain Rayburn!" exclaimed Scott as soon as he caught sight of the visitor. "I am very glad to see you, Captain;" and the young officer grasped his hand.

"I am quite as pleased to see you, Captain Scott, though I hardly knew you," replied the English captain.

"I am no longer captain, though I am the third officer of this ship; and I did not wear my uniform when I met you at Kuching."

"How are the rest of your party?" inquired the captain of the Delhi.

"Very well, and here they are."

"I am delighted to see you on board of your own ship, Mr. Belgrave," said Captain Rayburn, rushing to the young millionaire as he came on deck with his bag in his hand.

Felix and Morris soon appeared, and gave the captain a hearty greeting. The commander happened to pass near them, and he was approached by Scott.

"Captain Ringgold, allow me to introduce Captain Rayburn, of the steamer Delhi, to whom the Borneo party are greatly indebted for his kindness; and the Blanchita sailed in company of his ship from Kuching to forty miles inside of Point Cambodia."

"Captain Rayburn, I am very happy to meet you; and I am glad of the opportunity to thank you for your kindness to my young men, and especially for standing by the Blanchita during the worst part of her voyage to Bangkok. But we are all going ashore at once to spend a day or two at the Hotel de l'Europe; and I cordially invite you to be my guest."

After some objections to the plan, he accepted the invitation. He was well dressed, and a gentleman in every sense of the word. He ordered the men in his boat to return to the Delhi, and to bring off certain garments to the hotel. The Blanchita came up to the gangway again, and the party embarked in her.



CHAPTER XXIII

A LIVELY EVENING AT THE HOTEL

The Blanchita had been painted since her return from Borneo, and she had a decidedly holiday appearance. Captain Rayburn had been introduced to all the ladies and gentlemen on board; and in the steam-launch he was presented to General Noury and his wife, and to the others of the Blanche. The port physician went on shore with them, pointed out to them the landing-place, and directed them to the hotel.

The party landed, and found the hotel "good enough," though hardly in the slang sense of the phrase. Apartments were obtained for all, and dinner was ordered. Captain Rayburn had been a couple of days in Saigon, and had learned something about the city. He was the guide of the Nimrods when they took a walk before dinner. They went through the French portion of the place, where they found the streets broad, and ornamented with trees. The houses were seldom more than two stories high.

The governor's palace was a magnificent residence for Cochin China, and the cathedral was also a fine building; but after going half over the world the young voyagers did not find much to attract them.

They were more interested in what the country itself produced than in what had been brought from France. There was a European garrison in the citadel; but the natives were enlisted as soldiers, and drilled in French tactics. The promenaders met a squad of the latter. They wore blue blouses, white pants, and a flat cork-lined cap; but they did not wear shoes, and they looked very odd to the visitors in their bare feet.

The walk ended with a visit to the botanical garden; but the tropical plants were what they had been seeing for two months, and they were not a novelty to them. The foreign plants and trees were more interesting to them, and they had been set out with a view of ascertaining what were adapted to the soil and climate of the country.

"This place consists really of three towns united," said Captain Rayburn as they walked back to the hotel. "It was formerly but a group of fishing villages, though even then it was the capital. Pingeh is the commercial town, on the west side of the river, and Cholon is the native quarter. The citadel or fortress is in Pingeh, but we have not time to visit either of them to-night."

"You have been here before, Captain?" asked Louis.

"Not in the Delhi. I was for some years the commander of one of the P. & O. steamers; but I was taken very sick six months ago, and was obliged to spend three months in Calcutta. When I got well, a merchant there who had been a good friend of mine during my illness, was in a great strait to find a captain for the Delhi in place of one who had died. I agreed to take her for a single voyage; for she is a very small craft for me, as I have been in command of ships of six thousand tons. I shall return to my steamer when she comes to Calcutta in a couple of months."

"I thought you were too big a man to be in command of such a puny vessel as the Delhi," added Scott.

"I took charge of her only to accommodate my friend her owner. I don't find any fault with her, except that she is old and very slow," added the captain as they came to the hotel.

"Ah, Captain Rayburn, how do you do?" exclaimed a gentleman, extending his hand to him. "I was a passenger in your ship to Hong-Kong last year."

"O Monsieur Froler!" replied Captain Rayburn, grasping the proffered hand. "Of course I remember you very well, for I don't often get so fully acquainted with my passengers as I did with you; and I only wished I could talk French with you. But you speak English as well as I can, so that it made no difference. Do you reside here?"

"I went from Hong-Kong to Canton, and several other Chinese cities, and then to Japan, after we parted, and finally I came here. I like the place, and have been here six months," replied the French gentleman, who was not over thirty years of age. "I live at this hotel; and we have a great American party here, with an English steamer that has a Moorish pacha on board with his wife, who is an Indian princess, so the landlord told me; and I wish to be introduced to them."

"I can assist you to that, Mr. Froler. Are you in business here?" asked the captain.

"Not at all; my father made my fortune for me, and I do nothing but travel, and when I come to a place I like I stay there as long as I please; and I am doing that here."

"Mr. Froler, allow me to present to you Mr. Louis Belgrave, the owner of the Guardian-Mother, the American steam-yacht in the river," continued Captain Rayburn.

The French gentleman received the young man with the greatest deference and politeness, and introduced him to his companion. A conversation in French followed; for Louis was inclined to use that language when he could, to keep "his tongue in," as he put it. Mr. Froler told him that he was well acquainted in the city with all the principal men, and was familiar with all the localities. He would be very happy to escort the party wherever they wished to go, and to introduce them to the governor and other officers of the army and officials.

Louis then conducted the Frenchman to the large parlor where the tourists were waiting for dinner, and introduced him to Captain Ringgold, who received him with his usual politeness. While Louis was introducing him to all the members of the party, Captain Rayburn informed the commander that he had first met Mr. Froler when in command of a P. & O. steamer.

"Were you in command of a P. & O. steamer?" asked Captain Ringgold, opening his eyes very wide.

"I am still in command of one," replied the English captain; and then explained how he happened to be in the Delhi. "Mr. Froler was really the most agreeable passenger I ever had, and I became very intimate with him. He is very wealthy, and travels all the time, though he sometimes stops a year in a place. He is a high-toned gentleman in every sense of the word. He is acquainted with the principal merchants and all the officials in Saigon, and desires to assist your party in seeing the city and its surroundings."

"I shall certainly be very grateful to him for his services," replied the commander, as Mr. Froler approached them after making his round of introductions with Louis.

The Frenchman formally tendered his assistance to the party, and they were gratefully accepted by the commander. Of course he was invited to dinner with the party; and the seat of honor on the right of the captain was given to him, while that on the left was appropriated to Captain Rayburn. The princess was placed next to the Frenchman, with the pacha next. The others took seats to suit themselves.

The dinner was excellent, and Dr. Hawkes wondered if Monsieur Odervie had not had a hand in its preparation; and this afterwards proved to be the case. French cooks are very fraternal; and when one of them is to get up a great dinner, his confreres generally tender their assistance to him. As no dinner was to be served that day on the steamer, Monsieur Odervie had obtained leave of absence, and called upon the cook of the hotel. His proffered aid was accepted, and the surgeon was confident he had made the sauce for the excellent fish that was served.

It was a lively party at the table, for the guests were desirous of knowing more about the mission of the Guardian-Mother all over the world; and their curiosity was gratified, the pacha telling the Frenchman all about it in the language of the latter. No wine was served, for the reason that none was ordered, doubtless greatly to the regret of the landlord; and the commander made an explanation, though not an apology.

"I am a Frenchman, but I drink no wine," said Mr. Froler; "for the reason that it does not agree with me. I have great respect for my stomach; for it is very serviceable to me, like my watch, if I keep it in good order. I drank no wine nor liquor in Paris, and still less would I do so in a tropical country."

"I am in the same boat with my friend Mr. Froler. The P. & O. Company does not encourage its captains to drink anything; and when I entered the service as a fourth officer, I knocked off entirely, afloat or ashore; and I have stuck to my text ever since," added Captain Rayburn.

"Then our teetotal habits do not interfere at all with our guests."

"Not at all," added both of them.

"Did you know that the captain of your consort from Borneo was a commander in the P. & O. service, Mr. Belgrave?" asked Captain Ringgold.

"I did not till this evening; I knew that he was a gentleman, and that was all that I wished to know," replied Louis.

This remark was applauded warmly by the company. The captain then said that he wished to introduce the guests of the occasion over again, though they had been presented individually to all the company. He wished to say that Captain Rayburn was actually the commander of a P. & O. steamer of six thousand tons, on leave of absence on account of sickness. He also told them something more about the Frenchman. He was a gentleman whose father had made his fortune for him, as he expressed himself; he was not engaged in any business, and held no official position. He was travelling only for his own amusement and instruction, and his stay in Saigon had been prolonged to six months.

As the party left the table, Mr. Froler had a little talk for a few minutes, when he excused himself, and left the hotel, promising to return in half an hour. Conversation was resumed in the parlor; and presently Mrs. Belgrave started one of the familiar hymns when she found a piano in the room, in which the captain of the Delhi joined with a tremendous bass voice.

While the music was in full blast, Mr. Froler entered the apartment, accompanied by two ladies and two gentlemen, both of the latter wearing the decoration of the Legion of Honor. It was evident that the visitors were magnates of Saigon; and Mrs. Belgrave rose from the instrument, and the singing was discontinued.

"I have the pleasure of presenting to Your Excellency, Captain Ringgold, commander of the steamer Guardian-Mother, visiting Saigon with the company of tourists here present," said Mr. Froler, leading up one of the strangers. "Captain Ringgold, I have the honor to introduce to you His Excellency the Governor of French Cochin China."

The two gentlemen then shook hands. Louis Belgrave was then presented, followed by General Noury and his wife; and the pacha then took His excellency to every member of the party, and presented each in due form. While this was in process, Mr. Froler presented to the commander the other gentleman, who appeared to be about fifty years old, as Monsieur Larousse, merchant of the city; and Louis followed the general in introducing him to the members of the party. The master of ceremonies next led up to Captain Ringgold the two ladies, presenting them as Madame and Mademoiselle Larousse; and they appeared to be the wife and daughter of the elderly gentleman who had preceded them.

The daughter was a beautiful lady, apparently about twenty-four years old, though it is not always practicable to state the age of a French lady. By this time General Noury had made his round, and the governor was passed over to Mrs. Noury, at his request. The commander made the circuit with Madame Larousse, and the pacha offered his services to conduct Mademoiselle Larousse. He presented her to his wife first, interrupting her tete-a-tete with His Excellency for a moment.

"Pretty woman," said Captain Rayburn to Captain Ringgold.

"Very pretty," replied the latter.

"Between you and me, she is the particular reason why Froler has prolonged his stay here to six months."

"Then I congratulate him," added the commander.

"Her father is not rich; Froler does not care for that, for he is a multi-millionaire himself, counted in francs. But the prettiest lady here is the sister of Morris, Miss Blanche."

"Madame Noury, you were singing when I came in," said the governor when the introductions had been completed.

"But they were singing American hymns, not adapted to your religion or mine," replied Mrs. Noury.

"I don't care for that," he added; and both spoke French. "I liked what I heard very much, and I should wish to hear some more of it."

Mrs. Belgrave was called, and the request repeated to her in English by the magnate. And so it happened that the rest of the evening was passed in singing gospel hymns. At a late hour the company separated.



CHAPTER XXIV

TONQUIN AND SIGHTS IN CHOLON

There was so little sight-seeing to be done in Saigon that the tired tourists did not hurry themselves in the morning; for breakfast was not served till nine o'clock, and they went to the tables at their own pleasure. The Nimrods had risen at an early hour, and had taken a long walk before any others came from their rooms. They were the first to take the morning meal, and they had earned an appetite before the regular hour for it. At half-past ten a number of vehicles had been gathered by the landlord for the use of his guests.

Mr. Froler was in attendance as soon as breakfast was ready, and the young men took their meal with him. He seemed to have taken a fancy to Louis when he learned that the Guardian-Mother was his college, and he took pains to inform him in regard to the affairs of the city and the country.

"How did the French happen to settle here in the beginning?" asked Louis when they were seated at the table.

"England, Holland, Spain, and especially France, began to take an interest in the countries of the East at a very early date; and France entered the race for Oriental territory as early as 1787, and agreed to assist Annam in its troubles. Two years later the French Revolution broke out in the destruction of the Bastille, on the fourteenth of July, which is still celebrated. It is our 'Fourth of July,' Mr. Belgrave."

"I was in Paris on that day a few years ago, when I was a smaller boy than I am now, and I wondered that no fire-crackers were let off," replied Louis.

"They are not permitted in Paris. France had her hands full after the Revolution began, and was unable to keep her agreement in full with Annam; but missionaries were sent there, and some commercial relations in a very small way were continued until 1831. Then the king died, and was succeeded by one who did not believe in the missionaries, French and Spanish, settled in Annam, as the whole country east of Siam was then called. The new king wanted to drive away the bearers of the gospel to the natives, and killed or persecuted them.

"Twenty years later, France found it necessary to interfere, which she did by sending a small army to subdue the country. The fortifications which had been built by French engineers held the soldiers back to some extent. When the persecutions of the Christians were believed to be ended, the French soldiers returned home. They were again renewed; and France and Spain sent out a fleet and army, which captured the principal seaport, and continued the war for about four years, when a treaty of peace was concluded. Annam was compelled to pay 25,000,000 francs for the expense of the war, and permit every person to enjoy his own religious belief. The missionaries were to be protected, commercial relations were established, and in 1886 a treaty was ratified at Hue, by which the country was placed under the protection of France, though the native princes were nominally continued in power. This was the beginning of the French dominion in this region."

"If it is not one now, it will eventually become a French colony," suggested Louis.

"Probably it will, for it is largely so now," replied Mr. Froler.

Captain Ringgold, who had waited for Mrs. Belgrave, finished breakfast about the same time; for they had not listened to a historical talk while they were eating, and they left the room together. At the time appointed for the ride, all the party were in the parlor, and they were loaded into the vehicles. They rode through the principal streets, and to the botanical garden, where all the party walked through the grounds. Then they rode along the banks of the river.

"Those small vessels look like men-of-war," said Louis, who was seated in the first carriage, with Mr. Froler, the commander, and Mrs. Belgrave.

"They are little gunboats, and the government has about twenty of them," replied the Frenchman. "But I think we had better alight here, and take a general view of the river and the surroundings."

At a given signal the whole party got out of the vehicles.

"But what are those gunboats for, Mr. Froler?" asked Louis, as the company were looking at them.

"If there should happen to be a riot, or a disturbance of any kind, up the river, which the police could not handle, they would be used for transporting troops; for we have the telegraph here, and could be notified at once. They are also used to beat off pirates, and to see that the laws are obeyed."

"Pirates!" exclaimed Louis. "Are there any about this country?"

"They are not such pirates as we read about in olden times," replied Mr. Froler with a smile. "But some of these natives may rig up a boat, and go on a predatory excursion among their neighbors, especially in the fishing regions on the Great Lake, over two hundred miles up the river. Their principal plunder is fish, though they take anything they can lay their hands upon."

"I should hardly call them pirates," added Louis.

"But Chinese pirates have been known to capture vessels in the China Sea, off the coast of Tonquin."

"I have heard of such within a few years."

"You can see the citadel, as it is called here, though it would be simply a fort in most places. There are 1,830 French soldiers here, and 2,800 native troops. Only 3,000 of the population are French. The last census gave the country a population of 2,034,453," continued Mr. Froler, consulting a memorandum book he carried in his pocket. "They are mainly Annamites; but Cambodians, Chinese, savages from the north, and Malays contribute to make up the number. But I don't mean to lecture you, as I am told you are addressed on board your ship by some of your own number."

"But we are an educational institution in part, and we are very glad to hear you," said the commander. "We are supposed to be greedy for information about the countries we visit. I suppose we are about as near Tongking as we shall be, and I am sure my company would like to learn something more about it. We have a nice place here in the shade of this tree to hear a short lecture."

"You use the English name for the region, which is all right; and I have seen it spelled Tonkin, which I think is better yet for your people. The French name is Tonquin," (and he gave the French pronunciation). "It is larger than Cochin China; and we apply this name to what you designate as French Cochin China, for it has an area of 34,740 square miles, and a population supposed to be about 9,000,000. Its chief town is Hanoi, consisting of a number of villages, with 150,000 inhabitants; and its chief seaport is Hai-Phong. There has been war going on against the people of this country for many years."

"We read something about these operations in American papers, and know very little about Tonquin, which is the reason I asked for more knowledge of the region," added the commander.

"The principal productions of Tonquin," Mr. Froler, bowing to the captain, proceeded, "are rice, silk, sugar, pepper, oil, cotton, tobacco, and fruits, with copper and iron in small quantities. The exports are now 13,325,000 francs, which you reduce to dollars by dividing by five. The imports are nearly 28,000,000 francs, only one-fourth from France, with but a small portion of the exports to that country. An expedition was sent out from home, at the instance of Jules Ferry, to open the way by the Songkoi River for the trade of Yun-Nan, a south-western province of China. The experiment was an expensive one, and the difficulty of navigation in the upper waters of the river made it a failure. The troops met with a disaster; and the colonial policy of the statesman here and in Madagascar caused his ruin, and he has since died. Jules Ferry was nicknamed 'le Tonquinais.' But I have talked too long."

"Not at all!" protested several of the company; for they had read in the papers at home something in short paragraphs about the war and other matters in Tonquin, which they did not understand; and they are likely to read much more in the future, which they will comprehend better if they remember the brief account of Mr. Froler.

The party got into the vehicles again, but stopped soon after at the market, where they alighted. Natives in boats and on foot were bringing in fruits and vegetables in great quantities. All the fruits of the tropics were included, though bananas were the most plentiful. Some came with clumsy carts, loaded with the produce of the surrounding country. The vehicles were very trying to the nerves of the ladies and some of the gentlemen; for they creaked and groaned, and seemed to be screeching for grease, reminding them of the carts of Lisbon, where some of the party had had a similar experience.

"The men here wear tunnels on their heads, after the fashion of the king of Siam," said Morris as they walked through the market, which consisted mainly of an open square, filled with carts, barrows, and baskets.

"The head-covering of the women is more curious," added Scott. "It is about two feet across, and they use them as umbrellas, both sexes."

"I see that you have the yellow dog here, Mr. Froler, as in Constantinople," said Louis, as the Frenchman came near with the captain and Mrs. Belgrave.

"They are outcast dogs, like those in Constantinople," replied the guide. "Nobody owns them, and they have to pick up their living in the streets. They are no more honest than some of the natives; for some of them will steal a piece of meat, and then comes a fight with all the others in the vicinity."

"Where does the meat used here come from?" asked Louis.

"From Cambodia," replied the Frenchman. "But it is about time for your lunch at the hotel, and I think we had better return. I see that your steam-launch is at the landing-place; and we might go up to Cholon in her, and visit the citadel."

The suggestion was adopted; and on his arrival at the hotel, the commander found a note from the governor, inviting the party to dine with him that day at seven. It was promptly accepted; and after the lunch the party embarked in the Blanchita, and sailed up the river to Cholon, which is the native portion of the city.

"It does not cost much here to build a house," said Mr. Froler, as the yacht, under the pilotage of the old Frenchman who had brought the Guardian-Mother up the river, worked her way through the multitude of boats that thronged the shore.

But the young men were busy observing the various craft; for they were of all sorts and kinds, from the simple Chinese sampan to the craft fifty feet long, provided with a cabin, and parts of her covered with the leaf awning, something like what they had seen in Borneo.

"Where does this boat come from, Achang?" asked Felix.

The Bornean spoke to a man who seemed to be the captain and a Malay.

"She come from Great Lake," reported Achang. "She bring down dry fish to sell to the poor people of Cholon."

"How much does it cost to build one of these houses, Mr. Froler?" asked Captain Ringgold, after they had looked over some of them.

"About twenty-five francs."

"It ought not to cost more than that, for they are nothing but shanties," replied the commander. "Some of them are built on floats, as in Bangkok."

"Let us look into one of them; they will not object. This is a Chinaman's abode, and he belongs to the better class here," said the Frenchman as he led the way into the house, followed by the commander, with Mrs. Belgrave on his arm.

Seated at a table was what a sailor would call a kid, or small tub, containing a stew of fish and vegetables; and there was a dish for each individual, which did duty as a plate. There were a man, a woman, and three children at the table.

"These people belong to the aristocracy," said the Frenchman, as they retired, and the family were visited by others of the party. "We will look into another house of a lower grade of people;" and they went into a hut about six feet square, in which were eight men, women, and children, huddled together around a tub on the floor containing fish and rice. The odor was not agreeable, and they hurried away.

"You noticed the two girls there. If you want them, Captain, you can buy them for thirty dollars apiece of your money."

"I don't want them; and I don't care about staying any longer in this part of the town," replied the commander.

They walked rather hurriedly to the yacht. On the way they met a carriage something like a wheelbarrow, with a single large wheel, and a seat on each side of it, one occupied by a fat Chinaman and the other by a Malay. It was propelled by a native just like an ordinary wheelbarrow.

"That's a big team," said Scott.

"You will see plenty of them in some of the cities of China."

The Blanchita left Mr. Froler at the landing-place, and then conveyed the passengers to the two ships; for the ladies insisted that they must dress for the dinner at the governor's palace.



CHAPTER XXV

SEVERAL HILARIOUS FROLICS

The ladies certainly did dress for the occasion; and not only the ladies, but all the gentlemen. The captain put on a new uniform which he had not worn since his ship left Colombo. Scott had a new uniform also; Uncle Moses, the surgeon, Mr. Woolridge, and the professor came out in evening costume, with black dress-coats; and the young men were clothed for their age, in black. The ship's company looked at them with astonishment when they came on deck, for they had never seen them en grand tenue before.

The ladies were properly costumed for the dinner, and all of them wore the best they had. When the Blanchita came alongside the ship with the Blanche's party, more surprise was manifested; for Mrs. Noury was dressed as a princess, as she was, with the richest garments of India; General Noury clothed in the full costume of his Moroccan rank, a dress which had not been seen before. Captain Sharp wore his uniform, and his wife proved that no money had been spared on her dress and adornings. The rajah wore his Indian suit, made of the costliest materials and the most brilliant colors, and rubies and diamonds sparkled upon him, as on the pacha. Dr. Henderson was in keeping with his professional brother of the other party.

The seats of the yacht had been overlaid with rugs and other materials, that the rich costumes need not be soiled. The Blanche's barge came soon with the Italian band on board; for the general desired to serenade the governor during the evening. It was an hour too early; for the commander had been so solicitous that the company should not be late, that he had overdone the matter. The landlord was to have the carriages at the landing at half-past six, and there was an hour to wait. But the princess and Mrs. Sharp declined to leave their seats in the launch, for fear of mussing up their dresses; and the general called upon the band to play while they were waiting.

It was near the close of a clear day, and the music was delightful. In a short time not less than a hundred boats surrounded the ship, and three times as many people stood upon the shore. The band had not played before since their arrival. Mr. Froler, in Parisian evening dress, had come to the landing to receive the party, and when he heard the music, he came off, standing up in a sampan; for he was as careful of his garments as the ladies. The captain had ordered a carpet to be placed on the steps of the gangway, and the polite Frenchman ascended to the deck without peril to his clothing.

"Good-evening, Captain Ringgold," said he, extending his hand. "You have the most ravishing music here."

"It is General Noury's Italian band, and he will take it ashore to serenade the governor," replied the commander.

"I have not seen your steamer before, and she is a magnificent vessel," added the Frenchman.

"I should be happy to show her to you; but we have hardly time to do so now, for I see that the ladies are taking their places in the launch," answered Captain Ringgold; "but I shall ask the governor and such ladies and gentlemen as you will designate to spend the afternoon and evening on board to-morrow, dining in the cabin. I arranged it with the general. Both ships will be visited, the band will play, and we will make a general frolic of it. The next morning we shall sail for Manila."

Both of the gentlemen hastened to the gangway to assist the ladies as soon as the commander saw Mrs. Belgrave moving in that direction. Miss Blanche, conducted by Louis, appeared about the same time. Her costume was very neat, though not showy; but she was as beautiful as a fairy, and the Frenchman clasped his hands in ecstasy when he saw her. In a short time they were all seated in the Blanchita, and the gentlemen then took their places.

Precisely at twenty minutes past six Captain Sharp, prompted by Captain Ringgold, gave the order to cast off. A quartermaster of the Blanche was at the wheel, and in five minutes she was alongside the shore. A platform of clean boards, covered with a carpet, had been laid down by the landlord of the Hotel de l'Europe, and the vehicles were in waiting. The ladies were handed from the boat to the carriages without a spot or a splash on their dresses, though the shore was very muddy.

In ten minutes more the head of the procession reached the governor's palace. There they found an awning over the sidewalk, and carpets laid down for the guests to walk upon. The French, English, and American flags were flying on the building. The ladies were conducted to the grand entrance of the palace, and taken by the servants to the apartments set apart for clothing. There were not less than a thousand natives and French people gathered in the vicinity, but they were kept in admirable order by the Malay police. The pacha's band was admitted to the grounds, and Mr. Froler was acting as chief marshal; he notified them when the party began to descend the stairs, and the music commenced then. They came down in couples, Captain Ringgold and Mrs. Belgrave leading, followed by the pacha and the princess.

His Excellency stood at the head of the large apartment, and received them as they advanced. He was a widower and childless, so that he had no wife nor daughter to present. Louis and Miss Blanche were the next, though the commander had proposed that Louis should come next to him and his mother; but Louis rebelled, and insisted that he should follow the pacha. The rajah came next, and had Mrs. Blossom on his arm, to the no small amusement of the party; but the deposed sovereign prince could find no other lady disengaged.

Possibly Mr. Woolridge and wife were disconcerted to come next; but their daughter had been properly honored, and both were too fond of Blanche to be troubled about the precedence. Mr. Froler stood by the governor, and announced the names of the members of the party; for His Excellency could hardly be expected to remember them. But he was very cordial to all of them, speaking in his broken English, except to the pacha and Louis. Some of the gentlemen had to present themselves without ladies; but there were at least twenty ladies and gentlemen seated around the room. After all the party from the ships had been received by the governor, they were introduced to the other visitors. Some of the Saigonians could speak English, and some could not; but the conversation soon became general. The commander and Mrs. Belgrave found enough who could speak English. There were seven persons among the tourists who could converse fluently in French, and Mr. Froler employed these as interpreters for those who could not speak the polite language.

The scene was quite amusing to all; and even the governor laughed heartily as he looked about him, and saw the struggles in the matter of language. The chief marshal proved to be a very potent functionary, and he was omnipresent in the apartment. When the governor spoke to him in praise of Miss Blanche, he immediately sent Louis with her to His Excellency. The room was the audience chamber of the palace, and the magnate of the occasion invited her to a seat on the dais at his side. She could speak French a little; and it was soon observed that she was enjoying herself very much, and the governor even more.

Mrs. Sharp was passed over to Louis, and he made the grand round with her. The princess was instructed to do the same with Mr. Woolridge, while the professor rendered the same service to Mrs. Woolridge. The rajah escorted Mrs. Blossom around the chamber, and the poor woman was in a flutter all the time. The long robe of the Indian prince bothered her, and she had been nearly tripped up several times; but her new beau was as polite and deferential as though she had been a queen. She had a story to tell the gossips of Von Blonk Park which would last her the rest of her lifetime. It was even a livelier time than that at the hotel, made so by the confusion of tongues, which was not far short of that at the Tower of Babel.

The dinner was announced by the major-domo of the household. Ignoring the houris of the occasion, the polite governor escorted Mrs. Belgrave to the table, and seated her on his right, while the captain of the Guardian-Mother conducted the princess. Those of the gentlemen who could speak French were requested by Mr. Froler to attend the resident ladies; and the most distinguished was placed in charge of the pacha. The contretemps of language were frequent and laughable; and so much amusement was derived from this source that some of the visitors purposely made bulls to keep up the hilarity.

The dinner was a very elegant as well as a very substantial affair. Monsieur Odervie and other French cooks fraternized as usual on this great occasion; and the table was ornamented with many set pieces, and one from the citadel produced a Buddhist temple in sugar, which was the admiration of the guests; and doubtless all these culinary artists would assist the chef of the Guardian-Mother for the great dinner of the following day. But it would require a considerable volume to detail all the occurrences of the governor's banquet. A speech was made by His Excellency in French, which was replied to by Captain Ringgold, without knowing much of what had been said; but Louis followed him in a few remarks in French, thanking the governor and the residents of the city for their kindness and hospitality.

The pacha made the speech of the evening in the vernacular of the host, which was violently applauded by the residents, especially by the military officers from the citadel, who had been informed that he was the commander-in-chief of the armies of his country. The Italian band had been brought into the palace, feasted, and stationed in the great hall, where they discoursed their finest music, to the great delight of the guests. Dancing followed, and the governor led Mrs. Noury to the floor. The rajah asked Mrs. Blossom to dance with him; but she did not know a step, and if she ever in her life regretted that she could not dance, it was on this occasion. The commander of the citadel and chief officer of the army of Cochin China led out Mrs. Noury, and the next in rank to His Excellency who could speak English was favored by Miss Blanche.

It was kept up till after midnight; and then the tourists returned to the ships, visiting the hotel the next forenoon to obtain their baggage. All the party at the fete of the governor had been invited to the ships; and the Blanchita conveyed them from the landing in two trips, one to the Guardian-Mother, and the other to the Blanche. The guests were shown over both steamers, and they expressed their admiration in both languages. All the officers were kept busy, especially Mr. Gaskette, who spoke French. Every passenger was a host or hostess, and the confusion of tongues created as much merriment as it had at the palace. Captain Ringgold devoted himself especially to the governor. The Italian band played all the time on the deck of the Blanche, which was hardly a ship's length from her consort.

After a light lunch had been served in the cabins of both steamers, the party on board of the Guardian-Mother, with their hosts, were conveyed to the Blanche, where they spent a couple of hours, and had a dance on her promenade deck under an awning. Every part of the ship was visited; and after a stay of two hours, the entire company was conveyed in two trips to the Guardian-Mother. When some of the guests asked how the passengers contrived to amuse themselves on the long voyage, Mrs. Belgrave organized a section of them, and played Blindman's Buff, Turning the Cover, Copenhagen, and other games, to the intense delight of the guests.

At six o'clock dinner was announced. Monsieur Odervie had had the assistance of not less than four chefs all day; and several set pieces in varied ingredients, original and artistic, adorned the two tables. The bill of fare had been printed in the city, and of course it was all French. The occasion was much the same as at the palace, with all the confusion of tongues. At the close of the dinner Captain Ringgold made his speech, which the governor could understand, and the chief official of the province responded in his own language. Several others were heard; and when Dr. Hawkes attempted to make a speech in the polite language, he excited bursts of laughter, and it was soon evident that he was speaking for the fun of it. His gestures were more French than his speech, which he interlarded with English and Latin. Uncle Moses made a remark in the latter language, which only the doctor and the professor could understand; but it was as vigorously applauded as though every word had been comprehended.

After dinner the governor called for some singing, and gospel hymns were introduced. Captain Rayburn was one of the guests on board, and his heavy bass was the crowning glory of the music.

The ship had been illuminated, and the band played at times on the deck. The governor wanted some more of Mrs. Belgrave's games, and they were repeated in the music-room. The Cupids, as the two fat gentlemen had been named in Egypt, did their best on this occasion,—rolled on the floor, and were as antic as boys.

It was after midnight when the Blanchita began to convey the guests to the shore; and the adieux were very cordial, with many regrets that the ships must depart so soon. The river was so full of boats that the launch had some difficulty in making her way to the shore; but the Malay police soon made an opening for her.

Mr. Froler had been invited to sleep on board, as had Captain Rayburn; and both accepted, the former returning to the ship after he had seen his ladies home.



CHAPTER XXVI

THE VOYAGE ACROSS THE CHINA SEA

The tide was right at six o'clock in the morning, and the order had been given the night before to sail at this hour. Mr. Froler and Captain Rayburn were on deck before this time; and the latter took a boat to his vessel, after very hearty thanks for the pleasure he had enjoyed.

"I don't feel at all like leaving your steamer, Captain Ringgold, but I suppose I must," said the French gentleman, as the commander took him by the hand in the morning.

"I am as sorry to have you leave as you are to do so," replied the captain. "We have seen the place, and made the acquaintance of quite a number of the people. In fact, you have turned our visit into a general frolic, and I am sure my party have never enjoyed themselves more than during the past two days; and we owe it all to you, Mr. Froler."

"You praise my feeble efforts to enable you to see the place and some of the people more than they deserve," replied the Frenchman.

"When I meet you in New York, I shall do my best to reciprocate your very kind and hospitable reception, and I am confident all my passengers will do the same. I should be most happy to have you continue on board."

"I should avail myself of your very kind invitation so far as to go to Manila if there were a line of steamers between that port and Saigon. But I should have to go by the way of Singapore. With your permission, I will go down the river with you."

"What is this coming alongside?" asked the captain, as he moved over to the rail.

"It is one of the gunboats, Captain," answered Mr. Froler. "There is the governor on her deck and two ladies. His Excellency has come off to say good-by to you."

"He is very considerate."

"And there is the landlord of the hotel."

"I paid his bill yesterday afternoon, and for everything up to this morning," said the commander as he hastened down the gangway to receive the governor.

On his way he called Louis, who was on deck early, and directed him to have the stewards call all the passengers, and to inform them that His Excellency was coming on board. The distinguished official was received by the captain, and conducted to the deck. It was a cordial greeting on both sides. The governor declared that he had never enjoyed himself more than on the day before, and he should go down the river for the purpose of saying his adieux to the party.

The gunboat would escort the ships to Cape St. Jacques, and he would return with it. In ten minutes after the call the passengers began to come on deck, and the governor greeted them as though they had been his friends for years. He was a jolly old fellow, and made himself as familiar with the tourists as though they had been his intimate friends. When Miss Blanche came up he rushed to her, and took her by both hands. Mr. Froler suggested that the governor had come more to see the beautiful women on board than for any other purpose.

The barge was hastily dropped into the water, and sent for the passengers of the Blanche, the third officer being in charge of the message. The landlord of the hotel said he had come on board to pay his respects to his late guests, and he would go down the river with them. The barge returned after some delay, for none of her party were out of their rooms. They warmly welcomed the governor and the captain of the gunboat, who had been one of the guests the day before.

Both ships got under way at once, for the anchors had been hove short. Mr. Sage and the cook were set to work. The governor divided his attentions between Mrs. Noury and Miss Blanche; and the pacha was not at all disturbed by his old Mohammedan notions about wives. The rajah took Mrs. Blossom on his arm, and promenaded the upper deck with her under the awnings.

"Faix! Oi belayve the ould feller manes to marry her," said Felix.

"Nonsense, Flix! He is a Mohammedan, and she is a Methodist, and neither of them would consent to marry the other," replied Louis.

"He knows she's a fust-rate nuss, and that's what he needs. Oi'll give my free consint to it," added Felix, as Louis was called away.

The three hours' run to the sea was a continuation of the frolic of the day before, even including the games. At nine o'clock, with the ship in a sheltered bay, breakfast was served; and it was as lively as all the other meals had been. More speeches and a confusion of tongues followed. The two ladies who had come off in the gunboat were the lady who was said to have detained Mr. Froler so long in Saigon, and her mother; and they were treated with the utmost consideration by all. The band played during the breakfast, having been sent for by the pacha.

Everybody was so happy that Captain Ringgold remained three hours longer than he had intended. Then the time to separate came; and the parting was long and difficult, bringing about another confusion of tongues, but it was over at last. The gunboat received her passengers for up the river; but the craft did not go that way, and accompanied the two steamers about five miles to sea, with the American flag flying at the fore.

As the vessels were to separate finally, the gunboat fired a salute of seven guns, which was returned by both ships; and then they sped on their voyage of eight hundred miles to Manila. The captain gave out the course east by north half-north, and the French flag was hauled down from the topmast. The passengers of the Blanche had been sent on board of her, while those of the Guardian-Mother continued to promenade the deck. The commander noticed that some of them were gaping and yawning, and he remembered that they had had only three or four hours' sleep.

"I advise you all to turn in and finish your night's sleep," said he. "Professor Giroud will give his lecture on the Philippine Islands and Manila to-morrow at half-past nine. There is nothing to do till dinner-time. No lunch will be served to-day in the cabin, for you have but just left the breakfast-table; but any one can ring his bell, and send for whatever is wanted."

The passengers seemed to think favorably of this advice, for they all went below. There was nothing to see; for there was not a single island in the course, and the ship was soon out of sight of land, not to see it again till she made Luban Island, off the entrance to Manila Bay. The wind was almost dead ahead, though it blew very gently; but this circumstance soon attracted the attention of Scott, who had been so busy with the frolics that he had not had time to consult his books and chart.

It was not his watch; and he went to his stateroom, returning very soon with the blue book that goes with the chart of the Indian Ocean. He found that there was an east monsoon which prevailed in the China Sea north of the equator.

"What's the matter, Mr. Scott?" asked the captain when he found him absorbed over his book. "Do you think we are going wrong, or that there is a typhoon within hail?"

"Neither, sir; I was looking to see why the wind was east to-day," replied the third officer.

"You have discovered by this time that there is an east monsoon coming in between those from the north-east and south-west."

"But we did not find it coming up from Sarawak to Bangkok," added the young officer.

"Your course carried you within between one hundred and one hundred and fifty miles of the Malay Peninsula. This and the great island of Sumatra doubtless have some influence on the winds. Both of these bodies of land are very hot; and, as the air from them tends to the cooler atmosphere of the sea, they favor the south-west monsoons. All these bodies of land modify to some extent the prevailing winds."

Scott was satisfied with the explanation, for it conformed with what he found in his book. When he carried his authority back to his room, he turned in and took his nap, in order to be ready for his watch at eight bells in the afternoon watch. In fact, all but the watch on deck were asleep.

The passengers seemed to be rather logy in their movements and heavy of intellect, perhaps because they had slept so well. It was cool at sea in comparison with the shore, and they had by this time become accustomed to extremely hot weather. But they waked up before the meal was finished, and all the talk was about the frolics of the last two days.

"What do you call the place where we go next, Captain Ringgold?" asked Uncle Moses. "I see it spelled in the books with a single l and with a double l. Which is correct?"

"Both," replied the commander. "If you are writing Spanish, you use one l; if you are writing English, you may use two l's, though I don't believe in doing so."

"Do the Spaniards ever double the l?"

"I will leave the professor to answer that question," replied the captain.

"They never spell Manila with two l's when they spell it correctly; for that would make another word of it,—a common noun instead of a proper, and meaning quite another thing," the professor explained.

"Perhaps I am stupid, Professor, and I know next to nothing of the Spanish language," added Uncle Moses, "but I don't quite understand you. If a Spaniard spelled the capital of the Philippine Islands with a double l it wouldn't be the capital at all?"

"It would not."

"What would it be?"

"It would be something of which Miss Blanche has a couple in her possession; and I may say the same of every lady at the table," said the professor with a cheerful smile on his face.

"But which no gentleman has?" suggested the worthy trustee.

"I don't say that; for the word means in Spanish a small hand."

There was a general laugh around the table, and all the party held out their paws like dancing bears.

"Then Spaniards must be good spellers," said Dr. Hawkes. "There is very great difference between the capital of the Philippine Islands and Miss Blanche's pretty little hands."

"Ll, which we call double l, is treated as one letter in Spanish, and it has its own peculiar sound, nearly equivalent to ly in English; and therefore Miss Blanche's small hand would be called mah-nil-ya, which is not the capital spoken off. The name of all the islands is spelled in English with double p,—Philippine; but that is not Spanish, 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 the breeze was good on deck, and even in the cabins.

At the appointed hour the passengers were in their chairs in Conference Hall, two of them occupied by the siamangs, and the baby in the lap of Miss Blanche, who had become very much attached to the little creature. On the frame in front of the orang-outang was a complete map of the Philippine Islands, covering seventeen degrees of latitude, and ten of longitude, with enough of the seas around them to make their position clear to the audience.

Professor Giroud was introduced for this occasion as the speaker; and he was received with more than usual applause, for he had not occupied the rostrum as much as formerly, General Noury having been kept busy since his reappearance off Batavia. It may be said that after the rest of the day before the party were in excellent condition to be instructed.

"We are sailing just now in comparatively shallow water; and just to the south of us there are innumerable shoals, with only from four to ten fathoms of water on them. If the water were entirely drained from the China Sea, the bottom would be like a hilly region; for these numerous shoals would be the tops of various elevations, and the same would be true of a less extent north of us. The portion of the sea over which we are now moving would appear to be a considerable valley. You all have imagination enough to see what I have described.

"All around the Philippines on the east and south the water is from two to four thousand fathoms deep; so that if the seas were dried up around them, these islands would appear like a number of irregular chains of mountains, and the highest peak would be over 10,000 feet above the present surface of the water.

"From north to south these islands extend about a thousand miles, and from east to west about half that distance, with the Sulu or Mindoro Sea four hundred miles across it in either direction, nearly enclosed within them; for the north-east coast of Borneo is part of its boundary on the south. As the commander mentioned at dinner last evening, there are over two thousand islands in the group; and leaving out those rocks and shoals which are not big enough for a man to stand upon, there are twelve hundred of them.

"On a map of the world, or even of Asia, the Philippine Islands occupy but a small space, and in your school-days you have doubtless regarded them as of but little importance; but several of the islands are larger than any New England State, and two of them are as large as Virginia and Ohio, and nearly as large as New York and Pennsylvania. Luzon and Mindanao," and the professor pointed to them on the map, "the most northerly and the most southerly, have each about 40,000 square miles, and the area of all the islands is 116,000 miles. I think most of you could have no idea from your study of maps of the extent of the Philippines.

"Mindoro, the next island south of Luzon, has 9,000; and the others from 1,200 to 5,500. I shall not mention or describe them separately. We shall visit only Manila and the country near it, and you would not remember even the names of the islands over night. They are all mountainous and volcanic. The highest mountain is Apo, in Mindanao, which is 10,400 feet high, and there are others of 9,000 feet.

"The islands are volcanic, and therefore subject to earthquakes; and an instrument in Manila which indicates vibrations of the earth is said to be shaking about all the time. Several destructive ones are recorded in the past. In 1863 Manila was nearly destroyed by one, and the great southern island is especially liable to them.

"The mountain ranges mostly extend north and south; and there is space between them for some considerable rivers, as the Rio Grande in Luzon has a course of 220 miles. The Agusan in Mindanao is navigable for 60 miles. In this island are several lakes, with rivers flowing from them. In addition to which are many lacustrine basins."

"Spare us, Professor!" exclaimed Uncle Moses.

"The word comes from lacus, Latin for lake, and applies here to such lakes as send their overflow to the sea or other lakes by streams made by the rush of water. But I don't use many such words, and I hardly expected a classical scholar to object," replied the professor.

"But I objected in behalf of several here who never studied Latin; and besides the overflow is entirely apart from the root of the word. But I am satisfied, and the commander may invite you to proceed," chuckled Brother Avoirdupois.

"On account of the high mountains and the abundant sea-breezes, though hot and moist, this group is not so unhealthy as most tropical islands and countries. The fevers of hot countries are here of the mild, intermittent kind"—

"What is intermittent, Professor?" asked Felix. "Is it the kind they don't have in Ireland?"

"I should say that it was."

"An intermittent fever, Felix, is one that comes and goes, like the old woman's soap," interjected Mrs. Blossom, the nurse; and everybody laughed to hear her say anything.

"The diseases most dreaded in these islands are consumption, dysentery, and anaemia"—

"Mercy, Professor!" cried Mr. Woolridge.

"The reduction in the amount of blood in the system, and the condition resulting from this loss, is anaemia. Dr. Hawkes can explain it more fully," replied the professor.

"Not necessary," added the surgeon.

"As all over the Eastern Archipelago, there are two seasons, the wet and the dry, produced by the monsoons; but the irregularity of the surface variously modifies the result. For the southern and western sides of the mountains the south-west monsoons give the wet season, and the north-east the dry season, and vice versa. Manila is subjected by the influence of the south-west winds to rains from June to November, with dry weather the rest of the year.

"The temperature is about the same all the year round. The coolest month is December, when the glass stays at about 77 deg.; and in May, the hottest month, at 86 deg.. Of course there are days, and times of day, when the temperature is lower than the one, and higher than the other. The extremes where we are going vary only about 25 deg.—from 66 deg. to 91 deg.; and we have it hotter than the last in New York. The average rainfall is about seventy inches, varying by months from one-third of an inch in March, to twenty inches in August.

"The flora of the islands is just what you would expect in this climate. Nearly or quite all the plants you have found in the other islands you have visited are to be found here. Particularly plenteous here are the fibrous plants, and abaca forms in its prepared state one of the most important exports of the islands. This is a sort of plantain from which comes the Manila hemp, as it is sometimes called, though it is a misnomer; and with us it is called simply manila, the sailors tell me. It is extensively cultivated here, and grows something like the banana.

"The stalks on which the leaves grow are split into long strips, are threshed, combed, washed, and dried, and then they become manila, of which many of the ropes of this ship are made, though hemp makes the better article. The finest fibres are sometimes fifteen feet long, and from such some very delicate manufactured goods are produced. The coarser parts are used for cordage, which is very serviceable. When we were at Nassau, in the Island of New Providence, last year, we saw fields of sisal, which has in late years come into use as a substitute for common hemp and manila, and is said to resist the action of sea-water better than any other material.

"The fauna may seem to be quite limited to the Nimrods of our company, for the large animals we have found in other islands do not exist in the Philippines. The buffalo and the gibbon are the largest in the islands, with a variety of monkeys. The elephant, tiger, rhinoceros, bear, and orang-outang have no home here. The only dangerous animals are the crocodile, serpents, and other reptiles. If the Nimrods wish to hunt they will have to try their hand at the wild buffaloes, though they are not to be found near Manila.

"Birds are numerous and various, and especially the gallinaceous bipeds, such as barnyard fowls, grouse, and pheasants; but the most highly valued here is the 'rooster,' if I may call him by his common American name, for cock-fighting is one of the national amusements of Spain and its dependencies. You will see plenty of it in Manila, if you are so disposed; but it is not an elevating sport, any more than bull-fighting, which may possibly prevail here. Coal and iron are the most common minerals, with others; but mining is too severe work for the enterprise of the people, and I believe most of the mines of Cuba are worked by Americans.

"The original inhabitants of the Philippines were doubtless Negritos; and I hasten to explain the name before I am 'picked up.' It was the word used by the Spaniards to designate, not alone the negroes as we find them in Africa, but those who are similar to them. People of this race formerly inhabited all these islands, but there are scarcely any of them left at the present time. Hindus, Malays, and other natives of the adjacent countries and islands, came here, and the races mingled.

"The people found here at the present time have a variety of names, beginning with the pure Spaniards, Creoles, Tagals, Chinese, and Mestizoes. The Spaniards and the Tagals need no explanation, for the latter are the pure natives of the islands. Creole, I believe, is variously used in different locations; but it is a Spanish word, coming from criolla, which means grown up. They are one thing in the Spanish West Indies, another in Brazil.

"A more general definition is a person born in any country, but not of native blood. In the Philippines, Creoles are the children of Spanish fathers and native mothers. Mestizoes are children of Chinese parents on one side and natives on the other. The last class are usually called 'metis' in Manila and elsewhere. You will doubtless see all of these classes, and with a little practice will be able to identify them.

"The Spaniards of the islands are Catholics, often, I am sorry to say, merely nominally such. Many of the natives are Mohammedan, though the greater portion are Catholic. The Philippines were discovered by Magellan, as we generally call him, though that was not his correct name, in 1521. He was born in Portugal, and his name was Magalhaes. He served as a soldier in Malacca and Morocco, and was lamed for life in a battle in the latter. He did not think his services were appreciated by his king, and he offered them to Spain.

"He presented to Charles V. a plan for reaching the Moluccas by sailing to the west; and, his scheme being approved, he was fitted out with a fleet of five ships. He passed through the straits south of Patagonia, which still bear his name, crossed the great ocean, to which he gave the name of Pacific, though it was discovered by Balboa, who called it the South Sea. Succeeding in his enterprise, he reached the Philippines, after putting down a mutiny. He was killed in an expedition he led in the islands. The Victoria, his ship, returned to Spain in charge of one of his subordinates, thus completing the first voyage ever made around the world.

"There were several governments in the islands, and most of them were conquered or conciliated so that they came under Spanish rule; but the Mohammedans of Sulu, the Archipelago north-east of Borneo, and Mindanao retained their independence for a long period, and they still retain their boundaries and government.

"Manila has a population of 270,000, and there are several other considerable towns with 30,000 or more. There is a submarine cable to Hong Kong, 720 miles of telegraph, and 16 miles of railroad out of Manila. The army consists of 4,800 men, with 3,500 gendarmerie, or police, such as ride in pairs all over Spain. It has a navy of two corvettes, six avisos, or despatch vessels, sixteen gunboats, with 2,000 sailors and marines. I believe I have told you all that is necessary to know about the Philippine Islands in a general way; and I thank you for your attention through the long talk I have given you," the professor concluded, and retired from the rostrum in the midst of the hearty applause bestowed upon him.

"I think we all know more about the Philippines than we ever knew before, though I have been there; and to-morrow I shall have something to say, very briefly, about the city of Manila," said the commander.

"When shall we get there, Captain?" asked Dr. Hawkes.

"Day after to-morrow morning; but I shall lay off so as not to get there at three in the morning."[1]

FOOTNOTE:

[1] On board of a steamer from Colombo, Ceylon, to London, I met an educated Scotch gentleman from Manila, who pronounced the name Philippine, the last i long. On the steamer from Liverpool to Boston, I met a lady, also from Manila, and she pronounced it with a long i in the last syllable. I conclude this is the fashion among English-speaking people in the Philippine Islands.—O. O.



CHAPTER XXVIII

THE DESCRIPTION OF AN EARTHQUAKY CITY

In the afternoon of the second day out Professor Giroud called his pupils together in the library, which was the schoolroom of the ship, and resumed the lessons which had been interrupted since the arrival at Sarawak. The long intermission had sharpened the intellects of the class, and they were very earnest in their studies. But it could be only for the afternoon and the next day, for the commander was very diligent in the business of sight-seeing.

At half-past nine the next forenoon, the passengers were all assembled in Conference Hall, as the captain had appointed; and the siamangs, who spent much of the time aloft running up and down and along the foreyards, were in their usual places, for chairs had been provided for them; and they looked as grave and attentive as though they understood the whole of the lecture. Captain Ringgold appeared on the rostrum, after he had patted Mr. and Mrs. Mingo on the head, and glanced at Miss Mingo in the lap of Miss Blanche.

"Manila is the capital of all the Spanish possessions in the East, as the professor has informed you; it has a population of 270,000, which is 40,000 greater than Havana," he began. "It is on the south-west coast of Luzon, 650 miles from Hong-Kong, which is a run of about forty-seven hours for the ship. It is located on both sides of the little river Pasig, which is the outlet of Lake Bahia, or the Lake of the Bay. When I was here many years ago, I spoke Spanish enough to get along; but I shall leave the language now to the professor and Mr. Belgrave, for I forget most of it.

"In going to the city we have to pass through Manila Bay, which is really a sea of itself; and, though it is land-locked, it affords little if any protection for vessels in heavy weather, for it is about thirty miles long from north to south, and twenty-five from east to west. A west or south-west wind rakes it about the same as the ocean.

"The city forms a circle, with a piece of it cut off on the bay; and the suburbs are on several islands in the river and bay. To keep a clear channel, the Pasig is extended into the bay between two piers, with a fort at the end of one, and a lighthouse at the end of the other. The anchorage in the bay is good enough so far as holding ground is concerned, except in the south-west monsoon, when vessels of four hundred tons or more have to go to Cavite, ten miles south south-west from the city; and their cargo must be taken to and from them in lighters.

"The oldest part of Manila is on the southern bank of the Pasig, and is strongly fortified; but it has a dilapidated look, for it was founded in 1571. On the north side of the river is the Binondo suburb, as it is called, which is more populous than the old part. The foreign merchants live here, and it is the more important commercial centre. You would hardly know, if you waked from a sleep there, whether you were in a Spanish or an Oriental city, for you would see something of both. Gloomy-looking churches, awkward towers, and heavily built stone houses are mixed up with pleasant cottages in groves of tropical trees. I believe the people are now inclined to build more of wood than stone on account of the prevalence of earthquakes, which shake down the heavier structures, and crush the occupants under the weight of the material.

"As in Burma and Siam, the cottages I mentioned are built on posts; for the land is sometimes inundated, and the water requires a free passage, or it would do more mischief. In the month of August, nearly two feet of water falls on a level; and it makes bad work in the low places. The streets are wide and not paved; and in the rainy season, with a foot or two of water lying loose around, they become very nearly impassable. The houses are built in Spanish fashion, with a central court-yard. They are generally two stories high; for in an earthquaky country like this, where terra firma becomes terra shaky, the people are not encouraged to erect buildings twenty stories high, as in New York and Chicago.

"An iron suspension bridge connects the old town with Binondo. It was formerly a stone bridge, built more than two hundred years ago, which was thrown down by the earthquake of 1863. A street in the new suburb, called the Escolto, seems to be the Broadway of the city; for it is the great shopping locality, and it is flanked with shops and stalls, filled with people of various races. Beyond this the Chinese, Tagals, and half-castes congregate in numerous occupations, as jewellers, oil and soap dealers, confectioners, painters, and those of other trades. Here you will find plenty of gambling-houses, if you are looking for them.

"As in Singapore, certain sections of the city are given up to particular branches of business. At San Fernando, there are immense cigar manufactories, like the one you saw in Sevilla in Spain, where six thousand women are employed; and probably as many are to be found in some of them here," continued the commander, consulting memoranda he took from his pocket. "At Santo Mesa is a cordage manufactory; at Alcaicerfa the Chinese have a landing-place for their sampans; fishermen and weavers live at Tondo, whose gardens supply the markets with fruit and vegetables; Malate is the resort of the embroiderers; Paco is favored by artists and artisans; and Santa Ana and San Pedro Macati are health resorts."

"McCarty!" exclaimed Felix, as he caught what sounded like an Irish name. "I wondher if he comes from Kilkenny."

"A place, and not a man; and it did not come from Kilkenny. It is a Spanish name, spelled Ma-ca-ti," replied the captain. "I have read off all these names from my memoranda, not that I expect you to remember them, but to show you how things work here. All the buildings for public use in a capital city are found here, and a cathedral, the palaces of the governor-general and the archbishop, an elegant town-house, churches, three colleges for young men, and two for young women (not behind the times, you see), a large theatre, probably not as large as that in Barcelona, custom-house, barracks, etc. The Prado is the largest public square, and is ornamented with a statue of Charles IV., or Carlos, King of Spain from 1788 to 1808; and I wonder there is not one of Magellan, who discovered the islands, and lost his life here.

"The streets of the city are lighted with kerosene-oil lamps, and not with gas, for the reason that the earthquakes made bad work of the latter; and the works were destroyed in a hurricane in 1882, as was half the city. They do not build houses of brick or stone now, but of wood, the former being so destructive of human life in an earthquake. The native dwellings are constructed of bamboo, thatched with the leaves of the nipa palm.

"Glass windows are not used here; but the flat shell of a large oyster is substituted for glass, and the sashes all slide horizontally. Both of these departures from ordinary methods are said to be to exclude the great heat; but I confess that I cannot see it. I find among my memoranda that 21,000 women and 1,500 man are employed in making cigars; which in Sevilla includes the putting up of tobacco in papers for smoking, and it may be so here. Before I close I wish to say that authorities differ in regard to the population of the city; but I think the professor was about right in putting it at 270,000. Lippincott gives it with the suburbs at 160,000, and Chambers at nearly 300,000. You have been patient and longer suffering than I intended you should be, and I thank you."

The commander made his bow, and descended from the rostrum. Hearty applause followed, and the siamangs joined with repeated cries and squeaks. Miss Mingo had fallen asleep in her comfortable quarters; but the noise woke her with a start, and she sprang to the shoulder of Miss Blanche, where she gave her "Ra! Ra! Ra!" and the squeak which is the "tiger" at the end of it. As the audience left their chairs for a walk on the deck, Mr. and Mrs. Mingo sprang into the fore-rigging, climbing the shrouds, and over the futtock-shrouds, disdaining to crawl through the lubber-hole to the top.

Miss Mingo looked up at them, and then sprang into the rigging; for her strength and agility seemed to have greatly increased since she came on board, making it probable that the sea-air agreed with her. But her mamma did not appear to be quite satisfied with this venture; and she sprang over the futtocks, and seized her with one arm as she began to mount them.

Mr. Mingo ran up the topmast rigging, and seated himself on the cross-trees. The anxious mother looked at him a moment, and then darted down to the deck with the baby in her arm. Then, seeing Mrs. Belgrave seated in one of the arm-chairs on the promenade, she carried Miss Mingo to her, placing the infant in her lap. The lady immediately folded the little one in her arms so that she could not escape, caressing her so that she did not offer to follow her mother up the rigging, though she watched her ascent.

Mrs. Mingo ascended to the cross-trees, where she and the gentleman siamang seemed to hold a conference. The latter then sprang up to the topgallant yard, and was closely followed by his mate. They turned somersets, and went through a variety of athletic feats, which greatly interested their audience on deck, who gave them a round of applause. They seemed to understand and appreciate this manifestation of approbation, for they attempted various other feats.

Mrs. Mingo got hold of the topgallant halliards, and finding them loose, swung out over the lee side of the ship. Captain Ringgold was startled at this movement. She swung out as far as she could, the line yielding, and suddenly she dropped into the water. The captain rang the gong to stop the screw, and then to back it. If the siamang could swim at all, she was very clumsy in the water; and the waves, for there was considerable sea on, seemed to bother her.

"Clear away the second cutter, Mr. Gaskette!" shouted the commander as soon as he had rung the gong to stop the screw, and the ship was as nearly at rest as she could be on the billows.

"All the second cutters, on deck!" shouted Biggs, the boatswain, after he had piped his whistle, at the order of the second officer.

The boat was swung out in as much haste as though the cry had been "Man overboard!" and her crew took their places in good order. The cutter was lowered into the water, and the men gave way on a favoring wave and went clear of the ship. They pulled with all their might; and Lanark, the cockswain, steered her for the siamang.

"Stand by, bowmen, to haul in the lady!" called Mr. Gaskette, as the cutter approached the unhappy animal. "In bows!" and the two bowmen tossed their oars, and brought them down in place, the men springing into the fore-sheets to seize hold of the creature. "Way enough!"

It looked to those who were anxiously watching the operations of the men, fearful that Miss Mingo would become an orphan, as though the boat would strike Mrs. Mingo, and kill her by the collision.

"Stern all!" cried Mr. Gaskette with energy.

The order was obeyed, and the cutter came to a stop when near the animal. The bowmen were reaching to get hold of her, when she made a vigorous leap into the fore-sheets, grasping the rail as she did so. She shook herself with all her might as soon as she was in the boat, and a cheer went up from the deck of the ship. The lady then seated herself on the little platform in the bow, and seemed to be as happy as ever, and that was saying a great deal.

"Give way!" said Mr. Gaskette, laughing at the apparent self-possession of Mrs. Mingo when her troubles were over. The cutter came alongside the ship under its davits, the falls were hooked on, and the boat was hoisted up. The lady was the first to leap from her place to the rail of the ship.

The passengers applauded as she moved aft; and she replied with her usual cry, and ended it with a squeak. She went directly to the promenade, which she mounted, and then hastened to Mrs. Belgrave's chair. She looked at her baby as though it had been overboard. Miss Mingo's keeper had taken care that the infant should not see her mother in the water; and the little one could not have told what was the matter if any one had asked her, first because she did not know, and second for an obvious reason.

The ship was going ahead again, and the captain came to the promenade. He took the lady into the sun, and persuaded her to lie down and dry herself. She seemed to understand the matter, and stretched herself out.