It was on the morning following our landing that I first stood upon the old stone bridge that for one hundred and fifty years has borne the traffic between the old city and the new. The strokes of eight o'clock were pealing forth from the tower of a neighboring _ecclesia_ when I purposely took this station that I might see the current of Manila's life when flowing at its height. At short intervals along the entire length of the bridge stood in its center a line of well-shaped American policemen in neat _Khaki_ uniforms and russet leather leggins. Thousands of pedestrians were pouring across the bridge in a ceaseless stream. Between the two lines of pedestrians moved in opposite directions two lines of vehicles and carts. It was indeed a cosmopolitan mixture of people. There were English bankers, French jewelers, German chemists, Spanish merchants, foreign consuls, officers and privates of the American army, seamen from foreign warships lying in the bay, Chinese of all classes and conditions from silk-clad bankers to almost naked coolies trotting along with burdens swung over their shoulders. There were Japanese, and East India merchants from Bombay and Calcutta, and, finally, all classes and conditions of Filipinos apparently representing all of the seventeen separate branches of the race,--each individual in this wonderful stream following the channel of his own necessities. In the river beneath were steam launches towing all kinds of small crafts. Along the bank of the stream below the bridge were inter-island steamers packed so closely along the shore that one could almost have stepped from one to another. Into every nook and corner between the steamers were crowded small odd looking boats loaded with native produce over which the owners kept up an incessant chatter. All of us remained in Manila for about two weeks awaiting assignment to our stations. One may well imagine our consternation on awaking one morning about the end of the second week to find the following notice posted throughout all our quarters: All teachers not assigned to the city of Manila or to Iloilo should supply themselves with the following articles: a. One bed, or folding cot, b. One oil stove, c. One lamp, d. Enough supplies of all kinds sufficient for six months, e. Pots, pans, kettles, etc. It is needless to say that positions in Manila and Iloilo were now at a premium.