The boys were amused at the appearance of the houses along the banks; they had expected to see broad windows that would give as much ventilation as possible, and also allow strangers to have a peep at the internal arrangements without taking the trouble to enter. But they found, on the contrary, that the windows were generally narrow, and few in number, and the inhabitants consoled themselves for the lack of ventilation by spending a goodly portion of their time on the balcony. The roofs were covered with red tiles after the Spanish manner, and the Doctor remarked that the Spaniards in the Philippines, like the Dutch in Java and the English in India, had brought many of their home customs with them when settling in the eastern half of the world. [Illustration: BARGE AND HOUSE ON THE PASIG.] They passed a barge laden with merchandise from one of the ships at anchor in the roadstead; it was propelled by men with long poles, which they fixed in the bottom of the river after the manner of the "setting poles" formerly in use on some of the streams of America. A broad plank was attached to each side of the barge just above the water-line, and on this plank two men walked as they pushed against the firmly fixed poles. The barge was a clumsy affair, with a roof of pandanus leaves, woven together and arranged in sections, so that it could be lifted off to receive cargo. There was a broad rudder at the stern of the barge, and the steersman stood under the mat roof, so that he was quite sheltered from the rays of the tropical sun. There were many native craft in the river, and a few vessels of foreign rig; but all the latter were of small tonnage, and evidently employed in coast service among the islands. The boat with the three travellers pushed on to the custom-house, where the baggage was inspected, and, on being found to contain nothing liable to duty, was allowed to pass. Then the strangers were at liberty to seek a hotel, and they lost no time in doing so. There are not many visitors in Manilla, and consequently the hotel accommodations are limited; there are only two establishments worthy the name, and even these are far from equal to the pretentious hostelries of Madrid and Seville. Frank remarked that they would be quite content as long as they had a roof to shelter them, and enough to eat; Fred pointed to a large hole above his bed where several tiles had been removed, and suggested that the shelter was not very promising at the outset. The attention of the hotel-keeper was called to the opening, and he quietly remarked that the rainy season was over, and the hole would do no harm.