Yesterdays in the PhilippinesStevens, Joseph Earle
History
Yesterdays in the Philippines
Stevens, Joseph Earle
Philippines -- Description and travel
The time came. All of our goods and chattels were piled into the
boat. We took off white coats, put on our big broad-brimmed straw hats,
turned up our trouserloons, and prepared for a long row up against
the current. But, thanks to Providence, we were able to hitch onto
one of the stone-lighters that regularly bring rock down from the
lake district, for use on the new breakwater and port-works at Manila,
and which was being towed up for more supplies. The sun got lower and
lower, and finally set, just as the moon rose over the mountains. The
sail in the soft light of evening was very picturesque, and the banks
were lined with the usual collection of native huts, in front of which
groups of natives were either washing clothes or themselves. Large
freight cascos or small bancas were either being poled up-stream by
heated boatmen, or were drifting lazily down with the current, and
everywhere a sort of indolent attractiveness prevailed. We continued
on behind the lighter until almost at the lake itself; then cast
adrift and branched off into a small side-stream that ran up toward
the hills in a northerly direction.
On we wound, now between a deep fringe of bamboo-trees, now between
open meadows, now between groups of thatched huts, and again through
clumps of fish-weirs, coming at last to a town called Cainta, nearly
an hour's row from the main stream. We stopped beneath an old stone
bridge that carried the main turnpike to Manila from the mountains,
and were greeted by all the towns-people, who were out basking in the
moonlight. They had evidently never seen a boat of the randan type
before, and expressed much curiosity at the whole equipment. Before
many moments the governor of the village appeared in the background and
asked us to put up at his residence. Ten willing natives seized upon
our goods and chattels, others pulled the boat up on the sloping bank,
and we adjourned to the small thatched house where lived our host. The
Filipinos gathered around outside, the privileged ones came in,
and everybody stared. The governor did everything for our amusement;
called in singing-girls, with an old chap who played on the guitar,
and otherwise arranged for our entertainment. At eleven he said "Shoo"
and everybody left. His wife gave us pieces of straw matting to sleep
on, and we stretched out upon one of those familiar floors of bamboo
slats which make one feel like a pair of rails on a set of cross-ties.
Later the family all turned in on the floor in the same manner,
and soon the cool night-wind was whistling up through the apertures.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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