, and well situated;
the houses are clean and comfortable, and it possessed a venerable
stone church, with towers and bells. On inquiring for the padre,
they found that he was absent, and it was in consequence impossible
for them to procure horses to proceed to the Volcano of Taal. They
therefore concluded to walk to the hot springs at Los Banos, about
five miles distant. Along the road they collected a number of curious
plants. Rice is much cultivated, and fields of it extend to some
distance on each side of the road. Buffaloes were seen feeding and
wallowing in the ditches.

At Los Banos the hot springs are numerous, the water issuing from the
rock over a considerable surface. The quantity of water discharged
by them is large, and the whole is collected and conducted to the
bathing-houses. The temperature of the water at the mouth of the
culvert was 180 deg..

The old bath-house is a singular-looking place, being built on the
hill-side, in the old Spanish style, with large balconies, that are
enclosed in the manner already described, in speaking of the houses
in Manila. It is beautifully situated, and overlooks the baths and
lake. The baths are of stone, and consist of two large rooms, in
each of which is a niche, through which the hot water passes. This
building is now in ruins, the roof and floors having fallen in.

Los Banos is a small village, but contains a respectable-looking
stone church, and two or three houses of the same material. Here the
party found a difficulty in getting on, for the alcalde could not
speak Spanish, and they were obliged to use an interpreter, in order
to communicate with him. Notwithstanding this, he is a magistrate,
whose duty it is to administer laws written in that language. Finding
they could not succeed even here in procuring guides or horses,
they determined to remain and explore Mount Maquiling, the height
of which is three thousand four hundred and fifty feet, and in the
meantime to send for their bancas.

The next day they set out on their journey to that mountain, and the
first part of their path lay over a gentle ascent, through cultivated
grounds. Next succeeded an almost perpendicular hill, bare of trees,
and overgrown with a tall grass, which it was difficult to pass
through.

Such had been the time taken up, that the party found it impossible
to reach the summit and return before dark. They therefore began
to collect specimens; and after having obtained a full load,