er six
were rarely intact. The lost goods sometimes reappeared on native
heads or backs. Coal oil was in demand, and disappeared with amazing
celerity; it is far better for lights than cocoanut oil.

Custom house inspection being quickly over, we landed. The beauty of
the distant view was instantly dispelled; one glance and there was a
wild desire to take those dirty, almost nude creatures in hand and,
holding them at arm's length, dip them into some cleansing caldron. The
sanitary efforts of our army are effecting changes beyond praise both
in the people and their surroundings.

A little two wheeled quielas (ke-las) drawn by a very diminutive
horse took me to the Hotel Oriente, since turned into a government
office. I noticed that the floors were washed in kerosene to check
the vermin that else would carry everything off bodily. The hotel
was so crowded that I was obliged to occupy a room with a friend,
which was no hardship as I had already had several shocks from new
experiences. We had no sooner sat down to talk matters over than I
started up nervously at queer squeaks. My friend remarked, "Never mind,
you will soon get used to them, they are only lizards most harmless,
and most necessary in this country." The beds in our room were four
high posters with a cane seat for the mattress, a small bamboo mat, one
sheet, and one pillow stuffed with raw cotton and very hard. As we were
tucked in our little narrow beds mosquito netting was carefully drawn
about us. "Neatly laid out," said one. "All ready for the morgue,"
responded the other.

The next morning we watched with interest the carabao as they were
taken from the muddy pools in which they had found shelter for the
night. The natives begin work at dawn and rest two or three hours in
the middle of the day. It seemed to me too hot for any man or beast
to stir.

When a large drove of carabao are massed together it seems inevitable
that they shall injure each other with their great horns, six or
eight feet long but fortunately they are curved back. Strange, too,
I thought it, that these large animals should be driven by small
children--my small children were really sixteen to twenty years old.

We ventured forth upon this first morning and found a large cathedral
close by. It was all we could do to push our way through the throng
of half-naked creatures that were squatting in front of the church
to sell flowers, fruits, cakes, beads, and other small wares.

We p