A Filipino Fish-Market.
LETTER XXXVIII.
AGRICULTURAL POSSIBILITIES
Iloilo, July 31.
I think I told you we had been very lucky in the selling of the greater part of our furniture, and now we have got the calesa and pony off our hands as well, which is a great loss in the evenings, but we had to take what chance we could. Some of the young Englishmen got up a Gymkhana on the beach yesterday, and C—— rode the pony for the last time, when he was lucky enough to win two races out of three, and only missed the third by a misunderstanding about the start.
It was a dull, showery afternoon, unfortunately, but when the rain went off, I strolled down to the beach to see if anything was to be seen. I found crowds of Filipinos standing about the upper part of the beach, and a few hurdles down on the sands, which the receding tide had left quite firm. The competitors, who included some of the young Spaniards and Mestizos, were riding up and down, and just as I arrived on the scene, a race came flying along in great style, to the intense joy of the native onlookers.
The occasion was enlivened by the banda de musica popular, the members of which had been on their way to play in the Plaza, but had strolled down to the beach, where they stood amongst the crowd, and every now and then blew and tootled a tune while they goggled about.
I signalled to our sota and made him go up to the house and fetch me a chair, on which I sat and watched the race. As I sat there a Filipino youth came up and very civilly asked me if the señora wanted a muchacho, but I said I did not, as I was quite content with the servants I had at present.