"The streets of the city are lighted with kerosene-oil lamps, and not with gas, for the reason that the earthquakes made bad work of the latter; and the works were destroyed in a hurricane in 1882, as was half the city. They do not build houses of brick or stone now, but of wood, the former being so destructive of human life in an earthquake. The native dwellings are constructed of bamboo, thatched with the leaves of the nipa palm.
"Glass windows are not used here; but the flat shell of a large oyster is substituted for glass, and the sashes all slide horizontally. Both of these departures from ordinary methods are said to be to exclude the great heat; but I confess that I cannot see it. I find among my memoranda that 21,000 women and 1,500 man are employed in making cigars; which in Sevilla includes the putting up of tobacco in papers for smoking, and it may be so here. Before I close I wish to say that authorities differ in regard to the population of the city; but I think the professor was about right in putting it at 270,000. Lippincott gives it with the suburbs at 160,000, and Chambers at nearly 300,000. You have been patient and longer suffering than I intended you should be, and I thank you."
The commander made his bow, and descended from the rostrum. Hearty applause followed, and the siamangs joined with repeated cries and squeaks. Miss Mingo had fallen asleep in her comfortable quarters; but the noise woke her with a start, and she sprang to the shoulder of Miss Blanche, where she gave her "Ra! Ra! Ra!" and the squeak which is the "tiger" at the end of it. As the audience left their chairs for a walk on the deck, Mr. and Mrs. Mingo sprang into the fore-rigging, climbing the shrouds, and over the futtock-shrouds, disdaining to crawl through the lubber-hole to the top.
Miss Mingo looked up at them, and then sprang into the rigging; for her strength and agility seemed to have greatly increased since she came on board, making it probable that the sea-air agreed with her. But her mamma did not appear to be quite satisfied with this venture; and she sprang over the futtocks, and seized her with one arm as she began to mount them.
Mr. Mingo ran up the topmast rigging, and seated himself on the cross-trees. The anxious mother looked at him a moment, and then darted down to the deck with the baby in her arm. Then, seeing Mrs. Belgrave seated in one of the arm-chairs on the promenade, she carried Miss Mingo to her, placing the infant in her lap. The lady immediately folded the little one in her arms so that she could not escape, caressing her so that she did not offer to follow her mother up the rigging, though she watched her ascent.
Mrs. Mingo ascended to the cross-trees, where she and the gentleman siamang seemed to hold a conference. The latter then sprang up to the topgallant yard, and was closely followed by his mate. They turned somersets, and went through a variety of athletic feats, which greatly interested their audience on deck, who gave them a round of applause. They seemed to understand and appreciate this manifestation of approbation, for they attempted various other feats.
Mrs. Mingo got hold of the topgallant halliards, and finding them loose, swung out over the lee side of the ship. Captain Ringgold was startled at this movement. She swung out as far as she could, the line yielding, and suddenly she dropped into the water. The captain rang the gong to stop the screw, and then to back it. If the siamang could swim at all, she was very clumsy in the water; and the waves, for there was considerable sea on, seemed to bother her.
"Clear away the second cutter, Mr. Gaskette!" shouted the commander as soon as he had rung the gong to stop the screw, and the ship was as nearly at rest as she could be on the billows.
"All the second cutters, on deck!" shouted Biggs, the boatswain, after he had piped his whistle, at the order of the second officer.
The boat was swung out in as much haste as though the cry had been "Man overboard!" and her crew took their places in good order. The cutter was lowered into the water, and the men gave way on a favoring wave and went clear of the ship. They pulled with all their might; and Lanark, the cockswain, steered her for the siamang.