"I feel for one as though we had already seen it, and I can see it all in my mind's eye now," added the lady. "You and the professor have given us such a minute account of the place and its surroundings that it seems to me that I have taken it all in."
"I think most of us have," said Mrs. Woolridge; and several of the company expressed themselves to the same effect.
"We have several books in the library about the city and the islands, and some of us have read them all," suggested Louis.
"What books have you on board, Mr. Belgrave?" asked the consul.
"We have 'Twenty Years in the Philippines' by Monsieur de la Gironière, which some say was written by Alexandre Dumas, but I don't know about that; 'Travels in the Philippines,' by F. Jagor, with an epitome of the work in Harper's Magazine; and we have Chambers's Encyclopædia, Lippincott's Gazetteer of the present year, and some other works."
"You seem to be well provided with information, and with the best extant, unless you consult the archives of Spain at Madrid," returned the consul.
"The Blanchita is coming alongside, Captain," said Mr. Scott, to whom a message to this effect had been sent down by the officer of the deck.
The breakfast was nearly finished when the word came; and the party soon went on deck, where they found all the passengers of the Blanche and the British consul. The usual hugging and kissing on the part of the ladies and handshaking by the gentlemen followed, and the two consuls were duly presented to all.
"It is time for us to go on shore," said General Noury, looking at his watch. "The Blanchita is at the gangway, and I have engaged a pilot for her. Of course you are all invited to go on shore in her."
The two consuls volunteered to act as guides; and the company took their places in the launch, which was large enough to accommodate double the number. The pilot took her into the river; and if the ears of the tourists had been filled full of Manila, there was plenty for the eyes to take in, and it was not five minutes after they passed the lighthouse before most of the passengers were laughing at some of the queer costumes worn by the people.