CHAP. XVIII.
PLANTS SHIPPED FOR ENGLAND.—SAIL FOR MANILA.—NATURAL PRODUCTIONS AND EXPORTS.—PASSPORT ANNOYANCES.—THE INTERIOR OF LUZON—ITS LAGUNA.—EARLY MORNING IN THE PHILIPPINES.—VALUABLE PLANTS PROCURED.—THE "QUEEN OF ORCHIDS."—NATURAL HABITS OF AIR-PLANTS.—LAWLESS BANDITTI OF THE INTERIOR.—A FALSE ALARM.—MONKEYS MORE HARMLESS THAN MEN.—A NIGHT AT DOLORES WITH THE PADRE.—VOLCANOES IN THE PHILIPPINES.—GENERAL APPEARANCE OF THE COUNTRY.—LEECHES NOT VERY AGREEABLE COMPANIONS.—RETURN TO MANILA AND SHIP PLANTS FOR ENGLAND.—SAIL FOR THE NORTH OF CHINA.—"A MAN OVERBOARD"—HIS RECOVERY BY A GALLANT BOAT'S CREW.—ARRIVE IN THE NORTH.
The collections of plants and seeds which I had made during the summer and autumn of 1844 arrived in safety at Hong-kong, and I lost no time in shipping them for England. All the living objects were planted as usual in "Ward's cases," well guarded with iron bars and placed upon the poops of the largest vessels I could find then at anchor in the bay. I always took care to divide my collections into three or four parts for the purpose of sending them by different ships, so that if any thing happened to one portion, the others had a chance of reaching England in safety. The last shipment at this time was made on the 31st of December. As it was then winter in the northern provinces, and as nothing could be done in the south, I determined to go over to the Philippine Islands for a few weeks, and accordingly sailed for Manila in the beginning of January, 1845.
The voyage from Hong-kong to Manila at this season is generally made in six or eight days, as the monsoon is fair. I need not give any description of the town, which is well known as being the chief Spanish settlement in the Philippines. The inhabitants are principally Spaniards, Indians, Chinese, and there are a few English mercantile establishments. The chief productions and exports are sugar, coffee, rice, cheroots, and indigo. The beautiful cloth generally known by the name of Pinia, which is made from the fibre of the pine-apple plant, is manufactured and embroidered by the natives and is sold in the shops. A kind of hemp, the produce of a species of Musa, is also made into ropes and cables; it is highly prized and in much demand amongst the shipping in the East. The cigar manufactory, a government monopoly, is one of the largest establishments in the town; almost the whole of the labour in it is performed by women and girls. When I landed, it happened to be the hour when the work people were coming out of the factory and the streets were crowded with females. As I was not aware of the circumstance, I began to think that the women must form the chief part of the population.
As I had no object in remaining in the town, I applied to the authorities for a passport to enable me to proceed at once into the interior of the island. The traveller, if he is not well acquainted with the customs of the place, is exposed to much annoyance from the Spanish regulations regarding passports. Some new regulations had been established just before my arrival, and I found that I could not land without either having a passport, or getting some well-known merchant to become surety for my conduct. Having landed, a second passport was necessary to enable me to remain on the island, another before I could go into the interior, and a fourth when I wished to leave the country. These passports had to be signed by different individuals, and at different offices, and if the slightest informality occurred, the party was turned back or the vessel detained. I was much indebted to Messrs. Butler, and Messrs. Holliday, Wise & Co., English merchants at Manila, who rendered me every assistance in their power.
Having at length got over these difficulties and engaged some guides and servants, our baggage was put into a Banca or boat, and we started for the Laguna, a large lake in the interior, and the source of the river on which the town of Manila stands. We had to cross the lake; and we were strongly advised to do so at night, as it is generally smooth at this time. We soon perceived the value of this advice. The Bancas are built long and narrow for swiftness, as they have often to make way against a rapid current, which flows down the river. Out-riggers are fixed to the sides of the boats, to enable the Indians to run out and balance them when the wind comes down in strong puffs, and when without these they would be often thrown on their beam ends and capsized.
When I awoke in the morning we were half-way across the lake, and day was just dawning. Those who have never been in eastern tropical countries can form no idea of the beauty and freshness of early morning in the Philippines. The broad sheet of water through which we were swiftly passing was smooth as glass, and shone like a mirror; there was not a breath of air to disturb it. The shores of the lake were rich in vegetation; trees and bushes dipping their luxuriant branches into the water, and crowning the summit of every hill. In this beautiful region winter is unknown, for here, "the trees ever blossom, the beams ever shine."
As soon as the sun began to appear above the horizon, the whole surface of the lake was put in motion by the breeze which then began to blow, and which gradually increased until it became a pretty strong gale. Our sail was close reefed, and all the crew except the man at the helm, stood on the out-riggers to balance the boat, walking out or in as the wind was more or less powerful. In less than half an hour the lake was covered with waves rolling like those of the sea. Every now and then we took one on board, and were soon, as well as our beds and baggage, completely drenched with water. Luckily we were near our destination on the opposite shore, where we soon arrived in safety. I counsel all travellers to beware of crossing the Laguna; by day and I took good care to avoid doing so on my return.
Having landed I made the best of my way to the farm of Don Inego Gonzales de Azaola, whom I had met in Manila, and who had kindly offered me the use of his house in the interior. My chief object in visiting this part of the country was to procure, if possible, a supply of the beautiful orchid (Phalænopsis amabilis), which Cuming had sent home a few years before, but which was still extremely rare in England. His Grace the Duke of Devonshire purchased the first plant, for which he gave the large sum of one hundred guineas.
As I had very little time to spare, I was anxious to make the most of my opportunities. I made an Indian's hut in the wood my head quarters where I held a sort of market for the purchase of orchids. The Indians knew the hour at which I should return to the hut, and on my arrival I generally found the ground in front strewed with orchids in the state in which they had been cut from the trees, and many of them covered with flowers. The Phalænopsis, in particular, was singularly beautiful. I was very anxious to get some large specimens of the plant, and offered a dollar, which was a high sum in an Indian forest, for the largest which should be brought to me. The lover of this beautiful tribe will easily imagine the delight I felt, when, one day I saw two Indians approaching with a plant of extraordinary size, having ten or twelve branching flower-stalks upon it, and upwards of a hundred flowers in full bloom. "There," said they, in triumph, "is not that worth a dollar?" I acknowledged that they were well entitled to the reward, and took immediate possession of my prize. This plant is now in the garden of the Horticultural Society of London; and although it was a little reduced, in order to get it into the plant case at Manila, is still by far the largest specimen in Europe. This beautiful species may be well called the "Queen of Orchids."