"We start to-morrow morning," said the Doctor, "and must send our heavy baggage away in an hour."
"All right," responded the boys, cheerily; "we can be ready in half that time if necessary," Fred added, as he rose from the table, and was followed by Frank.
True to their promise, they were back again in less than half an hour, and declared that all was ready. The Doctor had been occupied with his trunks while the boys were preparing their effects, and as he had more to attend to than they, he was not quite as prompt. But before the end of the hour he joined them, and then the porter of the hotel was summoned to take away the baggage and see it safely on board the steamer.
"Now we shall know where we're going," said Frank,"and I suppose the Doctor's newspaper has something to do with our movements."
"Quite correct," the Doctor responded; "it has very much to do with them."
Then he opened the sheet, which was nothing more nor less than a paper printed at Batavia, in the Dutch language. He directed their attention to an advertisement, and they were not long in spelling it out and divining its meaning. It was to the effect that a steamer was to sail early the next day for Borneo and the Philippine Islands. The Doctor explained that he was fortunate enough to find the captain of this vessel in the office of the hotel, and had arranged for them to take passage on her to Sarawak and Manilla.
"I understand," said Frank, "Sarawak is in Borneo, and Manilla is the capital of the Philippine Islands. We shall visit both those places."
"Yes," replied Doctor Bronson, "the steamer goes first to Sarawak, where she has a lot of cargo to leave, and perhaps some to take, and then she proceeds to Manilla. If you study the map you will see that Sarawak is almost on a direct line from Batavia to Manilla."
They looked at the map, and found it as the Doctor had stated. Fred wished to learn something about Borneo, but the Doctor suggested they would have plenty of time for that on the voyage, and they had better devote the evening to a farewell drive through Batavia. The boys at once assented to the proposal, and as soon as a carriage could be called they were off.