"It is fair to say, on behalf of the Chinese, that their insurrections in the Philippine Islands were brought about by excessive taxes and religious persecutions; at least we are so informed by the historians who have written on the subject. In Penang there is no danger of trouble on this account, as the inhabitants have the fullest liberty in the matter of religion, and the taxes are the same for all nationalities.
"It was late when we got back to the steamer, and, as we were pretty tired, we went straight to bed. When we rose in the morning, we were steaming out of the harbor; and so ended our visit to Penang."
[CHAPTER XI.]
SHOOTING-STARS AND THEIR CHARACTER.—A REMARKABLE VOYAGE.
The voyage from Penang to Rangoon was an agreeable one for our young friends, as the sea was not disturbed by storms, and the temperature on deck, both night and day, was delightful. In the cabins it was too warm for comfort, as the iron sides of the ship absorbed a great deal of heat, and the arrangements for ventilation were not able to carry it off. The passengers slept on deck beneath the triple awning that covered the whole stern of the ship, and the boys had a table arranged there where they wrote their journals, and the letters describing what they had seen. The evenings were devoted to conversation on whatever topics happened to come up, and before they reached Rangoon the boys had made a material addition to their already extensive stock of information.
The distance from Penang to Rangoon is 1194 miles, and the steamer took five days to make the voyage. Consequently, the boys had all the time they wished for bringing their writing up to date, and getting ready for the new sights and sensations that awaited them in Burmah.
