Extracts from the Journal of an American Naval Officer, Part III [pp. 706-723]

Extracts from the Journal of an dimerican JVaval Offcer.
leaving a space of half an inch between; which,
beside its recommendation for cleanliness, keeps the
apartments cool by the evaporation of the water
beneath. A short time previous to our arrival, upwards of four thousand of these huts had been destroyed by firc.
The natives are of a very bright olive complexion, slight in figure, lithe and graceful in their
movements; their eyes dark, full and expressive;
and their hair black, long and luxuriant. They
seem friendly and inoffensive.
The exports of the island are principally cotton,
rice, indigo, tobacco, sugar, tortoise-shell, grass
cloths, &e. About fifteen thousand tons of shipping
clear annually from this port. A ship owned in
the place, is a regular trader to Acapulco, whence,
like the galleons of old, but no longer intercepted
by the freebooters of Englandl, she bears her rich
freight across the vast Pacific Ocean. In consequence of the Spaniards having reached the Phillippines by pursuing a \Western course, and ourselves by steering East, tihere are twenty-four
hours difference in time, and Monday with us is
celebrated as Sunday on shore.
Shortly after our arrival we visited the cemetery, which is thus constructed. It is a circular
wall eight or nine feet thick, and nearly a quarter
of a mile in circumference. Around, throughout
thle inner surface, are three tiers of excavations,
not unlike narrow ovens, extending horizontally,
upwards of six feet into the wall. In the centre
of the enclosure is an immense vault. When a
person dies, the body is placed in one of the ovenlike recesses, which is immediately filled with
lime, and the mouth hermetically closed. After
thie expiration of a certain period, the grave is
opened, the bones drawn forth and interred in the
vault, and the sepulchre is prepared for another
tenant.
A short distance from the city is the Prado or
Park, where every afternoon, the inhabitants rising
from their siesta, take the air on foot, on horseback and in carriages of every description. On
the occasion of our first visit, all was glee and
joyfulness. The breeze which rippled the bay and
gathered coolness from its sister-element, bore to
us the merry laugh of the happy pedestrians. The
middling classes, in their unpretending vehicles, in
social converse and with cheerfiil smiles, passed
by at a reasonable pace; the gentry and nobility;
the parvenu so gorgeous, and the aristocrat severely
simple in his equipage; the gay and dashing cava lier; and the haughty beauty in her pride, swept
along; when suddenly, from within the walls, came
the startling but melodious sound of the vesper bell.
The transition from confused and rapid motion to
a state of perfect stillness; from the hubbub of a
joyous multitude, to a deathlike silence, was in stantaneous and impressive. Each pedestrian
kneeled upon the spot where he stood when that
bell first tolled. Instinctively as it were, each
horse stood still, and the riders bowed their uncovered heads. Among sixty thousand beings, the
population of that city, our carriage alone presented erect and covered heads, while the hushed
multitude breathed the vesper prayer.
On our first arrival a similar circumstance was
noted with equal surprise and varying comments,
although from our relative position, the effect was
less startling. WVe came to an anchor about noon,
and the civilities of the port had been tendered
and accepted. Several Spanish ships and a number of coasters were lying at various distances
from us. A slight shower, just sufficient to render
the sails too damp for furling, had caused us to
defer doing so until the evening. The vessels
around had loosed their sails to dry. Near sunset, we called all hands to "furl sails," and in comp)liment to the strangers, the word was passed
ainong the vessels of the port, and each prepared
to follow our movements. The sails were "dclewed
up;" the yards of our own and of every ship in
port were covered with men; the bay, between
the shipping and the shore was enlivened by some
dozen boats, passing to and fro-the Spanish, with
measured stroke to the cadence of a song, and
our own, quick, nervous and unaccompanied with
any sound, save the harsh grating of the oar in
the rowlock. The men on the yards were in the
act of gathering up the sails, when the chime of a
bell was heard. Instantly the men aloft in the
other ships, doffed their caps and stood statue-like
and imrnoveable, while we saw those on the decks
of the ships nearest to us, drop on their kness and
bow their heads in seeming prayer: The song of
the rowers was hushed, and the oars rested from
their work, our own boats excepted, which swept
on with rapid and unceasing stroke, and our men
had furled the sails and were descending from aloft,
when the last note of the bell gave the signal for
the others to proceed.
The English squadron which arrived after us,
was commanded by Sir Francis Collier, the gallant
officer, who, in the last war with France, crowded
sail on his ship in a heavy gale, and dashing stem
on against the chain thrown across the harbor of
Brest, snapped it asunder, and opened a passage
for the blockading fleet.
After having thoroughly recruited, we sailed for
Canton in company with the English frigate. She
was literally "fir built," and had been presented to
their government by the ladies of Livcrpool, after
which city she was named. It was determined to
try our relative speed-but, whether she were more
favored, or carried more sail during the night, or
in reality outstripped us, she was not visible the
second morning, and certainly reached the port of
destination before us.
] On the fourth day, I had relieved my watch mate a little after twelve o'clock, and was walk
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