Wanderings in the Orient   By: A. M. (Albert Moore) Reese (1872-)

BY

ALBERT M. REESE

WITH SIXTY SIX ILLUSTRATIONS FROM PHOTOGRAPHS

CHICAGO LONDON THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY 1919

COPYRIGHT BY THE OPEN COURT PUBLISHING COMPANY 1919

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONTENTS.

Foreword 5

I. Life in a Philippine Village 7

II. A Visit to Tay Tay 18

III. The Leper Colony of Culion 24

IV. From Zamboanga to Singapore 29

V. Singapore, the Melting Pot of the East 42

VI. How Rubber Is Made 53

VII. Two Chinese Cities 58

VIII. Meanderings in Modern Manila 69

IX. A Pacific Paradise, Honolulu 77

FOREWORD.

To most Americans, "going abroad" means visiting Europe. Since European travel will doubtless be unsatisfactory for some years to come, the globetrotter may well turn his attention to the Far East which, while not so accessible, is after all easily reached if the cost be not prohibitive; and the ubiquitous Cook is nearly always on hand to help the traveler out of difficulties.

The trip across the Pacific is of course a long one, but the journey is interrupted, before the end of the first week, by a stop at that tropical paradise, the Hawaiian Islands.

If one should need a complete rest, this seven thousand mile voyage is just the thing. If he desire he may read or study to good advantage. If inclined to sea sickness there is plenty of time to recover and still enjoy the greater part of the journey. While the distances between stopping places are often great one feels that he can "do" a place in much less time than it would take in Europe, where objects of historic and other interest are so crowded together. If interested in the work of foreign missions abundant opportunity offers for their study at first hand.

It was chiefly during these journeys between stopping places that the following sketches were written, as a sort of diary or log, illustrated by photographs taken by the writer.

On a beautiful morning in May the U. S. Army Transport "Sherman," after a voyage of twenty eight days from San Francisco, tied up at the dock in Manila. The regular lines make the trip in much less time than the leisurely transports, but the writer, as a representative of the Smithsonian Institution, was furnished passage on the government vessel. With Manila as headquarters, collecting trips were made to various regions roundabout. Some of these places are described in the following chapters.

Finally, upon one of the inter island transports, a trip to the southernmost islands of the Philippine group was made, ending at Zamboanga, where the North German Lloyd steamer was taken for Singapore, via Borneo. From Singapore a four days' trip, without stop, brought us to Hongkong; whence, after seeing that place and the nearby city of Canton, a two days' trip brought us again to Manila. It is the various places visited in this more or less out of the way circuit that are described in the remaining chapters.

A. M. R.

MORGANTOWN, W. VA.

I. LIFE IN A PHILIPPINE VILLAGE.

The little village or barrio of Mariveles is situated just inside the narrow cape that forms the northern border of the entrance to Manila Bay. The city of Manila lies out of sight, thirty miles to the southeast, but the island of Corregidor lies only seven miles to the south, and the great searchlights at night are quite dazzling when turned directly upon the village. A large amount of money has recently been spent in fortifying Corregidor until it is now considered practically impregnable.