2;^o Voyage of the Novara. 



ranged that the hrcha, which had started from Manila a day 

 or two before, was to await our arrivaL But when little more 

 than half way beyond the village of Pasig we overtook the 

 great clumsy concern, and it was forthwith resolved to re- 

 move into it bag and baggage, not forgetting the "j^rovant," 

 and endeavour to make ourselves as comfortable as we could 

 for a few days and nights. 



As it was perfectly calm, and the lorclia had to be poled 

 along, we were a considerable time before reaching the en- 

 trance to the Lagune, where the industrious natives had 

 erected a variety of nets and other fishing apparatus of very 

 peculiar nature. The banks of the Lagune are for some dis- 

 tance from the shore thickly studded with thousands of what 

 are called cordis, or fish-runs, and a special pilot is required 

 to enable the lorclia to thread this labyrinth of fishing ap- 

 paratus of every conceivable form, so as to reach the open 

 water. Singularly enough, it is for the most part the Ta- 

 galese women who manipulate the fishing instruments, while 

 the men, as we were told, sit in ijie house and embroider. 

 Near the entrance is stationed a sort of guardship. A Ta- 

 galese overseer overhauled our passports, turned them over 

 in his hands two or three times with much official importance, 

 and then returned them to us. The worthy officer of the law 

 was obviously ignorant of the art of reading, but for that very 

 reason he looked doubly massy, for fear of exposing his weak 

 side to the Europeans. 



The Lagune de Bay is a fresh-water lake of such dimen- 



