Excursion to '' the Enchanted LaheP 2)35 



the mountain-top is quite free of clouds, the country about 

 Los Baiios seems enveloped in an atmosphere of mist. 



The main object and ever-memorable result of our excursion 

 was the Lagima Encantada (or Enchanted Lake, — the 8ocol of 

 the Tagalese), distant not much more than a mile from Los 

 Banos. Volcanic agency and tropical beauty have combined 

 to prepare here one of the most singular and mysterious 

 phenomena that the eye of man may ever behold. Although 

 this small lake is only separated by a low hill from the larger 

 basin, yet the approach to it is extremely troublesome and 

 arduous. It is necessary here and there to use one's hands, 

 in order to creep through the brushwood along the steep wall 

 of rock, till the shore of the lake is at last reached. Even 

 the very ^' dug-outs," in which the lake is to be navigated, 

 have to be transported over this lonely inhosj)itable hill. As 

 the Lagune enjoys the unenviable reputation of being the 

 haunt of numbers of ravenous crocodiles, which have on 

 several occasions overturned the light canoes navigating it 

 at the time, and without further ceremony devom^ed their 

 crews, the natives had learned to take the precaution of 

 binding two or three canoes close together with bamboos 

 and cords, in order to diminish the risk of being overturned 

 while boating on this dreary haunt of '' caymano." 



While the natives were getting ready this handsome 

 specimen of a craft, we stood on the shore, every one 

 absorbed in gazing at this singular natural pictm'e. Calm 

 and mysterious-looking the lake lay before us, a circular 



