LIFE OF JAMES DWIGHT DANA 



city, one of a native hut surrounded with foliage, and a 

 third of a group of rice-stacks near Luzon, embellish the 

 narrative, all sketches by the draughtsman of the ex- 

 pedition, Mr. A. T. Agate. 



The pages of Wilkes contain a summary of the events 

 in Spanish discovery and occupation, and a survey of the 

 mineral and agricultural products of the islands. " The 

 Philippines," says Wilkes, " in their capacity for com- 

 merce, are certainly among the most favored portions of 

 the globe." He describes interviews with the Spanish 

 authorities, and visits to the royal cigar manufactories 

 and the manufactories otflina, a fabric made from the fibre 

 of the pineapple. The manners and customs of the Span- 

 iards and natives are also observed ; and the churches and 

 convents are noticed. 



Permission having been given to the captain to send a 

 party a short distance into the interior, Messrs. Sturges, 

 Pickering, Eld, Rich, Dana, and Brackenridge left Manila 

 in carriages for Santa Anna, where they took bancas and 

 went on to Laguna de Bay. Here the party divided, the 

 three first named proceeding to the mountain of Maijai- 

 jai, and the other three towards the volcano de Taal, 

 which they did not succeed in reaching. They did as- 

 cend, but not to the summit, Mount Maquiling. 



From Manila, Wilkes proceeded, after a sojourn of nine 

 days, to the Sooloo Sea, where he made important sur- 

 veys, the basis of improved charts that were afterwards 

 published. With the Sultan, Mohammed Damaliel Kis- 

 and, a treaty was formed, a " treaty " it was called, but 

 it is little more than a promise from the Sultan to protect 

 all vessels of the United States that might visit his do- 

 minions. The paper is dated at Sohung, once called 

 " the Mecca of the East." 



Here a noteworthy incident occurred. The loss of 

 Dana's " bowie-knife pistol " came very near provoking 

 hostile demonstrations. While the party was enjoying 



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