100 ARRIVAL AT MANILA. [1844. 



in, but by keeping closer to the land, and taking advan- 

 tage of currents, we contrived to pass her, and by half- 

 past five that evening were safely moored off the city of 

 Manila; our friend the ' Brandywine ', reached about 

 noon the following day. 



I immediately paid my respects to His Excellency 

 General Alcala, the Captain General of the Philippines, 

 who received me very kindly, and offered every assistance 

 which the port could afford. Being anxious to obtain 

 a complete suite of Magnetic observations, I procured 

 his sanction to pitching our tent upon the exercising 

 ground, situated to the southward of the city lines ; 

 and a dragoon guard was posted to keep off the people, 

 as it was feared, from the fearfully superstitious character 

 of the natives, that some mischief might result from our 

 being taken for necromancers. This may be readily con- 

 ceived, when the reader is informed that one of our 

 countrymen travelling in the interior, nearly lost his life 

 from the circumstance of his being found possessed of 

 some bottles of beer, which it was declared, were destined 

 to poison the population. 



By some mistake, the party landing to clear the 

 ground, and erect the Magnetic tents, mistook the loca- 

 lity intended, and deliberately commenced upon a green 

 spot within the southern Bastion. As the Governor had 

 allowed me to make my own selection, the Spanish officer, 

 commanding the Engineers, would no doubt have consi- 

 dered any objection to be inconsistent with the Governor's 

 sanction ; fortunately I had an opportunity of explaining 

 the mistake, but he persisted in saying, that if it were 

 necessary we might remain. We moved to another spot, 



