SAMBOANGA. 325 



a blaze, and illuminated gloriously the interior of our 

 cavern ; but, alas ! short-sighted mortals that we were, 

 forgetting the necessity of a chimney, and the aperture 

 being small, we were completely smoked out, to our no 

 small discomfort. 



On the 6th of April we touched at the Cagayanes, and 

 on the 8th we anchored off Zamboangan, or Samboanga, 

 a penal settlement of the Spaniards on the Island of 

 Mindanao, or Majindanao, as it is sometimes written, and 

 notwithstanding the somewhat equivocal character of many 

 of its inhabitants, one of the most pleasing places we 

 visited among the Philippines, a few observations on 

 which may not be displeasing to my readers. Owing to 

 the kindness of Sir Edward, and the liberality of the 

 Governor, I was enabled to enjoy a very pleasant little 

 excursion, of several days, in the neighbouring country. 

 Mounted on an excellent horse (which, however, on 

 starting, managed to rear so high as to fall backwards 

 upon me, without doing me much injury, as I had time 

 to slip away before his hoofs could reach me,) and ac- 

 companied by a very intelligent guide, one Mariano 

 Alvirez, I proceeded, at an easy pace, through the villages 

 of Varris el San Juadedios, Tesseros, Carielar, Caritador, 

 Prenza, Santa Maria, Tumogan, Paraguiaba, Voal, Lama- 

 Lama, Tirando-alerte, and, lastly, Tugbugan, admiring 

 in my progress the wild luxuriance of vegetable life in 

 these latitudes, here spread out in all its prodigality, in 

 the form of splendid trees and 



" flowers as wild and fair 

 As ever dressed a bank or scented summer air." 



Here and there the naked, muddy skins of large-bodied 



