
se) The Island of Mindoro. 1043 
the open sky, for we had again, for the third time, outrun the 
rainy season in its slow advance from the southeast. The next 
morning showed us a bay partly sheltered by several small 
islands, and the little town of Calapan scattered along a low, nar- 
row point of land between the bay and a tidal river behind. At 
the landing from the wharf was a little plaza, now surrounded by 
posts (for they lately had a bull fight there), and behind this 
the stone fort and its high wall, where was quartered a company 
of Indian troops. Behind this, a short distance, was a low bridge 
across the river. We were soon able to find a house for rent, and 
‘moved in and got our breakfast at home. We were fortunate in 
securing as cook an old Indian, Juan, who was said to have 
cooked for a Spaniard at some time in his life. A stroll down 
the street showed me a blacksmith shop, a few doors away, under 
an open roof of palm-thatch and bamboo, and between that 
and us a continuous line of native houses, palm-thatched and as 
dry as tinder. I had with me nearly the entire results of the 
ycar’s work in the Philippines, including several dozens of new 
and undescribed species. The thought of our personal danger in 
being burned up in the tinder-box in which we lived never occurred 
to me; but the danger of the collections became such a burden 
that I could hardly sleep, and the great trunks of skins and other 
collections were so arranged that they could be at a moment’s 
warning dragged down to the yard below. 
Calapan is the capital of the island, and possesses perhaps a 
dozen Spanish officials, a few Chinese, and five or six hundred 
Christian Indians, the latter drawn chiefly from Luzon and 
and Marinduque opposite. 
We were so anxious to see what the island produced that 
several of the party went out the same day to the patches of vir- 
gin forest on the low hills near the town. The settlement is quite 
recent, and stumps and native timber are still abundant. Mateo 
was the first to return, with a lot of birds which were at first 
sight disappointing. Most of the lot were birds we had already 
learned to expect as common inhabitants of all the Philippines ; 
among these the common Philippine crow and oriole and barbet 
and black night-sin ging cuckoo, Evdynamis. Several genera which 

