MANILLA. 
315 
the rotund padre was placed at their disposal. Although the fit was 
rather uncouth on the spare forms of our gentlemen, yet his clothes 
served the purpose tolerably well, and were thankfully made use of. 
During their absence, Mr. Sturges had been much amused with the 
discipline he had -witnessed at the hands of the church, which here 
seem to be the only visible ruling power. Two young natives had 
made complaint to the padre that a certain damsel had entered into 
vows or engagements to marry both: she was accordingly brought up 
before the padre, Mr. Sturges being present. The padre first lectured 
her most seriously upon the enormity of her crime, then inflicted seve¬ 
ral blows on the palm of her outstretched hand, again renewing the 
lecture, and finally concluding with another whipping. The girl was 
pretty, and excited the interest of our friend, who looked on with 
much desire to interfere, and save the damsel from the corporeal 
punishment, rendered more aggravated by the dispassionate and cool 
manner in which it and the lecture were administered. In the conver¬ 
sation which ensued, the padre said he had more cases of the violation 
of the marriage vow, and of infidelity, than any other class of crimes. 
After a hearty breakfast, or rather dinner, and expressing their 
thanks to the padre, they rode back to Santa Cruz, where they 
arrived at an early hour, and at 9 p. m. they embarked in their bancas 
for Manilla. 
In the morning they found themselves, after a comfortable night, at 
Banos. Here they took chocolate with the padre, to whom Mr. 
Sturges had a letter, who informed them that the other party had left 
the place the evening before for Manilla. 
This party had proceeded to the town of Baia, where they arrived 
at daylight on the 15th. Baia is quite a pretty place, and well situ¬ 
ated ; the houses are clean and comfortable, and it possessed a vene¬ 
rable stone church, with towers and bells. On inquiring for the padre, 
they found that he was absent, and it was in consequence impossible 
for them to procure horses to proceed to the volcano de Taal. They 
therefore concluded to walk to the hot springs at Banos, about five 
miles distant. Along the road they collected a number of curious 
plants. Rice is much cultivated, and fields of it extend to some dis¬ 
tance on each side of the road. Buffaloes were seen feeding and 
wallowing in the ditches. 
At Banos the hot springs are numerous, the water issuing from the 
rock over a considerable surface. The quantity of water discharged 
by them is large, and the whole is collected and conducted to the 
bathing-houses. The temperature of the water at the mouth of the 
culvert was 180°. 
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