S O O L O O. 
327 
design, not only on my own account and that of the Expedition, but 
because of the gratification it would have afforded personally to the 
naturalists. 
The town of San Jose has about thirty bamboo houses, some of 
which are filled in with clay or mortar, and plastered over, both inside 
and out. Few of them are more than a single story in height. That 
of the governor is of the same material, and overtops the rest; it is 
whitewashed, and has a neat and cleanly appearance. In the vicinity 
of the town are several beautiful valleys, which run into the mountains 
from the plain that borders the bay. The landing is on a bamboo 
bridge, which has been erected over an extensive mud-flat, that is 
exposed at low water, and prevents any nearer approach of boats. 
This bridge is about seven hundred feet in length; and a novel plan 
has been adopted to preserve it from being carried away. The stems 
of bamboo not being sufficiently large and heavy to maintain the 
superstructure in the soft mud, a scaffold is constructed just under the 
top, which is loaded with blocks of large stone, and the outer piles are 
secured to anchors or rocks, with grass rope. The roadway or top is 
ten feet wide, covered with split bamboo, woven together, and has 
rails on each side, to assist the passenger. This is absolutely neces¬ 
sary for safety ; and even with this aid, one unaccustomed to it must 
be possessed of no little bodily strength to pass over this smooth, slip¬ 
pery, and springy bridge, without accident. 
Two pirogues were at anchor in the bay, and on the shore was the 
frame of a vessel which had evidently been a long while on the stocks, 
for the weeds and bushes near the keel were six or eight feet high, and 
a portion of the timbers were decayed. Carts and sleds drawn by 
buffaloes were in use, and every thing gave it the appearance of a 
thriving village. Although I have mentioned the presence of soldiers, 
it w r as observed on landing that no guard was stationed about or even 
at the fort; but shortly afterwards a soldier was seen hurrying towards 
the latter, in the act of dressing himself in his regimentals, and another 
running by his side, with his cartridge-box and musket. In a little 
while one was passing up and down on his post, as though he was as 
permanent there as the fort itself. 
After completing these duties, the light airs detained us the re¬ 
mainder of the day under Panay, in sight of the bay. On the 29th, 
at noon, we had been wafted by it far enough in the offing to obtain 
the easterly breeze, which soon became strong, with an overcast sky, 
and carried us rapidly on our course; my time would not permit my 
heaving-to. We kept on our course for Mindanao during the whole 
