MANILLA. 311 



from the great variety of ages and sexes, give a very different and 

 much more bustling appearance to the crowd of boats, than would be 

 the case if they only contained those who are employed to navigate 

 them. At times the paraos and bancas, of all sizes, together with the 

 saraboas and pativas (duck establishments), become jumbled together, 

 and create a confusion and noise such as is seldom met with in any 

 other country. 



The pativas are under the care of the original inhabitants, to whom 

 exclusively the superintendence of the ducklings seems to be committed. 

 The pens are made of bamboo, and are not over a foot high. The 

 birds were all in admirable order, and made no attempt to escape over 

 the low barrier, although so slight that it was thought by some of our 

 gentlemen it would not have sufficed to confine American ducks, al- 

 though their wings might have been cut. The mode of giving them 

 exercise was by causing them to run round in a ring. The good 

 understanding existing between the keepers and their charge was 

 striking, particularly when the former were engaged in cleansing the 

 pens, and assisting the current to carry off the impurities. In the 

 course of their sail, it was estimated that hundreds of thousands of 

 ducks of all ages were seen. 



The women who were seen were usually engaged in fishing with a 

 hook and line, and were generally standing in the water, or in canoes. 

 The saraboas were here also in use. The run of the fish is generally 

 concentrated by a chevaux-de-frise to guide them towards the nets and 

 localities where the fishers place themselves. 



At five o'clock they reached the Laguna de Bay, where they took 

 in a new crew, with mast and sail. This is called twenty-five miles 

 from Manilla by the river ; the distance in a bird's flight is not over 

 twelve. The whole distance is densely peopled, and well cultivated. 

 The crops consist of indigo, rice, &c, with groves of the betel, palm, 

 cocoa-nut, and quantities of fruit trees. 



The shores of the lake are shelving, and afford good situations for 

 placing fish-weirs, which are here established on an extensive scale. 

 These weirs are formed of slips of bamboo, and are to be seen run- 

 ning in every direction to the distance of two or three miles. They 

 may be said to invest entirely the shores of the lake for several miles 

 from its outlet, and without a pilot it would be difficult to find the 

 way through them. At night, when heron and tern were seen roost- 

 ing on the top of each slat, these weirs presented rather a curious 

 spectacle. 



The Laguna de Bay is said to be about ten leagues in length by 

 •three in width, and trends in a north-northwest and south-southeast 



