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PHYSICAL HISTORY OF MAN. 



where the acclivity was too steep for horses ; and it was now a work 

 of five hours to reach the summit, which is the highest point of the 

 island, being about six thousand five hundred feet above the sea. It was 

 here very cold, and the rain still accompanying us, we did not remain 

 longer than was necessary to complete the observations ; but so much 

 time had been lost through the mismanagement of our guides, that 

 we were obliged on our way down, to pass the night at the half-way 

 station. There was but little shelter here from the heavy rain; and 

 our large company of natives, unlike the Polynesians and aboriginal 

 Americans, proved utterly helpless in such an emergency. They 

 slept very little during the night ; but though nearly naked, having 

 the skin inured to exposure, they were probably in less danger than 

 ourselves of an attack of acute disease. 



We were glad to leave on the first appearance of daylight, and 

 finding our horses at the place where we had left them, we mounted, 

 and before noon, again arrived at the Mission. Among other atten- 

 tions, Father Romano y Aranda presented us with a rare edition of 

 the Tagala grammar; "printed at Manila in 1610," and containing 

 specimens of the aboriginal alphabet, which has been superseded by 

 the Roman letters. "He had never been able to find manuscripts in 

 this character, and did not think any person now living could read 

 it." He further mentioned, that some have supposed the Malay 

 population of Luzon to have been "derived from Borneo; and also, 

 that on the first arrival of the Spaniards, there were officers collect- 

 ing taxes or tribute for the Borneo rajas." 



In the afternoon, we returned to Santa Cruz, and embarking in our 

 canoe, spent another night upon the lake. We landed early on the 

 morning of the 19th, at the hot spring of Banos; and after remaining 

 a while, again set out with a fresh but not altogether favourable 

 breeze. Notwithstanding we had the assistance of paddles, one 

 of the large narrow canoes used on this lake, having a double out- 

 rigger, went to the windward of us with ease. Before dark, we 

 reached the village at the outlet, where a theatre was said to be " kept 

 open during the holy-days;" and having now the current in our 

 favour, we proceeded at a rapid rate, and landed in the city at an 

 early hour in the evening. 



The government of the Philippines is nominally military, but the 

 population appears to be ruled principally through the priests; whose 

 ascendency is such, that " no instance had occurred of the murder of 

 one of them in insurrections, and even acts of violence towards them 



