THE TOWN OF ILOILO. 
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army, who did their utmost in providing many good 
things for our enjoyment and comfort. 
Being anxious to push on, so as to reach Hong 
Kong before the change of the monsoons, early 
the next morning we were under weigh, passing 
through the Sulu Sea, reaching the Island of 
Panay, and anchoring off the town of Iloilo on 
the 28th. 
The approach to the port is by a narrow channel 
between a sandbank and the Island of Guimaras, and 
we anchored very near the shore. A few straggling 
houses are all that is seen of the town, which has 
no pretensions to size or beauty ; one portion of it 
lies so low that its streets are usually, at high-water, 
submerged, the houses being built on high piles. 
The roads in the suburbs are pretty, and many 
Indian houses are seen, where most of the women are 
employed making that extremely beautiful fabric, the 
pina , which is prepared from the leaves of the pine- 
apple. The white and delicate threads, being separated 
from the leaves, are sorted with great care, and 
woven into a very delicate material resembling very 
fine muslin. Such are the patience and care required 
in its make that sometimes not more than half an inch 
is made in a day. 
After taking in coal, we left, on the morning of 
the 31st, for Manilla. The 350 miles were soon got 
over, and, after trawling on two or three occasions, 
on the 4th 'November we sighted the lighthouse at 
