10,000 people. The Missouri Pacific transported the train to St. Louis. The Wabash took it in charge there and delivered it to the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western at Buffalo, and the latter road will deliver it to Stephen E. Barton, chairman of the Central Cuban Relief Committee in New York. The transportation is free. A striking feature of this magnificent donation is that the bulk of it came from sections of Nebraska that were, three years ago, the recipients of bounty from generous friends in the East.

Thus during these dark days of dire distress, in her tender, sympathetic, generous dealings with the children of sorrow in the island so near our shores, did America give to the world a beautiful illustration of the parable of the good samaritan, that fell from the lips of the Burden-Bearer of humanity.

CHAPTER IX.

America in the Orient.

CHAPTER IX.

AMERICA IN THE ORIENT.

Manila a picturesque city-Taxed with no returns-Privateering and neutral rights-Spain defines contraband of war-President McKinley's Proclamation on same subject-What a privateer is-The right of search-America's marines-Commodore Dewey entering the Bay of Manila-Daring attack on Spanish ships under the guns of the forts-Annihilation of Spain's proud fleet-A torrent of iron hail on the forts-Splendid marksmanship of the United States gunners-Dewey fighting under disadvantages.

M

ANILA is a picturesque city, about the size of San Francisco, and is built on both sides of the Passig River, which is navigable to its source. The old city which was built only on the left side of the river is partly standing; and some of the stone wall which was built around it over two hundred years ago is still to be seen. The Cathedral, monasteries and the government offices are all in old Manila, while the business quarter, the foreign shipping houses, the banks, stores and custom houses are in Binondo, on the other side of the river. The fashionable promenade is located between the walls and the shore; and here, especially during the afternoons, could have been seen hundreds of equipages dashing along, and thousands of pedestrians enjoying the invigorating sea-breezes. The Manila houses are of special interest. They are built of stone; no window glass is used in their construction, and the light is introduced into the rooms, when the doors are closed, by translucent oyster shells, which are cut into squares so small that a window eight feet by four will contain 250 of them. These glazed windows are found to soften the bright light and temper the fierce glare of the sun more effectively than the ordinary glass.

Spain has boasted of the fact that the foreign trade of Manila amounted to $35,000,000 a year, comprising an export of over $8,000,000 of hemp, $6,000,000 of sugar, and $2,000,000 of tobacco. But under a more enlightened government the amount of business

would be greatly increased. On the question of the unjust taxation that is imposed upon the Philippines, we gather the following facts from Mr. Dana C. Worcester, who is the best authority on the subject: "In some cases the poll tax amounts to $25 a year, and women have to pay it as well as men. The Chinese pay a special tax. There are taxes on stores and shops, on weights and measures, on house property, taverns, and the smallest factories. A man must pay a tax for the privilege of killing his own buffalo or pig for meat, or of owning a horse, or of pressing oil out of his cocoanuts. For the collection of these taxes Spanish ingenuity has revived the plan which was in use in France before the fermie s generaux came into vogue. For each town or district a tax collector is appointed by the governor of the province. He is called a gobernadorcillo, and he is responsible for the estimated amount which his district should pay in taxes, so that if collections should fall short he must make them good out of his own pocket. He has under him a number of deputy collectors known as cabezas, each of whom collects the taxes of from forty to sixty taxpayers, and is personally responsible for the amount expected from each. If they fail to pay up, he distrains their property and sells it; if the proceeds of the sale fail to cover the indebtedness, the delinquent debtors are imprisoned or deported. At Siquidor Mr. Worcester saw a melancholy procession of forty-four men who had lost houses, cattle and lands, and who still owed sums ranging from $2.00 to $40.00; they were being sent prisoners to Bohol, and their families were left to shift for themselves.

"The natives get little or nothing in return for this frightful burden of taxation. The courts of justice are a farce; the judge makes no