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August 29, 1909

In the early morning of Sunday, the 29th of August, we sailed through the Corregidor Islands and Sailed into the large Manila Bay. We soon noticed the lighthouse of the city of Manila in the distance, and soon after this the numerous lights of the city. At 5 o’clock we stopped a few miles from the city and at 6 o’clock we sailed into the harbor. The eyes of all of us gazed in satisfaction at the old walls and fortresses that surrounded the city. Manila is over 300 years old. The ship dropped anchor by the government storehouse at about 7 o’clock. We watched the foreign faces of the Malayans and Chinese with interest. The Chinese coolies began to load the ship with coal.

At 9 o’clock, we received permits so that we could disembark and go through the city, we had leave until midnight. Oh, how pleasant it was after the long and arduous 24 day journey across the sea, to once again stand on dry land. The tropical Philippine sun above us shone strongly. After an 8 minute walk, we stepped through an ancient gate built by the Spaniards 300 years ago in the city of Manila. After some hundred steps, we entered a square with an old cathedral and many of us went to thank the Almighty for getting us through this journey, then we turned and scattered through this foreign and unknown city of Manila. At noon, I ate with my friend Fitzpatrick in a Spanish restaurant, in the afternoon I went through the city again and into Luneta park. In the evening at about 10 o’clock, I went back to the Buford steamboat to bed.