CHARACTERS:

 Skipper  Don Tiburcio

Chapter 1: On Deck  Dona Victorina (mentioned)
 Don Custodio  Capitan
 Ben Zayb General
SETTING:  Padre Irene (mentioned)
December morning in steamship  Simoun
 Padre Salvi
 Padre Sibyla
 Paulita Gomez
(mentioned)
 Chapter 1: On Deck
“Sic itur ad astra.”

(This way to the stars.)

While sailing, steamship Tabo gets stuck in

mud. The skipper tries to steer it out of the
mud.

Dona Victorina rants and blames the Indios

(even though she is Indio) and the group
ignores her. Ben Zayb argues with Padre
Camorra and Padre Salvi joins the argument.
They suggest different ways about how to
straighten out the river and develop ports.
 Simoun says to dig a canal from the
entrance of the river (to make a new
channel), and close up old Pasig.

Don Custodio says there is no money to

pay laborers, and Simoun says the villagers
can work for 3-5 months and bring their
own food and tools. Simoun argues that
even the Pyramids and Coliseum were built
by workers in the same way.

Don Custodio says the people would rebel.

Simoun says that back then, the Egyptians
and Jewish people did not rebel.

But Don Custodio says Indios are different

and have rebelled before. Simoun says they
won’t rebel again, since Indios who built
the house and hospital of Los Banos did so
without rebelling.
 Simoun leaves to go below deck. The rest
wonder what Simoun’s background and race
are.

03
Don Custodio complains to Ben Zayb that
Simoun suggested an expedition to the
Caroline Islands, whichInsert
meansshort
they would
have to build a ship (cruiser).
description here.
Insert
Don Custodio suggests short text
his project to clear
the sandbars of Laguna: here.
inhabitants of
towns near sandbars should breed ducks to
eat snails, so the gathering of snails will
deepen the river. Ben Zayb agrees but Dona
Victorina gets angry because more ducks
would mean there would be too many balut
eggs.
 Analysis:
Steamship Tabo represents the
government as the way it moves is
identical to the slow paced of ship travel
which is likened to the country’s slow
progress despite 300 years of Spanish
rule.

The Steamship is divided into two parts.

The upper and lower deck. This
represents how the government treat
people: rich and poor without equality
and unjust judgment. It continues the
Noli’s criticisms of the abuse and
corruption perpetrated by the Spanish
government.