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diff --git a/20189.txt b/20189.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..f41caa1 --- /dev/null +++ b/20189.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6656 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines, by +Robert Mac Micking + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines + During 1848, 1849 and 1850 + +Author: Robert Mac Micking + +Release Date: December 26, 2006 [EBook #20189] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF MANILLA *** + + + + +Produced by Clare Boothby, Jeroen Hellingman and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ + + + + + + + + + + RECOLLECTIONS + + OF + + MANILLA AND THE PHILIPPINES, + + DURING 1848, 1849, AND 1850. + + + + + BY + + ROBERT MAC MICKING, ESQ. + + + + + LONDON: + RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, + Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty. + + 1851. + + + + + + + +INTRODUCTION. + + +The Philippines, in many respects situated most advantageously +for trade, having long been governed by a people whose notions of +government and political economy have never produced the happiest +results in any of their once numerous and important colonies, appear +at last to be slowly reaping the benefit of the new commercial maxims +now in course of operation, in Spain, and show symptoms of progressing +with increased speed in the march of civilization, encouraged by +commerce. As such a state is always interesting, more especially to +my countrymen, whose commercial and manufacturing welfare is closely +bound up with the rate at which civilization advances in every part +of the world, I have attempted to give some idea of the actual state +and prospects of this valuable colony, as they appeared to me during a +residence there of the three years 1848-9-50, with the double object +of directing more attention to these islands than has hitherto been +paid to them by our merchants and manufacturers, and of deriving +some employment in doing so, during a tedious voyage from Singapore +to Hongkong, when, being in a great measure debarred from personal +activity, an interesting occupation was felt to be more than usually +necessary to engage the mind. + +There are many imperfections in the execution of my task; but for these +the critical reader is requested to make some allowance, and entreated +not to forget the inconveniences all landsmen are subjected to at sea. + + September, 1851. + + + + + + + + + RECOLLECTIONS + + OF + + MANILLA AND THE PHILIPPINES. + + + + +CHAPTER I. + + +About the time the Spanish arms under Hernan Cortez, Pizarro, and +Almagro, were meeting with their most splendid successes in America, +the thought occurred to Hernando Magallanes, a Portuguese gentleman +in the service of King Charles the Fifth of Spain, that if by sailing +south he could pass the new Western World, it would be possible to +reach the famous Spice Islands of the East, which he supposed to +contain untold-of wealth in their bosoms. This vast, and, in the +state of their knowledge at the time, apparently hardy and even rash +idea, met with approval by the King, who honoured Magallanes with +the distinguished military order of Santiago, and appointed him to +the command of a squadron which he immediately set about fitting out +to accomplish the project, with the view of conquering and annexing +these islands to his crown. + +At length, when all the preparations were completed, on the 10th of +August, 1519, six ships, no one of which exceeded 130 tons, and some +of them being less than half that size, sailed from the port of San +Lucan de Barrameda on this bold and perilous enterprise. + +In the prosecution of their voyage, many obstacles were encountered; +but everything disappeared before the ardour of their chief, +who, discovering, passed through the Straits of Magellan, which +alone immortalize his name, and spreading his sails to the gale, +stood boldly with his squadron, now reduced to three crazy vessels, +into the unknown and vast ocean which lay open before him, with all +the hardihood characteristic of his time, traversing in its utmost +breadth the Pacific, without, however, chancing to meet with any of +the numerous islands now scattered throughout its extent. At last, +the Mariana or Ladrone Islands were descried on the 16th of August, +1521, and a few days afterwards a cape on the east coast of Mindanao +was seen. + +Coasting along the shores of Caraga, the ships anchored off Limasna, +where Magallanes was well received by the natives of the place; +from thence steering towards Cebu, he managed to establish a good +understanding with the country people, although upwards of two +thousand of them had assembled, armed with spears and javelins, +to oppose his landing. + +Having constructed a house at this place, in order that mass might +be decently said, he landed to hear it, accompanied by his crews. + +The royal family of Cebu, curious to observe the manners of their +strange visitors, attended its celebration, and, as the story +goes, were so much edified by the sight, that they were baptized +Christians, and an oath of allegiance and vassalage to the King of +Spain administered to them; and their example being followed to a +great extent by the nobles and people of Cebu, the Christian forms +of faith and the symbolic cross were planted by the Spaniards in the +country of the antipodes. + +Some time afterwards, Magallanes met the end which best becomes a +brave and good soldier, by dying in the battle-field in the cause of +his new friends and allies. + +But without his master-mind to direct them, things no longer went +on so smoothly between the Spaniards and the natives; and under his +successor, the hostile feelings then given birth to, soon found a +tragical vent, which resulted in a number of the white men being +cruelly massacred by their Indian hosts, and in the flight of +their companions, who, fearful of their own safety, made all sail +on their ships, and bore away, leaving their unfortunate countrymen +to their fate, without attempting and even refusing to ransom such +of them whose lives were spared, from having been less obnoxious to +the Indians than the others. This fatal accident left the surviving +crews so much weakened in numerical strength, that not having men +enough left to work all the ships, the "Concepcion" was set fire to, +and the survivors steered towards the Moluccas. + +It were tedious to follow them through all their adventures; suffice +it to say, that Juan Sebastian de El Cano was the only captain who +succeeded in taking his ship home again round the Cape of Good +Hope. After many anxieties and vicissitudes he entered the same +port of San Lucar from which he had sailed about three years before; +and as a memento of his skill and of his being the first navigator +who had made the circuit of the world, the king granted him for an +armorial bearing, a globe, with the legend, "Primus circumdedit me," +which he had thus so honourably gained. + +At intervals of about four years between each other, three separate +expeditions were fitted out from Spain and America for these islands, +which were named "_Las Felipinas_" by Villalobos, commander of the +last of these squadrons, in honour of the then Prince of Asturias, +afterwards better known as King Philip the Second of Spain. + +In the meantime the Portuguese, jealous of the vicinity of such +powerful neighbours as the Spaniards, to their empire of the East +which Vasco de Gama and Albuquerque had so brilliantly founded +for their country, took advantage of the financial distress of the +Spanish king, who was then arming against France and Germany, and +for an inconsiderable amount purchased his right of conquest over +all the Philippines. + +But they did not long retain them; for on Prince Philip of the Asturias +becoming King of Spain he regained the islands by breaking through +the treaty which confirmed their sale. Having, in 1564, appointed +Don Miguel Lopez de Legaspi commander of an expedition fitted out +for the purpose of reacquiring them, and having made him Governor and +Adelantado of all the countries he could conquer,--which now-a-days +appears to be rather a vague commission, but was then a custom of that +venturous time,--that dignitary reached the Philippines, which had +been altogether neglected by the Portuguese, and without difficulty +re-established Spanish supremacy over the group, of which he may be +considered as the first governor. + +Their favorable reception by the natives rendered the acquisition +altogether, or nearly, a bloodless one, for the warriors who gained +them over to Spain were not their steel-clad chivalry, but the +soldiers of the cross:--the priests, who, going out among a simple +but somewhat passionate people, astonished and kindled them by their +enthusiasm in the cause of Christ; while the novel doctrines they +taught so enthusiastically, aided by the usual splendid accompaniments +of that religion, captivated their senses, and took possession of +their imaginations. + +Manilla was founded on the island of Luzon, the most important +of all the islands in the group; and the situation of the new +capital on the shore of a long bay, into which flow numerous rivers, +bringing down from the interior of a fertile country through which +they run, its varied and valuable produce, has secured for it +prosperity and commercial importance. A trade with China sprang up, +and its commencement was soon followed by many emigrants from that +densely-peopled country, whose habits of industry and prudence very +soon began to increase and develope the natural fertility of the soil, +and whose numerous descendants have mingled with the native character +some of those useful virtues which it seems scarcely probable they +would possess but for this slight mixture of blood. + +Alas, that priestly ambition and the desire of domination should +in time usurp the place of those laborious, enthusiastic, and +pious missionaries who, so happily for the natives, had managed +to revolutionize their minds, and so spared their country those +scenes of blood which blot with a fearful stain the history +of Spanish power in America. But the influence of churchmen, +as usual, in the Philippines, was not always to be well directed; +for the merciless Inquisition having established itself at Manilla, +commenced its terrible career. No one was safe, none were exempt +from its powers; its emissaries penetrated even into the palace of +the Governor. Moderation in religion, or remissness in its strictest +observances, became crimes, punishable by the severest discipline of +that fearful and cruel establishment. All attempts, even when aided +or directed by the authority and influence of the highest officials, +to lessen its power, proved unsuccessful; and frequently a _Bishop_ +was chosen to occupy the Governor-general's place, to perform his civil +and military duties! Everything was in the hands of the churchmen, +the subsequent effects of which were demonstrated to the world by the +easy success of the British expedition of 1762, which they permitted +to enter the bay without opposition, having passed the fortified +island of Corregidor at its entrance without a shot being fired to +prevent them. And the same effects caused but a feeble resistance to +be opposed to their arms, and the speedy surrender of Manilla by its +priest-ridden and effeminate defenders. + + + + +CHAPTER II. + + +The Government of Spain has, ever since the period of their +acquisition, shown itself ignorant or neglectful of the commercial +importance of these islands, the commerce of which has long been +subjected to regulations and restrictions as injurious in their +tendency as can well be imagined,--they being framed, apparently at +least, more for the purpose of smothering it in its earliest existence +than with any kindly or paternal views of nourishing and increasing it. + +But a change having at length once begun, a new era may be said +to have commenced with regard to them, and it is to be hoped that +increasing wisdom and liberality of ideas may clear away some of the +remaining obstacles which for so long encumbered, and even yet impede +and circumscribe within a very narrow circle, the natural course of +their commerce. For the Spanish Government are far from following a +similar policy to that of the great Henry the Fourth of France, who, +as an encouragement to the manufacturing industry of the country, +rewarded those silk manufacturers who had carried on business for +twelve years, with patents of nobility, as men who by doing so not +only benefited themselves, but deserved well of their country for +their enterprise and commercial spirit. Don Simon Anda was about +the first person who showed any desire to augment the trade of the +islands; and his election to the highest offices of the colony, +after its restoration by the English, was a most fortunate event for +Manilla. Although, unluckily, many of the steps he took with the best +intentions, notwithstanding being infinitely in advance of those of +his predecessors in office, were not always in the right direction, +and consequently unattended by the highest degree of success which he +aimed at, partial good results were obtained by them, and a beneficial +change began to regulate affairs. + +The expulsion of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1768, by throwing +their immense estates out of cultivation, and also the wars and +disturbances subsequent to the French Revolution, being felt even in +this remote part of the world, were attended with the worst effects +to the trade and agriculture of the islands. On the peace of 1814, +the condition of the country was truly deplorable, as, during a +long period of isolation and inactivity, abuses had multiplied to an +alarming extent, and the minds of the Indian population especially +had become divided between superstition and sedition, from each of +which a sanguinary catastrophe resulted. Public opinion at the time +fastened on the priests the guilt of the massacre of the Protestant +foreigners at Manilla in 1820, and the growing discontent of the +people blew into open rebellion in 1823, under a Creole leader, +who then rose and attempted to shake off the Spanish authority. + +To give the reader some idea of the commercial regulations then +existing, which helped, no doubt, to bring about these disorders, +it may be mentioned that among many other things, even after the +port of Manilla was thrown open to ships of all nations, the vessels +belonging to that port itself were not allowed to trade with Europe, +or to proceed beyond the Cape of Good Hope; and Government yet further +limited their intercourse with the only ports of China and India +which were open to them, by issuing passes to all colonial ships, +the conditions of which were perfectly incompatible with the usual +course of commerce, as they were required to return home directly +from the port to which they were destined from Manilla, and were not +at liberty to touch at, or have any intercourse with, other places +than those specified in their passport. + +These absurd restrictions of course prevented a ship from profiting +by any freight she might be offered at the port of her destination +from Manilla, because the terms of her pass made it compulsory for +her to return there before she could accept any new engagement such as +might be offered her, and of course, in such a case, frequently forced +them to decline most profitable business; consequently, the colonial +shipowners found that they had to sail their vessels at a great +disadvantage with all others who were free from such interference. + +Neither was the trade with Spain open to them, for the Trading Company +numbered among their many other privileges, that of having the sole +right of placing ships on the berth for the Peninsula. + +This state of things actually remained in force till 1820, when a +royal order confirmed a decree of the Cortes exempting from all duties +whatever any products of the Philippines which might be imported into +Spain during the ensuing ten years; and this step may be considered +as the first evidence of a desire shown by that Government to give +an impulse to their colonial agriculture or to the manufactures and +commerce of these splendid islands. + +This good work, having once begun, was followed up by the +enlightened and benevolent government of Don Pascual Enrile, who was +Captain-General of the Philippines from 1831 to 1835, and whose entire +administration has left behind it the happiest results for the people +he governed. + +Commencing his reform of the laws relating to navigation by giving +passes to ships, for the period of two years, without requiring them +to declare to what place or places they were bound, or might touch +at during their absence from the port to which they belonged, he +had an opportunity of satisfying himself of the good results ensuing +from non-interference; and some time afterwards entirely loosed the +fetters which burdened them, by giving colonial ships liberty to +sail wherever they chose without restrictions as to time or place: +and certainly, his doing so was an honour for the national flag, +which then waved on every sea. These concessions proved alike wise +and beneficent; and since the time of their being granted, the tonnage +and commerce of Manilla has increased in an amazing degree, and still +goes on prosperously augmenting Her Most Catholic Majesty's treasury, +besides improving the condition of the people and the agriculture of +the country. + +But this was far from being the only wise act of Governor Enrile, +for under his administration a boon of even greater importance was +secured to the country and the people of the colony, by the opening +of internal communications throughout the Philippines. He established +a comprehensive system of roads, and organised posts throughout the +islands. Although most of the roads are now kept in most wretched +order, yet being nearly always passable by horses, they are found +to be of the utmost importance to the well-being of the country, +even as they now exist. + +But should a time come when more attention will be bestowed upon them +than now is, and new ones judiciously constructed in districts where +they have not yet been, the agriculture of the islands will improve +to a great degree, and corresponding advantages will follow in its +train to be reaped by the Government that is enlightened enough to +undertake them, and which is sensible enough to know what is most for +its true interests. May that day soon come, for it will be a happy +one to the Philippines and all belonging to them. + + + + +CHAPTER III. + + +On approaching Manilla from the bay in one of the bancas--or canoes +having a cover as a protection against the sun--which generally go off +to all ships after their anchor has been let go, and the port-captain's +boat has boarded the new arrival, the spires, towers of churches, +and lofty red-tiled roofs of houses or convents are all that can be +seen over the walls, so that the first impressions of a stranger are +not in general very vivid or interesting. + +On reaching the murallon, your banca enters the waters of the Pasig +river, prolonged by two piers into the bay, on the extreme point +of one of which is situated a small fort garrisoned by a company +of soldiers, and on the other the lighthouse, a most insignificant +and nearly useless building. Passing these, the boatmen pull up the +river to the garrita, a small round house, where the banca is vised +by the people of the gun-boats, at all times stationed there for +that purpose, and should there be any packages or baggage in it, +the port-captain's deputy, or aide-de-camp, puts a guard on board, +who conducts you to the custom-house for the purpose of having it +inspected there; but the examination is generally not a very minute +one, and personal effects are for the most part passed merely by +opening the boxes and showing the tops of their contents, although +you may be asked whether it contains either pocket-pistols or a bible, +both of which are prohibited and seizable. + +The city of Manilla, ever since its foundation, which took place at +a very early period of the Spanish power in Luzon, from the natural +advantages combined in its situation--so judiciously chosen by +them--continued to be the capital of the Philippines, whose history +ever since may be said to have centered in the transactions which at +various times have taken place under the shadow of its walls. + +It is built at the mouth of the river Pasig, on the low-lying and +sandy point formed by its junctions with the waters of the bay, +between which and the ditch that surrounds the walls on the seaward +side, a level sward stretches along the beach. + +An Englishman, on arriving, perceives a marked difference between +the place and people and any of his country's Indian possessions; the +air he breathes, and the habits he gradually falls into from seeing +them the customary ones of other people, are not the same as those +of his countrymen in British India. Should he be fortunate enough to +have arrived towards the end of the year, in addition to the greater +coolness of the weather then usually prevalent, and so delightful in +the tropics, he will most probably not want opportunities for enjoying +himself; as, after suffering a penitential confinement to the house +during the long rainy season, for some time before Christmas, the +cool nights and other circumstances induce the residents to break out +into greater gaiety than is prevalent at other seasons of the year; +and amusement, about that time, generally appears to be the order of +the day. + +The city is not unworthy of a curiosity seeker's visit. The town, +within the fortifications, although not of great size, is for the +most part well planned, the streets being straight, regular, and some +of them kept clean and in good order, although many of the smaller +ones are allowed to fall into great disrepair. They are too narrow, +moreover, for the heat of the climate, as the confined air and stench +frequently existing in them, are principally generated by their +closeness, and more especially during the cool of the evening and +early morning, are far from conducing to the health of the population. + +The latitude of the citadel, or Fuerza de Santiago, is 14 deg. 36' N., +longitude 127 deg. 15' E. of Cadiz, or in latitude 14 deg. 36' 8'' N., and +longitude 120 deg. 53 1/2' E. of Greenwich. + +The fortifications surrounding the town are regular, and apparently +strong, defences; but although the walls and ditch look formidable +enough in themselves, the want of sufficient good artillery to +protect them would probably be felt in the event of an assault, +and might render the place not a very difficult prize to a large +attacking force. But no invader need now-a-days expect to meet with +such very easy success as attended our expedition last century, +at a time when weak and priestly notions not only ruled the church, +but governed the people and the camp. + +Very different feelings and modes of action are now prevalent among +the white population, from those then in operation among them. + +For some years past the influx of fresh blood from Europe has been +very much greater than in former times, the consequence of which +is that a change is creeping over the place, from the energy and +enterprize of the new comers. + +There is little doubt but that all this is for the best, and in the +course of a few years more, I hope to hear that the Government, +increasing in liberality and wisdom, will allow the natural +capabilities of the Philippines to be developed, and their importance +appreciated, by permitting foreigners to hold land and become planters, +as without their capital and knowledge it will probably be a long +time before the Spaniards of themselves attain these ends in the like +perfection; such measures would ensure their doing so at once. + +By far the most populous and important part of the town of Manilla +is situated without the walls, and on the other side of the river +from the fortified city, the intermediate communication being by a +handsome bridge, one of the eight arches of which, having given way +to the shock of an earthquake, has not been rebuilt, but is replaced +by wood. It has been proposed to construct a drawbridge at this point, +so as to allow the colonial shipping to proceed up the river above the +bridge, which they cannot now do. And should the project be carried +into effect, it is likely that the small sized coasting vessels, +when nothing better offers for them to do, will go on to the Laguna, +and supersede the clumsy _cascos_ which now solely navigate the lake +and bring down the produce of the fruitful country which surrounds it, +to dispose of in the market of Manilla. + +Without the walls nearly all the trade is carried on, the Escolta +and Rosario, on that side of the river, being the principal streets, +built however without any regard to regularity, so that they are +not handsome, but in them nearly all the best Chinamen's shops are +situated. These are in general very small confined places, though +crammed with manufactures, the produce of Manchester, Glasgow, +Birmingham, and of many other European and Chinese manufacturing +marts. Some of the shops may also be seen stuffed to the door with the +valuable Pina cloth, huse, and other productions of the native looms. + +The great object of the Chinese shopmen appears to be, to show the +most varied, and frequently miscellaneous, collection of goods in the +smallest possible space; as, their shops being for the most part not +more than ten feet broad towards the street, leaves but little space +besides the doorway to display the attractions of their wares, and +every inch has to be made the most of by them. These China shopkeepers +have nearly driven all competition, except with each other out of the +market,--very few Mestizos or Spaniards being able to live on the +small profits which the competition among themselves has reduced +them to. A China shopkeeper generally makes his shop his home, +all of them sleeping in those confined dens at night, from which, +on opening their doors about five in the morning, as they usually do, +a most noisome and pestiferous smell issues and is diffused through +the streets. The Mestizos cannot do this, but must have a house to +live in out of the profits of the shop; and the consequence has been, +that when their shopkeeping profits could no longer do that, they have +nearly all betaken themselves to other more suitable occupations, from +which the energies of their Chinese rivals are less likely to drive +them. The number of Chinamen in Manilla and throughout the islands +is very great, and nearly the whole provincial trade in manufactured +goods is in their hands. Numerous traders of that nation have shops +opened throughout the islands, their business being carried on by +one of their own countrymen, generally the principal person of the +concern, who remains resident at Manilla, while his various agents +in the country keep him advised of their wants, to meet which he +makes large purchases from the merchants, and forwards the same to +his country friends. Besides having many shops in the provinces, +each of these head men is generally in the habit of having a number +of shops in Manilla, sometimes upwards of a dozen being frequently all +contiguous to one another, so that any one going into one of his shops +and asking for something the price of which appears too dear, refuses +it and goes to the next shop, which probably belongs to the same man, +and is likely to buy it, as he is apt to think--because they all ask +the same price--that it cannot be got cheaper elsewhere, so gives +the amount demanded for it, although it is probably very much too dear. + +There is another advantage which the Chinese have found from the +system they pursue,--that large purchasers of goods from the merchants +who import them for sale are frequently able to buy them for less +money than those smaller traders who are not in the habit of making +purchases to the same amount from the importers,--as the credit of +a small dealer is not sufficiently good to induce a merchant to sell +them more than he imagines he is likely to be paid for. + +In these Chinese shops, the owner usually engages all the activity +of his countrymen employed by him in them, by giving each of them a +share in the profits of the concern, or, in fact, by making them all +small partners in the business, of which he of course takes care to +retain the lion's share, so that while doing good for him by managing +it well, they are also benefiting themselves. To such an extent is +this principle carried, that it is usual to give even their coolies +a share in the profits of the business in lieu of fixed wages, and +the plan appears to suit their temper well; for although they are +in general most complete eye-servants when working for a fixed wage, +they are found to be most industrious and useful ones when interested +even for the smallest share. + +The amount of business done by some of these Chinamen with the +principal importers of manufactured goods, who are the British +merchants, is very considerable, some of them frequently making monthly +purchases to the extent of ten or fifteen thousand dollars from one +person, nearly all of the goods being sold to them on credits of +three, four, or six months after the date of purchase and delivery +of the merchandise. Occasionally, however, some of them break down, +and those importers who have been trusting them for large amounts, +of course burn their fingers; Chinamen, as a general rule, being +honest and trustworthy only so long as it appears to be their own +interest to remain so. Most of them at Manilla are people who have +made everything for themselves, from nothing except their hands to +begin with, as no rich Chinamen, such as are met with in their native +country, and occasionally in Java and Singapore, are found at Manilla; +for nearly all those who come there have originally arrived as coolies, +earning their bread by manual labour, but very few of them indeed +having inherited anything from their fathers, except the arts of +reading and writing, which nearly the whole of them, however poor, +understand and are able to perform. Whenever they make money, they +invariably return to China, the Government holding out no inducements +for them to remain in the Philippines, as they do elsewhere in the +Archipelago, where greater freedom and protection are allowed them. + + + + +CHAPTER IV. + + +The streets of Manilla have at all times a dead and dull appearance, +with the exception of the two already mentioned as being in the +business part of the town. The basement-floor of the houses being +generally uninhabited, there are no windows opened in their walls, +which present a mass of whitewashed stone and lime, without an object +to divert the eye, except here and there, where small shops have +been opened in them, these being generally for selling rice, fruit, +oil, &c., and entirely deficient in the glare or glittering colours +of gay merchandise, nearly all of which is confined to the shops of +the Escolta, Rosario, and Santo Christo. + +The houses here, as elsewhere in hot climates, are arranged with great +regard to ventilation and coolness, and are mostly large edifices; +but are seldom well laid out, and are deficient in many respects. The +entire white population, which amounts to upwards of 5,000, resides +either in the city, by which is meant that portion of it within the +walls, or in the principal part of the town outside the walls, and +on the other side of the river from the city within the walls; and +in this district is comprehended the great bulk of the population, +which amounts to upwards of 200,000 souls. + +Those resident within the walls are principally government servants, +&c., induced, by the proximity of the public offices, regimental +cantonments, &c., as well as a lower house-rent, to brave the greater +heat usually felt there, from the confined space within the walls, +and the narrow streets, not permitting so free a circulation of air +as is enjoyed in the houses _extra muros_. + +The largest description of houses, being the residences of Europeans, +are spacious, and in many cases built on one plan, most of them +being quadrangles inclosing a court-yard within their squares. Here +the stables, &c., are usually situated; and, as may be supposed, +the smell and view of them, should they happen to be in the least +negligently kept, as they frequently are, afford but very little +gratification to persons whose windows happen to be near. + +The upper part of the house, or second story, as we would say in +Scotland, is in general the only portion of the house inhabited by +its residents. The rooms below, being considered unhealthy, are in +general converted into warehouses or shops, if they can be let as such +from happening to be conveniently situated, or serve as coach-houses, +lumber-rooms, &c. &c. The masonry of the lower walls is usually very +substantial and strong, being calculated to resist the shocks of +earthquakes, which occasionally happen. Those of the upper stories, +which rise from them, and form the habitable part of the house above, +are much slighter than the lower ones, and the joists and wooden-work +about the roof are adapted for security against such accidents, +by their being fastened with bolts on either side of the masonry, +thus enabling it to give a little play to the motion of the shock, +without being displaced by it, and coming down, as thick and heavy +walls would most certainly do. + +However, on the occurrence of an earthquake, it is usual to run down +stairs, and have the protection of the thick lower walls against +any accident, such as that of the roof giving way. As the house I +lived in while there may be taken as a specimen of many others, I +shall describe it. After entering the gateway, the door of which is +always very stout and heavy, and under the constant protection of a +porter, for security's sake, you reach a flight of steps leading to +the habitable part of the house, and enter a gallery running from +the top of the staircase, and a suite of rooms facing the street, +to the gala or drawing-room at the other end of the house, and a +suite of rooms facing the river. The entire length of the gallery +is about a hundred feet, by twenty broad, and it looks into the open +court-yard forming the centre of the building, on one side. There are +several large and spacious bedrooms on the other side, the windows of +which are lighted from a narrow street running to the river. Facing +the gallery, and on the other side of the house, across the central +court-yard, that entire side of the building is appropriated by the +servants for cooking and sleeping-places. + +The beams supporting the upper or habitable floor extend four or +five feet beyond the outer wall, towards the street, forming a sort +of verandah, or corridor, as it is called in Spanish as well as in +English, round the entire building, affording a considerable protection +against the sun's rays. The outer side of this corridor is composed +of coarse and dark-coloured mother-of-pearl shell of little value, +set in a wooden framework of small squares, forming windows which move +on slides. Although the light admitted through this sort of window is +much inferior to what glass would give, it has the advantage of being +strong, and is not very liable to be damaged by the severe weather +to which it is occasionally exposed during some months of the year. + +There are few buildings distinguishable for architectural beauty, +and those few are for the most part churches. The governor's house, +or the palace, is a large and spacious building within the walls, +and forms one side of the Playa, the other three being formed by +the cathedral, the Cabildo, and some private houses, whose irregular +height detracts considerably from the appearance of the square. In the +centre of the square stands a statue of I forget what King of Spain, +well executed in bronze. + +It is usual for a military band to perform before the palace on +Sunday and feast-day evenings, and on these occasions many carriages +go there from the drive, about eight o'clock, to enjoy the music, +and give people a good opportunity for either gossip or love-making, +as their tastes or the moonlight may incline them. + +The native Indians appear to have a good ear for music, and execute +many of the finest operas with spirit and taste; and the amateur +musicians in particular, who train the casino band, have brought the +native performers to a very high degree of perfection in most of the +pieces performed by them. A good deal more attention, however, appears +to be paid to training these military bands, than in perfecting the +troops themselves in their evolutions. + +Religious processions are as frequently passing through the streets, +as they are in all the Roman Catholic countries of Europe, but +the features of all are very nearly identical, and so need not be +particularly described. + +When one of these processions takes place during the day, an awning +is spread along the streets it will pass through, to protect the +bareheaded promenaders from the sun, the canvass being attached to +the house roofs along the streets; making them incredibly hot to pass +along, so long as it remains there. + +A good deal of display in silver and gold ornaments may be seen in +some of the churches, the collections of many successive years, as +every incumbent shows his piety and zeal by adding something to them +during the time he holds the cure. + +The jewels in some of the dresses of the figures, especially those of +the Virgin, are valued at, or amount to, a considerable sum of money, +and I have heard twenty thousand dollars mentioned as the value of +those belonging to one church in Manilla. + +The houses of the Indian and Mestizo population are for the most +part in the outskirts of the business part of the town, those of the +richer sort being built of stone, and those of the poorest class being +composed of _nipa_, or attap. Among houses of this sort, when a fire +takes place, great and rapid destruction is inevitable, and the only +way of saving any portion of them from its fury is by throwing down +all those in the direction of its advance. + +Nearly every season, however, some fires happen among them, and +hundreds of families are frequently burned out before its progress can +be arrested. This, however, is not anything like so calamitous an event +for them as such an occurrence would be to the poor of Europe, for as +the chief cost of a _nipa_ house consists in the labour of erection, +after such a misfortune, they are soon replaced by their own personal +labour--for whatever their usual trade or occupation may be, nearly +all of the Indians are quite capable of constructing these houses for +themselves, and often manage to complete them roughly in a few days. No +nails need be used in their construction, everything necessary being +produced in the islands, and easily attainable. Houses so constructed +are very suitable for the climate, affording all the shelter requisite; +and indeed the people appear to be much better lodged than many of +the poor in England, where the cold and damp of the climate demand +a substantial house, which too often they do not possess. + + + + +CHAPTER V. + + +The government of all the Philippine group, including the Mariana +Islands, is intrusted to the charge of a Captain-General, who in +virtue of his office is commander-in-chief of the forces, president +of the Hacienda, admiral of marine, postmaster-general &c., &c. His +power and authority, in short, extend to all those departments, +over which his control, should he choose to exert it, is very absolute. + +The civil department of Her Most Catholic Majesty's service, so far +as finance, &c., are concerned, is left to the administration of an +officer who takes the title of Super-Intendente of the Hacienda; and +who, putting the Archbishop aside, is regarded as the second official +person at Manilla, or as ranking next to the Governor, the revenue, +&c., being the branch he has principal charge of; but his acts are +always subject to the control of the Captain-General. + +A military officer under the title of segundo Cabo, is under the +Governor as acting commander-in-chief of the forces, and, in the event +of the governor's absence from Manilla, is the person who fills his +situation and succeeds him in his power. A post-captain of the navy +is usually the rank of the person intrusted with the direction and +management of the sea force, but he always has, I believe, the local +or brevet rank of an admiral. + +The internal administration of the country is carried on by officials +subordinate to those above-mentioned, the whole of the islands being +parcelled out or divided into several provinces, in each of which +there is an Alcalde, or Lieutenant-Governor, receiving his orders +from, and quite dependent on the Captain-General, to whose favour he +generally owes his appointment. + +These officers are invested with the chief civil and military +authority in their own provinces; but although they have always a +small guard of soldiers, the good order and quiet generally prevalent +everywhere throughout the country render their military duties very +unimportant, and their principal care is now required in the collection +of revenue and the administration of justice within their several +jurisdictions. These are not very arduous duties, owing principally +to the efficient assistance derived from the authorities under them. + +Every province is divided into districts or parishes, in which there is +some village or town, and in each of these places there is an official +whom I shall call the Major, or _Capitan Gobernadorcillo_, and also +some _Tenientes_ or Aldermen, as well as police alguacils. All +of these have to report to the alcalde of the province any thing +of importance occuring within their districts, and are commanded +severally to assist and promote the views of the cura, or priest, +by every means in their power. Most of the people who fill these +situations are Indians or Mestizos, rather better off in worldly +goods than the run of their countrymen. + +These gobernadorcillos, or little governors, possess considerable +authority over the natives, for, besides having the chief municipal +authority in their own districts, they are allowed to decide judicially +in civil cases, when the amount in dispute does not exceed the +value of forty-four dollars, or about ten pounds sterling, and in +criminal cases undertake the prosecution, collecting the evidence +and ascertaining the charges against any delinquent within their +district, all of which is remitted by them to the provincial-governor +and judge for his decision. Their election takes place annually, +on the commencement of the new year, all over the country, and their +power is exactly defined in a printed commission which they all hold +from the Governor of the Philippines. + +The half-breeds, or people of mixed Chinese and Indian blood, known by +the name of Sangleys, are usually permitted, in districts where their +number is considerable, to elect a Major from among their own class, +whose power over them is exactly similar to that of the captain of +the village where they reside over the aboriginal Indians: they do +not interfere with each other, and are quite independent of any one +save the alcalde of the province. When there are two gobernadorcillos +in the same village, they each look after their own class, whether +Mestizos or natives. + +In addition to these local officials there is another curious body of +men, called _Cabezas de barangay_; each of whom has under his charge +about fifty families, whose tribute to government he has to collect, +and for the amount of which he is held accountable. + +The persons who fill this office are usually resident in the immediate +neighbourhood or in the same street with those from whom they have to +collect the tribute, and have some slight authority over those who pay +it to them, such as deciding petty quarrels and disputes among them, +&c. The institution of this body is uncertain, and is said to have +been originated by the aboriginal Indians themselves, and to have +been found in full operation at the time of the earliest Spanish +intercourse with them. The probability is, however, that at that +period it was of a military nature, and their duties then were more +to officer the armies of the native kings than for any of the uses +it has been subsequently wisely put to by the white man. The office +is hereditary in their families; but in the event of the person who +exercises it changing his residence, or from other causes becoming +unfit to discharge its duties, a successor is elected in his place. + +They are recompensed for their trouble in collecting taxes, &c., +by being themselves exempted from paying tribute to the state, +and have several privileges by virtue of their office. As a body, +they are always considered the principal people of their village, +and only from among them, and by their votes alone, is the mayor or +gobernadorcillo of the _pueblo_ chosen; that is to say, they choose +a list of three Indians from among their own number for that office, +each of whom should by law be able to speak, read, and write Spanish; +and this list being forwarded to the alcalde, he indicates which +of them is to be chosen, by scratching his name and filling up his +commission. The election of these candidates ought to be made with +closed doors, and must be authorized by the presence of an escribano, +or attorney, to note the proceedings. The parish priest is allowed +to attend if he choose, in order that he may influence the election +of fit persons for the office by speaking in their favour, but he +has not any vote in the matter. + +In the capital, owing to the number of Chinamen there, and in the +neighbourhood, they are obliged to choose a capitan from among +themselves, in order that he may collect their tribute and arrange +their petty disputes with each other, which some one conversant with +their customs and language is only fit to do. + +There are some fees now attached to this office, but the duties are so +troublesome that the industrious Celestials very frequently find them +incompatible with the management of their own trade or business, and +for the most part are not at all ambitious of the honour of filling +the situation, even although some fees accompany it. + +At the same time that the capitan is elected, his lieutenant and a +head constable are also chosen by their countrymen. + +All Chinese arriving at Manilla are registered in a book kept for +the purpose, for, as they pay tribute according to their occupation, +the amount of it, and their numbers, are at once ascertained from +that. Should they leave the country, their passports have to be +countersigned by their capitan, who is to some extent responsible +for them while residing in it. + +The emoluments of government offices are not very high; much too low, +in fact, to recompense the class of men who are required to discharge +them, and the consequence is, (as usual in such cases), that extortion +and improper means are resorted to in order to increase their amount, +all of which fall much heavier on the people than regularly collected +taxes, sufficient to support their proper or adequate pay, would +amount to. + +In the province of Cagayan, for instance, the alcalde's nominal pay +is 600 dollars a-year, which sum is of course totally insufficient to +recompense any educated man for undertaking and supporting the dignity +of governor of a considerable province. But as the best tobacco is +grown there, one of his duties is to collect and forward it to Manilla, +for which he is allowed a commission, and this, with other privileges, +is found to yield him in ordinary years about 20,000 dollars a-year, +being in reality one of the most lucrative situations at the disposal +of the Government. + +I believe that most people will concur with me in the opinion that the +system of reducing the fixed official pay below a remuneration that +will induce men of standing and education to undertake the duties +which their situation requires them to exercise, and to trust to +exaction supplying its place, is extremely impolitic, and much more +expensive to the country than a more liberal scale of pay would prove. + +The alcaldes are allowed to trade on their own account, and for this +their position affords them many facilities; but for the permission +to do so, they are required to pay a considerable annual fee to +Government, ranging from about one hundred to three thousand dollars. + +The wisdom of granting them this permission is very doubtful, as it +not unfrequently happens that the privilege is abused by rapacious +men, eager to make the most of their time and collect a fortune, +and occasionally it gives rise to much oppression. + +The poor Indian cultivators of the soil, accustomed all their lives +to look upon the alcalde of their native province as the greatest +and most powerful man they know of, have very little redress for +their grievance, should that person, in the pursuit of money-making +and trade buy up all their crop of sugar, rice, or other produce, +whatever it may be, and in a falling market refuse to receive the +articles contracted for, or to complete the bargain agreed upon with +them. On the contrary, however, should anything he may have contracted +to buy be rising in value at Manilla, the poor Indian, who has sold it +too cheap to him, has no chance of getting clear of the bad bargain he +may have made with the alcalde, should it appear to that individual +worth his while to keep him to it, as every means are at his command +or beck, aided by all the force of the executive, and the terrors of +a law administered by himself, to compel him to ratify his contract. + +In these circumstances the alcalde never makes a bad bargain, or loses +money on any of his transactions, and there is little wonder that +rapid fortunes are made by men holding these situations, when such +scandalous means are constantly resorted to by them, so that generally, +after a very few years of office, these people are upon very easy terms +with the world, although nominally only receiving a wretchedly low pay. + +Notwithstanding these abuses, however, the government of the people +is on the whole much more effective, and consequently better, than +it is in many places of British India. No such thing was ever known +as disaffection becoming so generally diffused among them as to lead +to a rebellion of the people, or an attempt to shake off the leeches +who suck them so deeply; and this can only be attributed to the sway +the priesthood have over the minds of the Indians, as without their +influence and aid, beyond a doubt, such an attempt would be made; +and if it should ever come about, it would be no very difficult +affair for the natives, if properly led, to overthrow the sway of the +Spaniards. Although there is very little religion among the Indians, +there is abundance of superstitious feeling, and fear of the padre's +displeasure; indeed, the church has long proved to be, upon the whole, +by much the most cheap and efficacious instrument of good government +and order that could be employed anywhere, so long as its influence +has been properly directed. In the Philippines there appears to be +little doubt but that it is one of the most beneficial that could +be exerted as a medium for the preservation of good order among the +people, who are admonished and taught to be contented, while it is +not forgetful of their interests, as they very generally learn reading +by its aid--so much of it, at least, as to enable them to read their +prayer-books, or other religious manuals. + +There are very few Indians who are unable to read, and I have +always observed that the Manilla men serving on board of ships, +and composing their crews, have been much oftener able to subscribe +their names to the ship's articles than the British seamen on board +the same vessels could do, or even on board of Scottish ships, whose +crews are sometimes superior men, so far as education is concerned, +to those born in other parts of Great Britain. This fact startled +me at first; but it has been frequently remarked upon by people very +strongly prejudiced in favour of white men, and who despise the black +skins of Manilla men, regarding them as inferior beings to themselves, +as strongly as many of our countrymen often do. + + + + +CHAPTER VI. + + +From old prejudices, and other causes, the Spanish people have not +as yet learned how to work the more liberal form of government now +enjoyed by their country. But there is no doubt that the experience +necessary to do so is daily being acquired by them at home, and when +it becomes prevalent, its effects may be expected to be shown by the +class of men selected to administer the government of their colonies, +the white population of which are of considerably more advanced +intelligence than their countrymen in Spain. + +In most colonies the people appear to possess a superior degree of +vigour or freshness of mind to those born in Europe, or in old and +thickly inhabited countries. This may result in a great degree from +their comparative freedom from conventional prejudices, the results +of a long and insensible growth in families, which trammel nearly +every mind in densely peopled countries, and more especially in places +where commerce is languidly carried on. Perhaps also in some measure +it may be owing to the greater facility the poorer classes have in +all colonies of earning a livelihood, which, by freeing their minds +from anxiety on that score, leaves some room for their speculations +on other matters. + +In the administration of government, they are even now guided +essentially by the most imperative rules; but I hope that, ere long, in +many cases, the very arbitrary proceedings of their chief authorities +abroad, may become subject to approval by a council such as exists +in our Indian possessions, and in Java among the Dutch, as there can +be little doubt but that it would prove advantageous to the country +did such a body exist. + +As an example of the procedures of the Manilla government, I may +mention the following facts, which occurred to an acquaintance of my +own, and on which every dependence may be placed. + +Don Francisco P. de O---- having been presented with the governorship +of one of the best or most lucrative provinces in the Philippines, +set out for his residency and commenced his duties, which he continued +to fulfil satisfactorily to himself and the people for upwards of +a year--about fifteen months, I believe. His commission as Governor +embraced four years from the date of his appointment; however, at the +end of the first year in his office, a nephew of the then Governor +happened to arrive at Manilla, and it became an object of interest +to his uncle to get him into some good place before the term of his +appointment as Governor expired. Casting his eyes around on everything +that might serve his turn, he happened to recollect Don Francisco's +alcalde-ship, and forthwith despatched an order to my unfortunate +friend to return to Manilla, there to answer some complaints which, +he alleged in the order of recall, had been made against his +administration of the province, and at the same time told him to +deliver over all authority to the person he sent for the purpose, +that individual being neither more nor less than his own nephew. + +Don Francisco, ignorant of committing any crime or fault, or of +anything that could justify this very unceremonious recall, hastened to +Manilla, and presenting himself at the palace, demanded what charges +had been lodged against him, and by whom they had been made. But +he could learn nothing of them, and was commanded by the Governor +to wait in Manilla till he should be formally summoned to answer +them. It is now, however, upwards of ten years since this happened, +and from that day to this he has never been summoned, nor has he been +even able to find out what the charges were on which he was recalled +from his lucrative appointment, although repeated applications were +made to the Governor who recalled him for a trial. All the subsequent +Governors have professed their inability to give him the information, +which, had such charges actually been framed, must have been found in +the archives, so that no doubt can now exist but that this villanous +trick was trumped up by the Governor to serve his own family by the +bestowal of Don Francisco's place. And as my friend has since filled +other situations, (and, in fact, is an Alcalde,) having been selected +by different Governors for office, the accusation does not in the +least affect his character. + +But, in truth, many of the natives of Spain who are even now selected +to fill the highest offices, are about as despotic and as unscrupulous +as any Asiatics in their notions of government and in their exercise +of power, and as bad even as the Turks themselves are in their +administration of justice and equity; while the Spanish government, +and the political knowledge of the people, are infinitely behind the +Turkish government in everything concerning their commercial policy. + +During the time of electing members for the Cortes, or parliament +in Spain, of course the existing government were anxious to secure +the tide of the general election running in their favour--but what +means do you, my courteous reader, imagine they took to secure this +object? Why, neither more nor less than to order the police to seize +all persons suspected of being likely to oppose their party actively +at the ensuing elections throughout the country. Thousands of people +were actually seized and hurried off to jail, to be confined there +till the danger was past; and many of them, on the jails becoming too +full to contain them all, were hurried to a seaport town and put on +board ships sailing to Manilla, or, by hundreds at a time, sent out +on a voyage of four months' duration, to reconsider their political +opinions, and then to find their road home as they best might. + +These people were captured in all situations of time and place, and +were not allowed to communicate with their friends while in prison +in Spain, which must have given rise to at least as much distress +and privation among as many persons as the numbers of those seized, +for very many of them were people with families entirely dependent +upon them for support. + +About a thousand of these _deportados_ reached Manilla in 1848-9, and +being entirely destitute of all resources or means of subsistence, they +had to be taken care of by the Colonial Government, who allowed them +some rice and water every day, and had, finally, to charter vessels +to re-ship them for the Peninsula. One of them was an Irishman, who +having entered the Spanish service when a lad, had reached the rank +of Colonel; his father was a general officer and K.C.B. of our own +army, who, I believe, had married a Spanish lady, and after his death, +his family had become resident in Spain. + +The bad accommodation of a crowded ship, together with the want +of change of clothes, which he was not allowed to procure from +his friends, and the general filthiness of the people with whom he +was obliged to be cooped up during the long voyage, acted on him so +severely that it caused his death a very short time after his arrival +at Manilla. Thus the poor fellow fell a sacrifice to this abominable +stretch of arbitrary power, and dying destitute, was buried there, +after having been maintained decently in a hotel during the remainder +of his existence, at the expense of his countrymen then at Manilla. + +When acts so atrocious as these can be done with impunity in any +European country by a powerful minister of the crown, we may form some +idea of its advance in the arts of self-government and the security +of its people. + +This young man was very far from being the only person who fell a +victim to these acts, as many died from causes similar to those which +deprived him of life; and his case is only mentioned to give some +idea of the lengths men will proceed to when no checks are placed +on the Government machine, to prevent its bursting, and damaging +thousands. These abuses are so shameful, that they are scarcely +credible in Britain; but they are easily capable of corroboration +by inquiry and a little knowledge of Spain, where very frequently +caprice is the only law in existence, or at least is the only one acted +upon. I might multiply instances, but this is doubtless sufficient. + +The orders of the Court at Madrid are not always laws in their +colonies, for every now and then the most imperative commands come +out from Spain which are refused obedience to at Manilla, where it +is openly asserted that the home government gives orders in favour +of importunate suitors, without the least expectation that they will +be acted upon by those to whom they are addressed; granting them, +in fact, merely to get rid of troublesome people who might annoy them +at home if their demands were refused. + + + + +CHAPTER VII. + + +People are generally seen to most advantage in their own houses; +and nowhere, I think, does any one appear to play the host better +than an average specimen of a Spanish gentleman under his own roof. + +Notwithstanding a great deal of ceremony and the customary exaggerated +polite expressions used to every stranger, there is so much innate +hospitality in the national character that it is not to be mistaken, +and is perhaps one of their best and greatest virtues as individuals. + +The modes of expression usual on occasions such as that of a first +visit to a house appear rather strange to any one born under a colder +sun than that of old Castile, and the first time that one is told, +on taking leave of his host at a place he has been visiting for the +first time, that the house, and every thing and person in it, are +his, or at his disposal, he is apt to be puzzled by the exaggeration +of the speech which contains such an unlimited offer, should he +be ignorant that it is quite a usual expression. Of course it means +nothing more than were any one to say or subscribe himself in English, +"I am your obedient servant," which he may be very far from feeling, +and may be constantly in the habit of using to his inferiors, and +even to people paid or employed by himself. + +Some years ago an eccentric man, when this expression was used to him, +was known occasionally to interpret the words in their literal sense, +and in more than one instance he had the credit of having adroitly made +his court to a lady in that manner. He would watch for an opportunity, +or give a turn to the conversation, which would afford him a chance +of expressing admiration of some ornament she wore at the time, when +the fair owner would, as a matter of course, say that it was at his +disposal. Much to her surprise, the offer would be accepted, and the +swain would walk off with the ornament he had praised. However, next +day he always returned it in person; and to soothe her irritation, +which must have been excited by such conduct, he took the opportunity +of presenting her with some other ornament, or complimentary gift of +some description. This, if done as an atonement and peace-offering, +would probably be accepted, and the way was paved for an entrance into +her good graces, which he might have been quite unable to obtain by +any more direct means. + +Frankness or openness of manner is considered by the Spaniards to be +the most desirable point of good breeding; and when any one possesses +that quality, he is pretty sure to be well received by them. + +It is the custom at Manilla for any respectably-dressed European +passing by a house where music and dancing are going on, to be +permitted to join the party, although he may be a perfect stranger +to every one there; and should any one do so, after having made his +bow to the master of the house, and said some words, of course about +the liberty he was taking, and his fondness for music and dancing, +&c., he is always welcomed by him, and is at perfect liberty to ask +any lady present to dance; nor is she likely to refuse him, as her +doing so would scarcely be considered well bred. + +This degree of freedom is not, however, at all times acted on in +the houses of the natives of Spain, or of any European foreigners, +as any one going so unceremoniously into these might not meet with +so cordial a reception as he would do from the rich Mestizos, who, +when they give such _fetes_ on feast days, are in general well pleased +to receive Europeans, although perfect strangers, in their houses. + +These very free and unceremonious manners, among people who have +such a reputation for the love of ceremony in all forms, are strange +enough, for the same custom prevails in Spain, although to a more +limited extent. + +Some years ago a British merchant, resident at Manilla, was very +much blamed by his countrymen for not conforming to the customs of +the country in this respect. He broke through them in this manner;-- + +After the China war, a part of the expedition visited Manilla, +including some of the principal officers both of the army and navy, +who had just been so gallantly distinguishing themselves in that +country. On their arrival at Manilla, the houses of their countrymen +to whom they went provided with introductions were in a great measure +thrown open to them; and of course, as their hospitable entertainers +wished to show them something of the people and the place, a good +deal of gaiety was got up to amuse them. Among others the gentleman +in question gave a ball to General Lord Saltoun and the Admiral, +including, of course, most of the other officers of the expedition. The +party was a large one, and included nearly all the British residents +there, together with his Spanish acquaintances. + +Hearing the sounds of music and dancing in the street, a stranger +entered the house and walked up stairs; and unperceived, I believe, +by the landlord, entered the ball-room, where he engaged a Spanish +lady to dance,--the girl whom he asked chancing to be the daughter of +a military officer of rank, and a particular friend of the giver of +the party. On leading her up to her place, the stranger was remarked, +and recognised by some one present, who asked his host if he knew +who the person was; but he, on looking at him, merely said that he +did not, and was passing on without more notice or thought about +him. Just at the moment, some one wishing to quiz him, said to the +host, who was a man of hasty temper and feelings,--"So, D----, you +have got my tailor to meet your guests," pointing, at the same time, +towards the stranger whom he had just been observing. + +Of course, Mr. D---- was angry at the liberty taken by such a person +in joining his party, and probably afraid of the laugh it would give +rise to; for he walked up to the tailor, and asked him in a most angry +manner by whose invitation he came there, and then, without waiting +for any reply, catching his coat-collar, walked with him to the top of +the stairs, and kicked him down. The man complained to the governor, +and the consequence was that Mr. D---- was fined a considerable amount, +and for some time banished to a place at a short distance from Manilla, +which he was forbidden to enter. As he was a merchant, and of course +had his business to attend to, this was a most severe punishment, +which, by the influence of the Consul, however, was subsequently +rescinded, and he was allowed to return to town. + +In giving entertainments in honour of their saints, great sums of +money are frequently spent by the richer class of Mestizos and Indians, +every one appearing to vie with his neighbour, as to who shall be most +splendid in his saint's honour; and even among nearly the whole of +the poor people there is always some little extravagance gone into on +these occasions: some time previous to the feast taking place, part of +their earnings are carefully set apart for the feast-night's enjoyment. + +At many of their _fiestas_, besides the devotional exercises, there is +a great deal of amusement going on, the Mestiza girls being frequently +good-looking, and nearly all of them addicted to dancing; many of +them are passionately fond of waltzes, and dance them remarkably +well--better, I think, than any women I have elsewhere seen in a +private room. + +Their dress, which is well adapted to the climate, is, when worn by +a good-looking girl, particularly neat. + +It consists of a little shirt, generally made of pina cloth, with wide +short sleeves: it is worn loose, and, quite unbound to the figure in +any way, reaches to the waist, round which the _saya_ or petticoat +is girt, it being generally made of silk, checked or striped, of gay +colours, of _huse_ cloth, or of cotton cloth. Within doors, these +compose their dress, no stockings being worn, but their well-formed +feet, inserted in slight slippers without heels, and embroidered with +gold and silver lace, lose nothing in beauty from the want of them. + +Out of doors, another piece of dress called the _sapiz_, composed of +dark blue silk or cotton cloth, slightly striped with narrow white +stripes, is usually worn over the saya. + +No bonnets or hats of any sort are worn by them, their long and +beautiful hair being considered a sufficient protection to the head, +which they arrange in something like the European fashion, it being +fastened by a comb, or some gold ornament in a knot at the back of +the head. + +On going out of doors, a handkerchief is often thrown over the head, +should the sun be strong, or an umbrella or parasol is carried as a +protection against it. + +A similar dress, made of coarser and cheaper materials, is the usual +costume of all the native women. + +The men, both native and Mestizo, wear trousers fastened round the +waist by a cord or tape, the fabric being sometimes silk of country +manufacture, for their gala dresses, or of cotton cloth striped and +coloured, for every-day use. + +The shirt, which is worn outside the trousers, that is to say, the +tails hanging loose above the trousers, and reaching to just below the +hips, is generally made of pina cloth, or, among the poorest people, +of blue or white cotton cloth. When of pina cloth, the pattern is +generally of blue or other coloured stripes with flowers, &c. worked +on them, and it is a very handsome and gay piece of dress. When worn +outside the trousers, it is much cooler than when stuffed into them +in the European manner. A hat and slippers, or sandals of native +manufacture, complete their dress, and the only difference of costume +between the rich and poor consists in the greater or less value of +the materials which compose it. No coat or jacket is worn, but many +of the men, and nearly all the women, wear a rosary of beads or gold +round their necks; and frequently a gold cross, suspended by a chain +of the same metal, rests between the bosoms of the fair. Many of them +also wear charms, which having been blessed by the priest, are supposed +to be faithful guardians, and to preserve the wearer from all evil. + + + + +CHAPTER VIII. + + +The honours paid to the saints by the celebration of their feast-days +are nearly altogether practised by the Mestizo and Indian population, +the richer or upper classes of Spaniards being for the most part too +careless on such occasions, except when their turn comes to dance at +the _fetes_, or to eat the supper set out by their Mestizo neighbours +on these anniversaries; and certainly, if their piety be judged by +the alacrity usually displayed on such occasions, they will stand +very forward in the race out of purgatory. For, strange to say, the +modern Spaniards--at least those who come to the Philippines--are +as little superstitious or priest-ridden as the people of any +nation in Europe. Probably this is a symptom of their return to a +more moderate degree of faith than they used to evince prior to the +French Revolution, which has altered the tone of opinion and manners +throughout the world. And after the severity and rigid observance of +all the church high-days and holydays formerly prevalent among them, +the tide of opinion appears to have run into the opposite extreme. + +I have frequently been astonished at discovering the extent to which +infidel notions are current among my Spanish acquaintances; their +prevailing opinions on the subject being, that the priests and some +of the tenets of the Catholic church are behind the age, and as such, +are to some extent unworthy of the serious attention of well-informed +people of the present day, and that those things are only suitable for +women and children. _Es cosa de mugeres_, is the usual expression, +should the subject be mentioned; and as regards the priests, the +laity very generally fancy that they must be watched carefully, as +they are certain to assume importance should an opportunity offer for +thrusting their noses into any affair they can, military or civil--it +matters not which to these ambitious men. + +Among the native population, however, high church opinions, or a +notion that virtue is inherent in the walls of the church and the +priestly office, is very common, so that whatever the _padre_ says +is looked upon as indisputable by them. But I cannot say that any +rational systems of religion, or feelings not associated so much with +the _padre's_ office and dress, and with the stone and lime of the +church, as with the more pure and immaterial subjects of religious +belief, exist among them, or influence their conduct. Frequently one +sees instances of this, which place their feelings in the grossest +and worst light. For example, the first act of a courtesan in the +morning is generally to repair to the church, and after, as a matter +of course, having said her prayers, to pass the time in any species +of debauchery or immorality her lovers may wish. I state this fact, +to give some idea of the extent of superstition and of priestly +influence over their conduct, which shows how powerfully mere habits +and custom may influence our manners without improving our minds, +when we are brought up in a formal routine of habits of respect for we +don't know well what; for they have no further acquaintance with the +principles of religious belief than the habit of crossing themselves +before figures of the Virgin and the crucifixion. + +For even these women, infamous though they be, seldom omit the +observance of such practices, and are in general as punctual in +repeating diurnally the formal prayer which has been taught them in +childhood, as any Christian can be, whenever the hour of _oracion_ +is come, which is notified to all the population by the tolling of +the church bells. + +However, Manilla appears not to be quite singular as to these matters; +for it has been frequently stated by visitors to the states of the +Church, that nine months after the great religious festival of the +Carnival there, a much greater number of illegitimate children are +born than during other seasons of the year. + +This statement, which I have seen mentioned as a statistical fact, +is probably attributable to the idleness of the people, ignorant and +uninstructed as to any higher devotional feelings than those which +custom teaches; although, doubtless, religious admonition, having +a tendency to unloose the mind, and withdraw it from its customary +objects of interest, may induce these softer emotions, and among +people in whom the animal passions preponderate over those of the +mind, or of a spiritual nature, may frequently lead to conduct of +this loose description. + +Perhaps, also, the sense of satisfaction after having gone through the +ceremony of attending church, and of having performed the humble duty +which all are taught to practise there, disposes the people to this +license, for they carry away no new idea with them from the sacred +house. The formal exercise there being gone through by rote, without +exciting new feelings, or touching new chords in their hearts, may +cause them to break away from strictness, and give a rein to their +passions after the exercise of their religious duties. + +The Indians are people who, being bred up with a regard to observances +which retain no hold over their minds--at least, over the reason +which God has endowed them with--in order to judge for themselves, +think religious observances derive their importance only from custom; +but having been trained up with little regard to the sterner and +self-denying mental duties or instruction usually held up to our +admiration in Britain and other Protestant countries, they can scarcely +be expected to practise them. In addition to this, the heat of the +climate probably disposes them this way; as in all countries where +the _dolce far niente_ is most agreeable to them, or is generally +practised by the inhabitants, those feelings are likely to prevail +in a greater degree than where active habits are more congenial to +the people and the temperature of the climate. + + + + +CHAPTER IX. + + +The habits of the Spanish residents at Manilla are exceedingly +indolent. As persons in the government service form the great +proportion of the white population, a sketch of the habits of one +of them may not be uninteresting;--say those of an average officer +of the Hacienda, for instance. He usually gets out of bed about six, +or a little after, to enjoy the cool air of the morning, and sip his +chocolate, with the aid of _broas_, without which he could scarcely +manage to get through the day; he then dresses, and drives to his +office, where he remains till twelve o'clock, which hour finishes +his official duties for the day. While in his office the nature +of his work is not very arduous, and does not appear to call into +play any powers of the mind, as it appears to consist only in his +remaining for about four hours in a cool and large room, generally +seated at a table or desk, overlooking a number of native writers, +occupied in making out and filling up forms which are required by +the existing regulations for the government service. The Spaniard, +however, has nothing to do with all that, only occasionally exerting +himself so far as to sign his name, or merely to dash his rubrica, +without taking the trouble to sign his name, to the papers presented +to him by these native copyists; and should you enter his office, +he generally appears to be just awaking from a nap, as he opens his +eyes, and rouses himself to salute a visitor. + +At noon the public offices are closed, and he drives home to dine about +one or two o'clock, after which he generally sleeps till about five, +for nearly all of the Spanish residents take a long siesta. About +that time of the day, however, he is awakened to dress and prepare +for the _paseo_ on the Calyada, and for the _tertulia_ after it, at +the house of some acquaintance; or if he should by any chance happen +to be without acquaintance, to saunter through the Chinamen's shops, +admiring walking-canes, cravats, or waistcoat-pieces; and while +so engaged, he is pretty sure to meet some companion for a gossip, +or other amusement. After this he sets off to sup at home, and to +sleep till another day comes round, when the same routine must be +gone through. + +It would be hard to conjecture a mode of passing or sauntering through +life with less apparent object than many of them have. Books are scarce +and expensive, and are in little demand by most of the residents, +even if they were worth reading, and cheaper, and more procurable +than they now are; the library--if the term may be applied to their +collection--of such people, generally only comprising one or two plays, +and perhaps a novel--sometimes also Don Quixote's adventures, which, +with a volume of poetry, is about the average amount of learning and +amusement on their book-shelves. But should the owner be a military +man, he probably has, in addition to these, some Spanish standard +book, equivalent to our "Dundas's Principles," or "Regulations for +the Cavalry." + +Smoking, sleeping, and eating, are the labours of their days, and +in all of these they are adepts. Their prevalent taste, however, as +regards cookery, is not suitable to a British palate, as the favourite +accompaniment of garlic is commonly used in such a quantity by their +cooks, that they are very apt to spoil a dinner for a foreigner's +eating, unless they are checked or cautioned with regard to the use +of it. + +Their usual drink is wine of different kinds, which they take out of +a glass or tumbler, as we would beer or water: the quantity consumed +is moderate enough, about a pint being a usual allowance--and that +is frequently mixed with about an equal quantity of water. Sherry, +claret, priorato, pajarete, manzanilla, malaga, and muscatel, are the +sorts most in request, all of them being of ordinary quality, to the +taste of any one accustomed to drink good wine at home, from which the +wines procurable here are as different as possible, and especially the +sherry. But in that resides a mystery known best to the wine-merchants, +who doctor up the wine consumed in Great Britain to suit the taste of +those who buy it from them. Strange to say, even to this, a Spanish +colony, there is not sent out a single pipe of wine, such as any one +accustomed to drink the British _composition_ would call good sherry. + +Claret, or _vino tinto_, is very generally used in preference to +tea or coffee at breakfast, but at that early time of the day it is +mixed with a large proportion of water. This meal, however, is not a +general one in the Philippines, as the custom of taking chocolate in +the morning destroys all appetite for it, and the early dinner hour +of the Spaniards in general, does not render it essential. + +The want of interesting occupation, and the heat of the sun, preventing +out-of-door exercise during the day, has doubtless originated these +indolent customs, which have given rise to many bad habits, and the +low scale of morality prevailing among them. + +A large proportion of them being bachelors, are in the habit of +selecting a mistress as a companion with whom they may forget the +dullness, and shake off the apathy of their aimless existence; a very +large proportion, in fact, nearly all of them, being in the habit of +choosing such a household companion from among the Creole, Mestiza, +or native girls, but generally from the last two races. + +The native girls have the reputation of proving more faithful to +their lovers than the other two, as they look upon such a connection +in the light of a marriage, and consider themselves guilty of no +immorality during its continuance. When a native beauty forms such +a connection with a white man, her relations do not sunder all the +former ties existing between her and them, by casting her off, but +on the contrary are, as frequently as not, highly pleased at it, +viewing the affair in the light of a fortunate marriage for her. + +These feelings, however, are not universal, for some of the richer +class of Indians would be highly displeased with a female relation +forming such a connection. + +Among the Indians themselves this arrangement frequently takes place, +as very many of the poorest people are unable to save money enough to +pay their marriage fees, and in the event of a couple living together +without having had the ceremony performed previously, they regard +themselves, and are considered by their neighbours, as not the less +man and wife. As an instance of the extent to which this prevails among +them, I may mention a circumstance which struck me much at the time:-- + +Being near the cathedral at Manilla one evening in April last, I +entered an open door of the edifice and wandered into a room attached +to it, where several people were in waiting, and among them several +women with children to be baptized. I stopped to witness the ceremony, +and had the curiosity to look into the register where their names were +enrolled; in that book, two of them were described as illegitimate +children, and the third was the only one born in matrimony. + +Although the custom does not prevail to anything like the extent +of two-thirds of the population, still it is a very frequent one, +and proves among other things, that the sort of religion prevailing +among the people is only that of forms, possessing no sufficient hold +over their minds to regulate their conduct. + +Compare their religious ideas with those of the old Scottish +covenanters, or English puritans, and how different are the effects +of faith; but perhaps they are not more dissimilar than the natures +of the two races are. For there is no race in the world with all the +good qualities of the Celtic breed crossed by the Saxon, and that +again by the Norman; for depend upon it, blood tells in every human +being--aye, and as much in men as in dogs or horses. + +But, unfortunately for ourselves, men pay less attention to the innate +qualities and virtues of blood and pedigree, when selecting a mate for +themselves, than they do when their dogs or horses are in question, +as then no trouble is spared to trace out and scrutinise the qualities +of _their_ sires, and to breed only from a good stock. + +By pedigree, of course not the worldly station of men is meant, but +the history of their lives and reputations, as good and useful men of +their time. Of necessity both parents affect the character of their +offspring, and so we frequently see a great and good man leaving +behind him none in his family capable of supplying his place. Now, +how is this? Why, it comes from the mistake he has made in selecting +his mate, for if he had been more cautious in that respect the produce +would have been equal to the promise. + +How often do we see wise men with silly wives and tall men with short +wives. The only wonder is, that the offspring of such couples are +not worse than they are. + + + + +CHAPTER X. + + +The intercourse between the Spaniards and many of the foreigners +residing at Manilla is not very great, as the British here, +as everywhere else, appear to prefer associating with their own +countrymen to frequenting the houses of their Spanish friends, +even although quite sure of a cordial reception there. The time +for visiting is in the evening, when there are numbers of impromptu +conversaziones--or tertulias, as they are called--of which the Dons +are very fond, and in which very many of their evenings are passed. + +Any one having a few Spanish acquaintances is pretty sure to number +among them some persons who, from their own character, or that of +some member of their family, such as a pretty and pleasant wife, +or a handsome daughter, has generally many visitors at his house, +perhaps six, ten, or a dozen of an evening, who call there without +any preconcerted plan, and sit down to play a round game at cards +or gossip with each other for an hour. Should there be ladies of the +party, music and dancing are probably the amusements for an hour or +two; you may, of course, escape and go on to the house of some one +else should the party turn out to be dull, which, however, is very +seldom the case when Spaniards are the company, as every one appears +to exert himself to amuse and be amused to the best of his power. + +The time for evening visits is any time after seven o'clock, for till +about that hour nearly all the white population are enjoying the cool +air on the Calyada, or on some of the other drives, all of which are +crowded with carriages from about half-past five till that time of +the evening. + +Some of these equipages are handsome enough, and are almost universally +horsed by a pair of the country ponies, there being only one or two +people who turn out with a pair of Sydney horses, and very few who +drive a single-horse vehicle, although it is met with now and then. The +only persons allowed to drive four horses in their carriages are the +Governor and the Archbishop: this regulation is frequently grumbled at +by the Spanish Jehus, and one gentleman, the colonel of a regiment, +having applied to the government for permission to indulge his taste +in this respect by driving a four-in-hand, was refused it, so he had +to content himself with turning out with only three in his drag. With +that number of quadrupeds, however, he did a good deal to frighten and +amuse the world, apparently wishing to break his neck, in which he very +nearly succeeded on more than one occasion; Spanish accomplishments +in driving being by no means equal to those general at home. + +A young Spaniard who fills an important office connected with the +commerce of Manilla, a situation he is said to owe more to the frailty +of his mother, a fair lady at the court of the late King of Spain, +whom he exactly resembles in appearance, temper, and manners, than +to any qualifications especially pointing him out for the post, used +frequently to assert his royal blood by turning out a neat barouche +and pair, accompanied by two outriders, and certainly he looked much +smarter and better appointed than either of the authorities driving +four horses. + +The expense of keeping horses is very small, so that nearly all, +except the very poorest people, keep carriages, which in that climate +are considered more as necessaries of life than as luxuries, and to a +certain extent really are so; for the sun most effectually prevents +Europeans walking to any distance during the heat of the day, and +should any one attempt doing so, a month of it is about time enough +seriously to injure or perhaps to kill him. About sunset everybody is +most glad to escape from the impure air of the town and the crowded +narrow streets, to inhale the fresh breeze from the bay on the Calyada, +which is the most frequented drive. + +Formerly all the ladies turned out to drive without bonnets or +coverings of any sort on the head, but bowled along, seated in open +carriages, in about the same style of evening dress they would appear +in at a tertulia or the theatre, or, in fact, at a ball-room. They +were in the habit of spreading a sort of gum, which washed easily +off, over the hair after it had been dressed, in order to keep out +the dust, &c.; but within the last two years several bonnets have +made their appearance in the carriages at the drive, and I fear +their general use will supersede the former fashion, which from its +simplicity allowed their most striking beauties of eyes, hair, &c., +to be seen in a most charming manner. + +Many of the Creole girls have very handsome countenances, and there +are not a few who would be remarked upon as fine women by the side of +any European beauty: but they are generally seen to most advantage in +the evening, as their chief attraction does not consist in freshness +of complexion so much as in fine features, which are often full of +character and lighted up by eyes as brilliant as they are soft. Their +figures are good, and their feet and ankles quite unexceptionable, +being generally very much more neatly turned than those of my +handsomest countrywomen. + +As dress is a study which has a good deal of their attention, they +appear to understand it pretty well, but show a marked fondness for gay +colours, as no doubt their pale complexions require their aid more than +when ruddy health is upon their cheeks. In the forenoon the skin of a +Creole or Spanish beauty appears to be rather too pale to please the +general taste; and sometimes their colour degenerates into sallowness, +which I fancy may proceed from their fondness for chocolate, that being +very largely consumed by all of them. This, and the want of exercise, +communicated a somewhat bilious look to their appearance. + +Many ladies, especially those from the northern provinces of Spain, +have sometimes the beautiful white skins and the ruddy freshness of +complexion so much admired in my countrywomen; but, unfortunately, +that colour is not very lasting, as the first season they pass in +the Philippines is generally sufficient to blanch their bloom, but +it is very often succeeded by a soft and delicate-looking paleness, +which is perhaps not a whit less dangerous to amatory bachelors than +the more brilliant colours which preceded it. + +Although lively and talkative enough, Spanish women seldom shine in +conversation, which perhaps is more owing to the narrow and defective +education they too often have in youth than to any natural want of +the quickness and tact to talk well. + +Their manners are peculiarly soft and pleasing, and their lively +ingenuousness is extremely seductive. Their accomplished management +of the fan has made it peculiarly their own weapon, and it has been +converted into an important auxiliary to their natural good looks, +both in attack and defence. There are few things more striking to a +stranger than to see the ladies use it at the casino, when a number +of them are together, and while there is no want of men to admire the +graceful movement of the hand. Mere children are constantly seen using +it. It is a ludicrous thing to watch one of these little creatures +going through a set of flirting motions with a fan, should you look +at her, copying no doubt the motions or play with it from those of +some grown-up sister or gay mamma. + +Foreign ladies seldom or never attain the same degree of dexterity +and ease in the use of their fans, the climate they were born in not +requiring that it should be placed in their hands at an early age. + +The dress of Spanish ladies is becoming every day more like the +French modes, although some elderly people still continue to use the +country dress, which, from its coolness, is much more comfortable than +the European habit; but it is rapidly going out, and young Spanish +ladies never appear to wear it, as formerly they frequently did, +within doors and in the country. + +The mantilla is very rarely seen, except perhaps in the morning, +when some fair penitent goes or returns from one of the churches, +all of which are thrown open at a very early hour in the morning, at +or before daylight, to give the people an opportunity of going there +unostentatiously and unnoticed, to say their prayers and get home +again before any one, but those on an errand similar to their own, +is likely to meet them in the streets. + +Nearly all the women, after reaching thirty years of age, get stout +or fall off in flesh and become very thin, for there apparently is +very little medium between the two degrees, as nearly all the old +women one sees are either very fat or very thin. Of the two sorts +the fat retain their good looks the longest; for after attaining a +certain age, the thin women are seldom anything but atrociously ugly, +probably caused by the climate more than anything else, as those +Europeans who enjoy good health at Manilla appear to become stout +in that climate, while those who get thin seldom appear to be well, +and are unable to stand a lengthened residence there. + +In youth, however, their natural elasticity of character prevents +delicate girls getting sick, if moderate care be taken of them, and +they are generally rather more slender figures than English girls, +until reaching about twenty-five, when they begin to get fat or to +become thin; at that age they look very matronly. + +_Apropos des dames._ Even in these degenerate days, Spanish blood +is as hot and Castilian gentlemen are as gallant as any of those of +former times. Not long ago the following circumstance happened at +the casino:--Don Camilo de T----, a natural son of the late King of +Spain, after dancing with a female acquaintance, rejoined a group +of acquaintances, who were standing together in a knot, criticising +the appearance of their several fair friends, when just as he joined +them some one happened to say to another that the lady he had just +been dancing with appeared to have padded her bosom. On hearing this, +Don Camilo took the speaker rather by surprise, by calling out "It +is a lie," in a tone loud enough to be heard by all near him, and by +saying that as he had just been dancing with that lady, he knew that +it was not so, and must resent the remark as a personal affront. A +duel took place in consequence, in which the gallant was wounded +in the sword arm, which, by letting out a little of his hot blood, +may probably prevent a recurrence of such extreme devotion to his +fair acquaintances. + + + + +CHAPTER XI. + + +As a body, such Spanish gentlemen as I have been acquainted with, +appeared to be quite as remarkable for good breeding as they usually +have the credit of being. They generally have a great appearance of +candour or frankness of manner, which, although it is for the most +part more studied than natural, is prepossessing, and makes them +pleasant companions. + +Here, however, I am afraid my praise must stop, because I have seen +among a great number of them a good deal of dissimulation, or, +to speak more plainly, of bad faith,--with regard to which their +modes of thinking are very different from those prevailing at home; +and among their mercantile people especially, they often appear to +imitate, or unconsciously to act upon a smart Yankee trader's modes +of getting the best of a bargain, being very frequently rather too +unscrupulous in their representations, when it appears to them that +it is for their interest to be so. + +To give an idea of their opinions about the subject of buying and +selling, I will tell the reader a story. A lad, the son of a high +government officer, sold an unsound horse to a companion as a sound +one, which, on being discovered by the purchaser, of course made him +very indignant, and he demanded his money back, complaining at the same +time to the boy's father, who passes for a person of high character +and good sense, about the scurvy trick his son had played him. "Well," +said this respectable old gentleman, "I am glad to see that the lad +is so sharp; for, if he could get the better of you so well, he will +make a capital merchant, and be able to cheat the Chinamen!" + +Without exaggeration this is a good deal the system on which the +Spaniards carry on business. They always appear to be trying to take +advantage of a purchaser, and if successful have very complaisant +consciences; but should they themselves be taken in, or have +the worst of a bargain, their virtuous horror and indignation on +discovering it know no bounds. There is very little, or almost none, +of that mutual confidence existing between them which exists between +British merchants, and which is so necessary in large transactions, +or in carrying on an extensive business, as they do. + +The large number of government _empleados_ residing at Manilla makes +an important addition to the society of the place, as, from being idle +men to a great extent, they seek how to amuse and be amused, and are +cultivators of the society of the English, whose dinner tables are +probably the chief causes of the intercourse which exists between them. + +The entire white population in Manilla amounts to about 5,000, a large +proportion of them being officers, sergeants, and corporals of the +troops stationed either within the town, or in the immediate vicinity. + +All the officers are not, however, persons of European descent, as +occasionally a black may be seen in an officer's uniform, and very +frequently is to be found wearing a sergeant's or corporal's coat. But +the natives promoted to the rank of commissioned officers are not many, +and on the whole it is probably better for the army that few of them +should be so, as were it a common occurrence, or were they allowed to +rise to high rank, or to occupy important places, beyond a doubt the +_morale_ of the troops would suffer; for when those men do rise from +the ranks, they are not considered on an equality by their European +brother officers, nor in fact do they consider themselves to be so, +and have little or no intercourse with them, beyond the routine of +their military duties. + +The appearance of the troops is good on the whole; but they appeared +to me to be wanting in precision of movement, being by no means +equal or similar to some of our best Sepoy soldiers. It is clear +that frequently they have not been precisely drilled into all their +attempted evolutions. The men, as individuals, are well and powerfully +formed, although they are rather deficient in stature and soldierly +appearance; they are naturally bold, and when lately tried against the +Sooloos, evinced no want of resolution to follow, when their officers +would lead them on. I have seen several of them suffer death with an +admirable and even heroic composure, such as any man might envy when +his last hour comes. It is not an unfrequent thing to see soldiers +shot at Manilla for some misdemeanours, and I have not heard of one of +them dying a poltroon; certainly, all those I have ever seen suffer, +met their doom with the utmost calmness. + +The cavalry force, for the purposes of actual conflict, is about the +most inefficient branch of the military establishment, being mounted +on the ponies of the country, which stand on an average about twelve +hands. But as irregulars they might be of some use. It always appeared +to me that a single well-mounted squadron of our heavy dragoons could, +without any difficulty, ride down the entire regiment. The Government +is aware of the inactive state of the horses, their attention having +been called thereto by my friend Captain de la O----, an officer of +the force, who, in conjunction with the colonel of the regiment, has +for some time past been occupied in investigations, and in preparing +estimates of the probable expense of an attempt to improve the breed +of horses by crossing them with Arab stallions, which it has for some +time been in contemplation to send for to cover the country mares. + +It would probably be necessary for Government, in order to accomplish +this successfully, to adopt a plan similar to that followed at the East +India Company's breeding stables in Bengal, and should the project be +followed out and properly managed, there can be no doubt but that it +will be of the most essential importance to the government service, +and a boon to the country. + +The horses of the Philippines are small, but for their inches +uncommonly powerful, and sometimes fast. They do not appear to have +any distinguishing peculiarity, except perhaps that the head of most +of them is rather too large, and very rarely indeed is that feature +quite perfect in any of the horses one meets with. At Manilla, and +for a considerable distance round it, no mares are allowed to be used, +which secures a higher and better looking horse in the neighbourhood +of the capital than is met with in the interior of the country; +none of them are geldings, and of course they are stronger and more +playful in consequence. + +But to return to the service and the officers of it whom one meets in +society. They are not fond of being sent to the colony, and although +with about double the amount of pay they would receive at home, +most of them would infinitely prefer remaining in Spain. + +After a term of service abroad they get a step in rank, which appears +to be the main attraction to those who come to Manilla. Many of them +are not very well educated men, and are therefore rather inferior to +my countrymen of the same profession in that respect. + +A considerable proportion of them, perhaps an equal ratio to those +of our army, are gentlemen, or persons of good birth and family +connections. They are in general, however, poor, or at all events not +over burdened with the good things of this life, and like soldiers +of all nations and times, some of them have a certain notoriety for +outrunning the constable, or for spending all that they can, which +is generally merely their pay. Soon after reaching Manilla, I was +accidentally thrown a good deal into their society, from chancing to +meet with Don Francisco Caro, a pleasant and lively young lieutenant, +at the house of my Spanish teacher, where he was as eager to learn +English as I was to be able to speak good Spanish. We became intimate, +and agreed to visit each other, he to talk in English to me, and I +to him in Spanish,--a practice which very soon enabled us to pick +up the languages, and saved a world of trouble in getting up tasks +for a teacher, whom we were soon able to do without. The fact of my +going frequently to his house, and taking part in the conversation of +himself and the many friends with whom he made me acquainted, gave me +a considerable facility in talking the language, from having gained +a knowledge of it in this way in place of from a pedantic teacher, +whose purisms were quite thrown away on one whose wish it was to +speak it fluently, although it might be at some sacrifice of elegance. + +Here let me record my regret at the manner in which this old companion +and friend met his untimely fate, which is not the less regretted +because it proceeded from his own strong sense of duty and habitual +gallantry of spirit--for this poor fellow was a true Spaniard in all +his best qualities. Having been ordered into the provinces with a +detachment on the very disagreeable service of hunting up a band of +_tulisanes_, or robbers, the necessary exposure to the sun on such an +expedition operated so severely on his constitution as to produce a +very high fever; yet even in this state he would not succumb to it, but +persisted in marching for several days at the head of his men, although +they, on perceiving his condition, had several times endeavoured to +persuade him to make use of a litter which they had framed for the +purpose, and wished to carry him in. But he would not remain in it +even when they almost forced him to use it, and would take no repose +until after having accomplished his duty. In this he was successful, +as he surprised and destroyed the robber band,--but the effort cost +him his life, for he died solely from the effects of the unnatural +exertion which he had undergone while the fever was raging within him. + +Your many amiable and good qualities yet live, Francisco, in the fond +memories of former friends, although you are no longer among them; and +your heroic death, while it chastens grief, has added another memento, +and a laurel leaf to the wreath your brave Castilian ancestors left +behind them, bequeathed to the care of one who knew so well how to +value and protect it, and to add to its honour. + + + + +CHAPTER XII. + + +The Church is under the regulation of an Archbishop and four +Bishops. The present Archbishop of Manilla, whose reputation for piety +and good feeling towards all men stands very high, is an old soldier, +who, after serving his king when a young man as lieutenant of cavalry +for several years, changed his master, and assuming the habit of a +priest, devoted himself to religion for the remainder of his life. + +There are about 500 parochial curacies throughout the islands under +him in the four bishoprics, 167 of the curacies being situated in his +own see; and several literary, charitable, and pious institutions at +Manilla look up to him as their patron and head; among others may be +mentioned the University of Santo Tomas, having chairs for students of +Latin, logic, metaphysics, moral philosophy, canon law, theology, &c. + +As a body, the ministers of religion in the Philippines are not +apparently so well educated a class as those of Great Britain, +even in the education of the schools, and are possessed of less +general information, of course, from the want of any periodical +literature equal to that which we have, from whose sources much of +the information, and some of the apparent learning of my countrymen +are derived, at little cost of time or expense. + +However, many of the Spanish _padres_ are men of general and varied +attainments, such as would adorn any church or station in life; but +the greater number of them can scarcely claim so much, as, although +they are all respectably educated, their attention for many years +of their life has been directed chiefly to the prosecution of such +studies as would influence their advancement in the Church, such as +the canon law, church history, theology, &c., on a knowledge of which +their consideration for accomplishments among themselves principally +depends, I believe. + +Most of the priests I have been in contact with, appeared to be +thoroughly convinced of, and faithful to their religion in its purity; +and as a body, appear to be about as sincere and pious a class as +clergymen at home. + +Occasionally, however, you meet with startling exceptions to this +rule, which astonish any one accustomed to see the high regard to +outward decency observed by the same cloth at home; for instance, +it would be considered most reprehensible at home, for any clergyman +to keep a mistress; and if the fact became known, would occasion his +instant dismissal from his cure, and his expulsion from the Church. + +This is not so, however, in the Philippines, and may be seen at +any time, especially among the Mestizo and native Indian priests, +whose education is worse, and their ideas of religion much more +vague, incorrect, and superstitious than those of the Spaniards; +and sometimes, in the country parishes, an Indian or Mestizo _padre_ +is found openly living in the _convento_ or parsonage-house with his +mistress and natural children. But frequently, in cases where a sense +of decency prevents them doing this openly, one occasionally meets +in their houses young half-caste children, who pass for the family +of some brother or sister, although these had never any existence, +and there is in reality little or no doubt as to the priest himself +being their father. + +This state of things, however, is not the general state of the Church, +although it may but too frequently be met with; and is not considered +nearly so reprehensible as it would be, were they at liberty to marry, +as Protestant clergymen are. In many cases its existence can scarcely +fail to be known to their bishops, by whom however it appears to be +winked at; and is not considered by the laity as being particularly +scandalous, their notions on the subject being somewhat indefinite. + +Within a very short distance of Manilla, I have been in a convento +where the priest, his mistress, and family all lived together, the +padre being a Mestizo. On the village feast-day, one of the party +with whom I was in the country, hired some jugglers who had come down +from Bengal to act their wonderful tricks in the theatre at Manilla, +and sent them out to Mariquina on the feast-day, there to amuse the +people, and to please the padre, as he knew it would do, he being an +old acquaintance of his. Accordingly, in the afternoon they exhibited +to an immense crowd of natives, just before the open church-door. A +platform had been quickly erected for their accommodation, from which +they were exhibiting their tricks to the intense astonishment of the +Indians, most of whom had never seen anything of the sort before; +and in the evening, the padre having asked leave for the jugglers +to come to the convento, gave a great party to all the Spaniards, +or white men, who were then in the pueblo, in order to watch their +tricks more closely than could be done at a public exhibition. + +Several Spanish ladies were present, and among them, quite as a matter +of course, was the mistress of the priest. One or two of the ladies +present were wives of high officials at Manilla, and all of them were +persons of the best character and standing, yet they did not appear in +the least discomposed by her presence, although none of them paid her +any attention, or noticed her as the lady of the house; in fact, she +appeared to be regarded by them as a sort of privileged housekeeper +more than in any other light, although they were perfectly aware +of the irregularity of her life. This may give some idea of their +modes of thinking of such affairs, for all of them present perfectly +understood the relation in which the spiritual adviser of so large +a population as that of Mariquina stood to her. + +Both the priest and she were elderly people, and their intercourse +has, I understood, been of long standing; and during the course of it +several children have been born. But the most wonderful thing appears +to be, how such a man could direct the worship of his parishioners, +or lay before them the scripture tenets of his and their faith, +while openly violating it before their eyes. But the same thing has +taken place in Europe not unfrequently, and quite as openly, without +exciting excessive scandal in many places. + +There is an immense deal more of immorality among the clergy of +all denominations and countries than would be believed. Alas, for +human nature! + + + + +CHAPTER XIII. + + +The site of Manilla is low-lying and level, and as the country in +the vicinity of the capital is of the same nature, being covered by +far stretching paddy fields, it presents few picturesque attractions, +in order to enjoy which, and the verdure, freshness, and variety of +an undulating landscape, excursions are frequently made to various +places at some short distance from the town, and during some period +of each year, most of the foreign merchants have latterly got into +the plan of renting houses within driving distance, and of spending +most of the dry season in them, going and returning frequently, or +generally daily, to their counting-houses, so long as the roads are +passable. The village of Mariquina, about seven miles from Manilla, +is the most favourite place of resort, although the road to it is +very bad, but it presents the attractions of very good pure air and +water, and a bright landscape. Those persons who are not fond of horse +exercise, make use of American light spider-carriages, drawn by a pair +of ponies, as that sort of vehicle is found to be the only conveyance +capable of standing the ruts and jolting over these country paths, +which would to a certainty break the springs of any other description +of carriage I have ever seen. + +Owing to their great lightness and strength, these spider-carriages +are favourite conveyances here, and these qualities render them by +much the most suitable description for the country. + +In the neighbourhood of Mariquina, the country is in many respects +picturesque and fine; a more lovely _coup d'oeil_ is seldom seen, +than that which may be witnessed from the road at the top of the hill +just before beginning the descent leading past the old Jesuit Convent, +a partly ruinous building, now known by the name of the Hacienda; +from that point, looking down on the valleys which burst on the view +at once, especially at the season when they are waving with the ripe +and yellow grain, or clothed in a beautiful coat of green,--on the +fine river, peacefully winding through them, on the splendid old trees +covered with green and luxuriant foliage, which are interspersed and +dot the scene, across to the distant hills, clothed in all the glories +of a tropical sunset or sunrise, and varied by the many tints of light +and shade of brilliant colours, it often is a sight truly worthy of +being witnessed for its glowing beauty. + +At Mariquina, there is a well, the water of which has the reputation +of curing many sorts of disease, more especially those of the skin, +and many are the sufferers who visit it in the hope that bathing in +the trough into which the spring drops, may cure their ailments. The +water is slightly tepid and not disagreeable to drink, being tasteless, +and is recommended for diseases of the kidneys and stomach, by the +Manilla doctors. + +Some miles beyond Mariquina, there is a most curious cave, of great +extent, at the village of San Mateo, which is well worthy of a visit +by the curious. Shortly after entering it, the height of the cavern +rises to about fifty feet, although it varies continually,--so much +so, that at some places there is scarcely height enough for a man +to sit upright. The formations within are of a singular character, +resembling sometimes immense icicles pendant from the roof to within +a few feet of the floor, or in some places rising from the ground +like ever-growing pyramids, as from the dropping water they are +continually increasing. These pillars of stalactite are extremely hard +and difficult to splinter, even after repeated blows with a hammer, +some of them being beautifully milk white, while others appear rather +discoloured from some cause. Several of the columns hanging from the +roof may measure about a yard or more in circumference, their forms +being sometimes most curious and fantastic, one stalk expanding as +it descended, looked not unlike a gigantic leaf springing from its +slender arm. + +From the main cave there are several openings diverging and leading +to chambers similar to the main room, by some openings at the sides +of which the dropping water is drained off. + +The temperature within the cavern was 77 deg., and without 86 deg., being a +very considerable change, even in the cool of the evening, on coming +out of it, just after sunset. I am afraid to give an estimate as to +the extent of this immense cave, it requires, however, five or six +hours to partially see its curiosities, and of course would take far +more time to investigate it properly. The only living creatures met +within it, appear to be bats, which are not very numerous. Should a +sportsman visit the place for several days, his gun will generally +procure him some venison and wild pig to feast upon, or to present +to the village priest, or to forward to his Mariquina or Manilla +acquaintances. At Boroboso, also, some distance from Mariquina, he +is sure of finding similar game, and in greater quantity than at San +Mateo, where it is too much poached. + +The great want he will experience is that of trained dogs, those +used by the Indians being nearly useless, as after alarming the game +by their noise, they can't hunt it with any thing like spirit. Some +few Kangaroo dogs, however, brought from Sydney, have been eagerly +purchased by the Indian sportsmen, and are said to be an immense +improvement on those of the country, although I have never seen their +performances in the field; from their speed and strength, however, +they appear more than a match for the deer of the islands, which are +small-sized and greatly inferior in strength to those of the Highlands +of Scotland. + +The race of dogs formerly known as Manilla bloodhounds has become quite +extinct, although some descendants of a half-bred progeny still remain, +being a cross between them and the street curs. Although they possess +some of the fierce and savage qualities of the old hound, it is in +a much inferior degree to that of the genuine breed, whose size and +appearance was very much finer than any of the mongrels now to be seen. + +The old breed were so fierce as to be absolutely unsafe when at +liberty, and always required to be chained up. Several years ago two +fine dogs of the old breed were procured with considerable trouble, +and at some expense sent to England, to a gentleman fond of dogs. + +He gave orders to keep them at all times on the chain, during which +they behaved so well, that a groom, going out to air a horse one +morning, unloosed the chain of one of them, and took him along +with him. + +The dog remained quiet enough till happening to meet another man, +also airing a pair of skittish horses,--the capering of the horses, +or something else, roused the brute's savage nature, and he sprang +on one of them like a tiger, fastening on his flank, and sucking +his blood so greedily that all the two men could do did not make the +savage beast quit his hold, till gorged with the blood of the victim. + +The horse was spoiled for ever, or, I believe, died from the +hemorrhage, and as he chanced to be a valuable one, which, of course, +the owner of the dog had to pay for, he was so disgusted at having to +do so, that he made both of them be shot at once, in order to prevent +any possibility of the recurrence of such an accident. + +The only other dog at Manilla besides the worthless street cur, is a +sort of ladies' poodle, with long and silky white hairs; their fine +coats only making them favorites, as they are good for nothing else +than women's pets. + +The smaller these are, when full grown, the more they are esteemed; +their white hair should be entirely free from any spots of black or +brown, these being generally the mark of a mongrel breed. + +They are so delicate, that few of them can stand a sea-voyage, +and all those I have ever sent away from Manilla, to any distance, +have died before reaching their destination. A well-bred dog of this +breed of middling size, is about as large as a full grown tom-cat, +or a little bigger. + +It has always appeared to me a most curious and inexplicable fact, +that when good dogs are sent out from home to a hot climate such as +this, they invariably are found to deteriorate to an uncommon extent, +the heat causing them to lose their spirit, and also their scent. But, +in fact, the animal in perfection, or, as he has been truly called +at home, "the most intelligent of beasts, and the companion of man," +is only found in some places of Europe to be such. + +In all tropical countries he is no longer so, becoming, even should +a good breed be introduced there from Europe, very much inferior in a +few generations in all respects to what we have him in Great Britain, +where they appear to be found in the greatest perfection. + +In hot climates the dog has not the same strength or swiftness, nor +is he of equal courage, sincerity, and gentleness of character which +peculiarly distinguish him from all other animals at home. Among +orientals he is no longer treated in the same manner as he is in +Europe, nor in fact does his character, as it exists among them, +deserve equal kindness to that usually shown this faithful animal +in Britain; but in Asia he is driven from their households by the +Mohammedans and Hindoos alike, being regarded by them all as useless, +and a pest. + +In China, he is fattened for the table, and the flesh of dogs is +as much liked by them as mutton is by us, being exposed for sale by +their butchers and in their cook-shops. + +At Canton, I have seen the hind quarters of dogs hanging up in the +most prominent parts of their shops exposed for sale. + +They are considered in China as a most dainty food, and are consumed +by both the rich and the poor. + +The breeds common in that country are apparently peculiar to itself, +and they are apparently objects of more attention to their owners +than elsewhere in Asia, the Celestials perhaps having an eye to their +tender haunches, which bad treatment would toughen and spoil. They do +not appear to be of greater sagacity than the other tropical breeds, +although more bulky and stronger-looking than most of the other sorts +I have seen. + + + + +CHAPTER XIV. + + +All strangers coming to Manilla should endeavour to make an excursion +to the great inland lake, or Laguna de Bay, as it is likely well to +repay the inconvenience one has to stand in such an excursion from +exposure to the sun, &c. The lake is of very considerable extent, +measuring, I think, about twenty-eight miles at its greatest length, +by about twenty-two at its extreme breadth; it is formed by an +amphitheatre of mountains, the various streams from which feed it; +and its opening or outlet forms the origin of the river Pasig, which, +bathing the walls of the fortress of Santiago and the capital of the +Philippines, flows into the arm of the sea called Manilla Bay. + +About Christmastide there are many visitors to the lake, as from the +then cooler season the necessary exposure to the heat of a midday sun +in a slightly-covered boat is comparatively innocuous, and much less +disagreeable than it would prove at any other time of the year. + +Several foreigners are in the habit of making an annual excursion +there from Manilla to spend these holidays, during which there is no +other amusement in town than church-going and procession-staring. + +Having made arrangements to visit the lake either by starting from +Manilla in a large Pasig banca or prow, which although more tedious +than driving to the village of Guadaloupe, near Pasig, and then taking +the water, is, I think, the better plan of the two, as the river +scenery is well worth seeing, and there are no inconveniences such +as are inseparable from that of changing conveyances at Guadaloupe, +&c. When I started, my companion, who luckily happened to be an +experienced man in such affairs, having at different times of his +life roamed through the backwoods of Canada, and over the plains of +Australia, recommended the water conveyance for the whole distance, +as we were not pushed for time; and the excursion turned out to be one +of the pleasantest I have ever been engaged in, from the satisfactory +nature of his arrangements and his own hilarity and good-natured +usefulness; for of course he had not knocked about so much without +acquiring some _savoir faire_, so desirable in a companion during +such an excursion. + +On Christmas eve we went together to a large dancing party or ball, +given by an old and rich Mestizo, at whose house we kept up dancing +and enjoying ourselves till about midnight; shortly before which all +the men started, in company with the ladies, to the parish church of +San Sebastian, there to hear a midnight mass, and welcome in the sacred +anniversary by saying our prayers. The spectacle was rather a fine one; +and on looking at the devout up-turned features of my fair companion, +when kneeling at her devotions, I could scarcely believe that she was +the good-natured, lively Mestiza girl I had been flirting with not +five minutes before; but after half an hour's worship, which, to do +them justice, was apparently of the most sincere and heartfelt kind, +the fair penitents returned to the supper room with a number of the +heretics, and afterwards, notwithstanding all their prayers, danced +with us, being quite as lively and as full of flirting as before their +visit to church. We stopped till about three o'clock in the morning, +when, being thoroughly tired of the heated rooms, my companion and I +resolved to enter the boat which had been engaged for the occasion, +and in which clothes, provender, &c., had previously been embarked, +and left under charge of a servant, Fernando, at a landing-place +from the river, near the house where we had been invited to pass the +evening. Taking the precaution to eat a hearty supper, to keep out +the night air, on arriving at the boat, and wrapping ourselves up in +our blankets, we both very speedily began to enjoy the rest necessary +for next day's exertions; and having previously secured our crew of +five picked men to pull, we were rapidly approaching the Laguna when +we awoke, and daylight had just rested on their oars next morning; +after breakfast, and a bath in the cool and delicious water of the +river above Pasig, we quickly passed by the pateros or villages for +breeding ducks, situated among the swamps at the outlets of the lake, +and the beginning of the river. + +Several of these duck villages can scarcely be said to be situated on +_terra firma_, as many of the _nipa_ or attap-houses are founded on +the supporting trunks of trees growing out of the sedgy swamp. The +houses have a small lower platform of bamboo on two sides, for a +cooking-place and for landing from a boat, below and around being trees +or bamboos growing out of the water. Many of these clumps of bamboo, +some of which attain a great height, occasionally, perhaps, as much as +150 feet, are from their numbers a peculiar feature in the landscape +of the Philippines, and form some of the most beautiful objects of +luxuriant vegetation that can be imagined for a landscape. They are +found growing wild, very grand and fresh-looking in all parts of +the country, and are of many varieties, some of which any one may be +acquainted with who takes the trouble to consult the good old Padre +Blanco's book on the _flora de Filipinas_. + +At the pateros, near the entrance to the Laguna, the people breed large +flocks of ducks to supply the Manilla market, to the exclusion of all +other employment except, perhaps, catching and drying enough fish to +season their rice, which most of them purchase, and very few of them +grow. These Indians, although few in number, are to a considerable +extent isolated from the people of the country, from what cause I +know not, but they very rarely associate or intermarry except with +each other. The ducks they breed for the market are well trained, +being perfectly obedient to the call of their different masters, +and on hearing his signal come quickly sailing back, should they have +gone too far away. They get fat on the fish and tender sedgy grass, +and when placed on the dinner-table are very good eating. + +After entering the lake, which is studded with wooded islets, the +largest of which is named Talim, the gun is called into requisition, +as the immense flocks of wild duck breeding here afford a constant +sport, and the advantages of their acquisition are not likely to be +overlooked either by the _gourmand_ or the hungry tourist. They are, +however, rather wild, and the best mode of shooting them appears +to be to dress in a blue cotton shirt and trousers like an Indian, +and paddle off as near the flock as they will permit; and then for a +chance among them. If there is more than one person in the grass-boat, +which is a very small and unhooded banca, which the natives use for +carrying small quantities of grass for horses, &c., the ducks are +apt to take the alarm, although I have sometimes been successful in +getting near them with an Indian paddling the boat. + +Besides the ducks there are several other kinds of wild fowl, +and on coasting round the shores of Talim, an alligator basking +in the sun, frequently offers a mark for a ball, which, however, +seldom proves fatal. I struck one on the scales without producing +any apparent damage, the distance being probably about thirty yards, +and he merely shook himself a little and tumbled into the water from +off the rock he had been sleeping on, without seeming much startled +or to be in the least wounded. They are said to reach an immense age, +and the most incredible stories are told, and apparently believed, +by the natives themselves of their traditional longevity. + +On Talim some deer and pigs may now and then be seen, although it +is too much frequented and disturbed to be at all a sure cover for +them; my companion shot a very beautiful variety of the hawk on the +island. After enjoying the hospitality of M. Vidie, an old French +planter at Jalajala, we set off in the direction of Tanay, whence we +had heard good reports of the game. + +During a strong monsoon there is sometimes a heavy swell on the +water of the Laguna, and occasionally boats are swamped or upset, +so that frequently when we used to go out in our Pasig banca it was +against the will of our boatmen; but like true and stubborn Britons, +we always insisted upon having our own way, although the boatmen, who +certainly knew most about it, used to predict that we should all be +swamped to a certainty, but a well-trimmed and moderately well-handled +boat can go through any sea, and it is generally from want of care that +accidents occur. On one occasion in Manilla Bay, I have been swamped +solely from that cause, and the fright of a companion, whose alarm +induced the catastrophe by diverting the men's attention. However, +as an American whaler was luckily near and saw our situation, they +lowered a whale-boat and picked us up. + +At the lake, in stormy weather, we used to go out with two men +steering the boat, each with a powerful paddle, and the remainder +of the crew managing the sail. Sometimes we got half full of water, +which it was the duty of the boy Fernando to bale out, but when he got +seasick and tired, we both set to to keep her free. On one occasion +of the sort, my chum Adam, taking pity on the forlorn condition of +the puking Fernando, recommended to him frequent sips from a bottle +of brandy, to keep away the retching; the hint was not thrown away, +and the lad lay down in the bottom of the boat, looking as miserable +as possible, and quite sick, utterly forgetful or unconscious of the +soiled condition of the splendid pina shirt which he wore at the time; +although in his hours of ease it commonly attracted a large proportion +of his regard and self-complacency. After many sips, apparently, the +brandy produced the desired effect, as my follower ceased to project +his mouth, every now and then, over the side of the banca, but had +sunk into a sound sleep, caused, we imagined, by the exhaustion and +lassitude subsequent to sea-sickness; and so he remained till our +approaching Tanay, when the sail was lowered, and he roused up and +left to bring our luggage up to the Casa Real, or townhouse, where +there is always a chamber and bedstead for strangers. For that place +we started, leaving him to follow. + +After waiting some time impatiently, we were rather surprised to +see two of the boatmen marching up with Fernando, who gave tokens of +extreme lassitude and unsteadiness of gait, showing at times, when +he raised his drooping head, an attempt to shake off his conductors, +who were on these little manifestations reinforced by two of their +companions, who followed them, bearing our portmanteaus; and at length +the procession would move on again. After some difficulty they got +him into the Casa Real, where one of the men, spreading a mat upon +the floor, laid him down on it, staring wildly about him. After +contemplating him for a few seconds, he turned to me, and, inverting +the mouth of an empty bottle, to prove satisfactorily that it was +empty of the _vieux cognac_, which was marked on the label, laid it +down beside him, saying, "Es muy boracho, Senor, pero es valiente." + +And so resulted the cure of sea-sickness by brandy, of which the lad +had taken such a dose as to shake him severely, although a strong +young fellow, for several days after it; in fact, we both became +afraid of him, and vowed never again to recommend the medicine, +except in quantities less than a bottle at a time. + + + + +CHAPTER XV. + + +Adam W---- having on a former shooting expedition been at Tanay, +had at the time made the acquaintance of some of the townspeople, +who had shown him all the attentions in their power; so that soon +after our arrival, having dressed and refreshed at the Casa Real, +we sallied out together to call on several of his old acquaintances, +hoping to obtain from some of them such information and assistance +as would help us discovering the whereabouts of a good huntsman and +guide, in order that we might avail ourselves of his local knowledge +in selecting the best district of the neighbourhood for sport. + +On entering the house of the Fiel of Tobacco, we were most hospitably +received and warmly invited to take quarters there during our residence +in Tanay; and as the offer was much too good to be refused, even +had it been less warmly backed by the unequivocal demonstrations +of welcome than those which they evinced, it was at once accepted, +with not the less good-will because there was only the Casa Real +to sleep in had we chosen to refuse it, which assuredly no one who +had the fear of bugs, fleas, or musquitoes before his eyes would do, +these animals being of the utmost size and activity in every one of +the Casas Reales I have ever slept in. + +After some conversation with our host, who was rather a fine-looking +Spanish Mestizo, as to our plans, &c., he most good-naturedly set +off to seek a huntsman whom he recommended as a guide, leaving us in +the meantime to the society of his wife--a strapping native beauty, +although somewhat swarthy, full of good nature and the gossip of the +place. From her, Adam soon learned all about his former acquaintances, +and among others of the Capitan Tomas, his buxom wife, and pretty +daughter, who we were told was considered the beauty of the town. + +After their names had been mentioned with that addition, he got +rather impatient all of a sudden for a stroll about the town; so we +started together, after paying a visit to our portmanteaus and the +still insensible Fernando, at the town-house, where my friend armed +himself with a bottle of eau de Cologne, a box of which I found that +he carried about with him for distribution among such native beauties +as he was ambitious of standing well with, for they were sure to like +this perfume, which his experience of the country taught him was seldom +procurable in such out-of-the-way places, and to a dead certainty +always procured him favour in the eyes of the unsophisticated fair, +whom he taught how to use it. + +For this it was that he had hinted something about thieves and the +state of Fernando, and proposed looking in to see if the portmanteaus +were still safe at the Casa Real, so I resolved to be revenged +for the double dealing of his proposal upon seeing the top of the +Cologne bottle peeping out from his shooting-jacket pocket. I watched +a chance, and snatched it away without being noticed, determined that +the half-caste beauty whose praises he was so eloquent in during our +promenade, should not have him to thank it for at all events. + +We reached the house, and were well received by the Capitan, who +pressed us to stop with him, and when he found we were engaged, invited +us to pass next day with him, which, as the beauty was looking her very +best, there was great risk of our doing, in preference to prosecuting +our pig-shooting scheme, as had been originally intended. Poor Adam was +evidently smitten by her attractions. After talking with these good +people for some time, I observed that his attention was engrossed +in watching Rita's movements, when, as the Capitan, his wife, and +myself were all standing at an open window, looking at the flowers in +his garden, and talking away, and their daughter, occupied in some +household duty, was leaving the sala, Adam, who had been watching +like a lynx for such an opportunity, seized it on the moment, and +managed to slip away from us, and get out of the room after her, in +the hopes of being able to snatch a kiss or something of the sort, +and to present the scented water, which he had not missed from his +pocket, although as he slipped away in all the agitation of pursuit, +I saw first one hand and then the other slipped into the pockets of +the coat where it should have been; but he was so much engaged in +getting out of the room quickly and silently, that he did not miss +it. Reaching the open door just as she had gone out, when about two +paces beyond it, he popped his head over her shoulder unobserved, and +stole a kiss; I heard the smack, then a rustle, and then a titter, +during which Adam was searching his pockets for the missing bottle, +which of course he did not find there; and when he said something +or other about the kiss, he foolishly, in his search for it, told +her that he had lost so very desirable a present; upon which, as he +afterwards told me, the beauty looked saucy, and very plainly did +not believe a word about it, but fancied he had invented the story to +excuse the kiss, and pretended to get a little angry with the liberty +taken with her blooming cheek; so she walked off, and left him quite +at a loss to account for its disappearance. + +Before leaving, I took an opportunity of presenting the missing bottle +at a time when the owner of it was not by, and fancied, from the blush +which gave additional beauty to her cheek as I did so, that with the +natural quickness of a woman and a beauty, she had read the stratagem +played off on poor Adam; so she frankly offered me the same reward, +by presenting her blooming lips to be kissed, even by so very recent +an acquaintance. + +On making arrangements for a shooting party, it is quite necessary to +hire beaters to drive the game, which there would be little chance +otherwise of sighting, without undergoing more walking than most +people find pleasant under a tropical sun. + +Having had the precaution to bring our own saddles with us, some +miserable-looking ponies were procured, and started with a guide at +an early hour in the morning, along a path formed for the most part, +up and down thickly wooded hills, the road being sometimes a dry +watercourse, or mountain stream. + +However, we got over the ground, passing through a beautiful country, +and arrived at the meet after a four hours' ride, the place appointed +being a hut belonging to the huntsman, and surrounded by three paddy +fields, which he tilled, with his family, but did not live there, +except at planting and reaping time, or for about six weeks of the +year, from fear of the tulisanes, who, he said, frequented this +wild and uninhabited neighbourhood. This is a frequent effect of the +bad police of the Philippines, as much of the country that might be +most advantageously cultivated, is abandoned to the jungle, solely +from fear of these robbers, who sometimes add to their plundering +propensities crimes of a more atrocious dye. + +After some good sport with deer and pigs, which constituted the supper +of ourselves and all the beaters, night was very welcome, and seldom, +indeed, did either of us enjoy repose more than in this hut, although +through the holes in the grass walls of it the wind was whistling, +and near us the beaters were noisily carousing, miscellaneously, +upon sherry, cognac, and beer, it mattered not which to them, for we +had presented some bottles of each, in order to celebrate the good +day's sport. + +Next morning we heard of a wild cimmarone (or buffalo) having been +seen in the neighbourhood some days previously, and endeavoured to +find out his whereabouts, but none of the scouts could get a trace of +him. Although these splendid animals are occasionally found in the +country, they are not very common, and their reputation for savage +ferocity is so great, that few of the Indians like to shoot them, +because, if merely wounded without being disabled, they are certain +to charge the hunter, which is more than Oriental nerves are fond of. + +Monkeys chattering in the trees are very common; but I never shot +any of them, having, in truth, an antipathy to kill a brute with a +shape so nearly human. + +Near this end of the lake few Europeans ever go, as it is quite out +of the beaten track, which leads them in an opposite direction, to +look down the crater of a volcano, generally simmering, but seldom +boiling over to such an extent as to spout lava to any distance. + +Calamba and Calawan are also places they usually go to see; at +the latter of which, there is a cotton-spinning mill, the property +of a Mestizo, who dresses like a Spaniard, and no doubt wishes to +be considered such. The machinery employed is of Belgian or French +make, and of a very simple construction, and far from being equal to +the sort now used at home for the purpose; but is considered by its +owner to be the only sort that would answer well there, as it can be +kept in order, and even, I believe, put into repair on occasion by a +native blacksmith, who acts as engineer, which could not, of course, +be the case were machinery of a finer and more complex and elaborate +construction employed, as that would render a staff of good European +workmen essential to keep it in order and good repair, and their pay +in this climate, would run away with all the profits of the adventure. + +The yarn produced is of the coarser descriptions, and is only saleable +to the native weavers of cotton cloth, by the excessive duty put on +grey cotton twist of British manufacture, which is 40 per cent. on a +high _ad valorem_ valuation if imported by a Spanish ship, and 50 per +cent. if by any foreign vessel, amounting virtually to a prohibition +on its importation. + +At the village of Los Banos, on the shores of the laguna, there are +some hot springs, flowing into baths cut out of the natural rock. + +The temperature of the water as it issues from the rock is sufficient +to boil an egg; but not having a thermometer, we were unable to +ascertain it more exactly. As it mixes with the cool water of the +laguna, however, the heat decreases, and at sunrise on a cool morning +forms just there a very pleasant bath. The baths, from which the place +is named, having for long been little frequented by invalids, are now +in a semi-ruinous state. In cases of debility they are said to be most +beneficial, and the old Manilla doctor, Don Lorenzo Negrao, whose long +experience of the country and of the diseases incidental to it is most +valuable, in such cases sometimes recommends his patients to try these +baths for some peculiar diseases, and once recommended them to me. + +The great mistake of our doctors in India is dosing their patients +with calomel, which, although necessary in some cases, where it is the +only medicine powerful enough to arrest the rapid strides with which +disease advances in tropical countries, is too often had recourse to, +when simples would be just as effective. And this mistake of theirs is +equalled, in bad effects only, by the practice of the Spanish doctors, +who will never administer calomel at all, even in the most urgent +cases, as they prefer trusting altogether to simple remedies for a +cure, and if a patient dies who has had calomel administered to him, +do not hesitate to tell the practitioner who gave it that the medicine +killed him. + +Within the tropics lengthened residence is the most essential +qualification in a medical attendant, as although old men may not be +so well up to the latest improvements of the science as those fresh +from college, yet they have from practice found out the best way of +treating tropical diseases, to which the treatment applicable in a +London, Edinburgh, or Paris hospital in similar cases, would be quite +out of place when practised in so different a climate as the tropics, +where the symptoms vary and succeed each other with ten times the +rapidity they do in Europe. + + + + +CHAPTER XVI. + + +Before leaving Manilla on a lengthened country excursion, it is always +desirable to procure introductions to the priests of the district you +are going to visit, which may be effected with very little difficulty +by almost any of your Spanish acquaintances. As although they are +in general a most hospitable class of men, and usually invite any +respectable looking European whom chance may throw in their way, to +sleep at the convento if he be passing the night at their village, +yet without an introduction one remains always a stranger to them, +and sees nothing of their usual habits or modes of life. + +Sometimes their good-nature is put to a trial by the eccentricities +of their British guests, and some odd incidents happen. A good story +is told of one of the former British merchants of the place, who +having taken it into his head to make an excursion, before starting +provided himself with letters of recommendation from the Archbishop +of Manilla, to whom he paid court by loans of newspapers, addressed +to the parish priests, and set off with these in his pocket, finding +them of the greatest service in insuring a welcome wherever he went, +being described therein in the most favourable colours, by the high +church dignitary. + +One day, after a long and fatiguing ride, he arrived, about two in the +afternoon, in a very ravenous state, at a convent or parsonage. On +ascending the stairs of the convento, the first thing which met the +eyes of the hungry traveller was a table neatly arranged for the +padre's dinner, who, he was informed by the servants, would be back +in about an hour to dine. An hour still--why it seemed to be a century +since he had broken his fast; however, he waited for what appeared to a +hungry man to be a long time, but in reality was probably ten minutes, +when, losing all patience at the non-appearance of the priest, whose +house he had so coolly taken possession of, he told the boys to put +something to eat on the table, and they, apparently mistaking his +meaning, in a trice served up the good priest's half-cooked dinner, +which, without the delay of asking any questions, he proceeded to +devour. In a very short space of time he had cleared away the best +part of it, and was beginning to relax in his exertions, as the good +effects of a hearty meal began to mollify his craving stomach, in +fact he was just beginning to attack the last relic of a fat capon, +which formed the main battle of the dishes set out before him, when +a heavy footstep was heard on the stairs, and in another instant the +gaunt figure of the priest himself stood before the empty plates on the +dinner table, and the unknown and unexpected guest, whose jaws were at +the moment occupied in masticating the last morsel of the fat fowl, +which the father had ordered for himself, and looking forward to it +had caused him to take a lengthened promenade, in order to promote +appetite. Imagine the scene--but whether the good padre's momentary +wrath, and then utter astonishment and indignation, or the guest's +embarrassment, were greatest--or the most ludicrous, it would be hard +to determine. For some time they merely looked at each other, without +speaking--the priest, probably, because he could not articulate--and +his guest, perhaps, because his mouth was full--till the absurdity of +the whole affair apparently striking them both at once, they mutually +broke out into laughter, the violence of which threatened to convulse +them. From this, however, the padre was the first to recover, when the +intruder, mastering his muscles, regained his countenance so far as +to be able to mutter something in the shape of an apology, in which, +probably, the word "starvation" was the only one intelligible; after +it had been good-humouredly received, and the priest had welcomed the +strange guest, the Archbishop's letter was produced as his credentials, +but not till then. And afterwards they passed the evening together in +the old convento, which, as the evening advanced, rang to many a merry +laugh and jest about the affair in which both had figured so awkwardly. + +The caprices of all the visitors to the country are not, however, +so harmless; it is not long since a party of young men, headed by one +notorious for his love of fun, and what are called practical jokes, +chartered a _chatta_, or covered cargo boat, of from 25 to 30 tons, +and having put two carronades on board of her, set sail for the laguna, +and while there amused themselves by bearing down, after nightfall, +on the villages and towns on its banks, and bombarding them with the +guns, taking care, however, not to do harm or to kill any one, either +by not shooting the guns, or if there was a ball in one of them, by +aiming it a little over the houses, so as not to damage them. On the +noise made by the guns being heard, and the flash seen so close to them +in the dark nights, the whole male population of the place would turn +out in haste to repel the attack of this supposed band of tulisanes, +arming themselves with any sort of weapon, and getting the women and +children out of harm's way by sending them off--and probably an urgent +despatch would be forwarded by the gobernadorcillo of the village to +the governor of the province, if he lived within some few miles of +him, requesting assistance--or detailing the flight of the robbers, +who, on seeing the determination and force of the villagers prepared +to defend their hearths, had not ventured to attempt landing, but had +sailed away without having been able to do any damage to the pueblo. + +These midnight bombardments were repeated so frequently as to lead the +local authorities to make great efforts to put down the daring troop +of robbers who bearded them at their very doors at the town of Santa +Cruz, near which the Governor lives, and kept the country people, +who had begun to talk about them, in a state of constant alarm. + +Notwithstanding all their efforts to discover the hiding-place of the +band, nothing could be found out about them, no one ever imagining +that the party of gentlemen in the chatta could be at all mixed up +with them--in fact, the well-intentioned alcalde of the province, +hearing that such a party was visiting the lake, sent off a _ministro_ +to give them information about the desperate band of tulisanes who +were lurking in the neighbourhood, and advised them to be upon their +guard against an attack; for which attention they of course thanked +him, and assured the envoy that it was for that reason only they had +provided themselves with the two formidable looking pieces of ordnance +which he saw in the boat. + +They were not found out to have been representing the parts of the +supposed tulisanes, till, on their return to Manilla, where people +had heard of the disturbances in the province of the Laguna by these +robbers, and were talking about it, the story somehow got wind, and, +when it was known who had caused so much trouble, of course there +was a general laugh at the local authorities. + +Lucky enough it was, however, that the affair rested there, as all +of the party might have suffered severely for their amusement and +fondness for carronading. It only caused the government to increase +their strictness in giving passports to the country, which now were +only conceded on the pleas of urgent business, or of ill health when +that was backed by a medical certificate; the alcalde also became +more strict in seeing that all travellers through the province were +provided with these documents. + + + + +CHAPTER XVII. + + +In the course of these excursions to the country, the native Indians, +with a stray half-breed, generally of the China Mestizo race, are +nearly the only people met with, as few Europeans are settled in the +provinces, except in the provincial capitals, or near the alcalde, +whose dependents they generally are. Should a stranger be able to +speak to the natives in their own language, he has a much better +opportunity of becoming acquainted with their character, habits, +and feelings, than if he is merely able to speak Spanish, a language +which only a very small proportion of them understand in the country, +although most of those in the neighbourhood of Manilla can speak +it after a fashion. For although the law makes it requisite for the +Capitan of every pueblo to be able to speak as well as to read and +write Spanish, yet this is not always the case, as I have frequently +met with these officials, more especially in out-of-the-way places, +who did not understand it. + +Nearly the whole, certainly above three-fourths of the population, make +use of the Tagala or Tagaloc language, which, so far as I am aware, +is quite peculiar to these islands, having little or no similarity +to Malayee, so that it does not appear to have been derived from a +Malay root, although some few Malay words have been engrafted on it, +probably from the circumstance of that language being made use of +in the province of Bisayas, which is the only place in the islands +where it is spoken. + +In Pampanga province, the natives speak a distinct language, differing +entirely from Tagaloc, quite as much as Welsh does from English, +although many of the Pampangans, on growing up, find it useful to know +how to speak the Tagaloc, which most of them understand a little of. + +The _Negritos_, who are found in some parts of the islands, are a +peculiar race, with features exactly resembling the African negro, +although in general smaller made men, but formed with all the +characteristics of the African. They also use a distinct language, +and have very little intercourse with either of the other races--many +tribes of them living, even up to this day, independent of, and +unsubdued by, the Spaniards, whose active missionaries have however +of late years been making every effort to reduce them to allegiance +to the government of Manilla, as well as to the religion of the cross. + +These good men have penetrated, where soldiers dare not enter with +arms in their hands, and in their case, truly, the sword has given +place to the gown, with good effects to all concerned in the reduction +of these wild Indians to the Roman Catholic faith, and the arts of +civilized life; for many hundreds of them, nay, I believe thousands, +are now peaceful cultivators of the soil, which, these good fathers +have taught them how to till, instead of living, as they formerly did, +at warfare with mankind, and solely on the produce of the chase. + +How these differences of race and language have arisen, it is probably +impossible now to discover, at least I have never heard any one of +the many theories on the subject, for they are nothing more than +speculations, which could sustain all the requirements necessary to +account for their existence in their present state. + +In the character of the native Indians there are very many good points, +although they have long had a bad name, from their characters and +descriptions coming from the Spanish mouths, who are too indolent +to investigate it beyond their households, or at the most beyond +their city walls; as very few, indeed, of all the Spaniards I met +with have ever been in the country any distance from Manilla, except +those whose duty it has been to proceed to a distance, as an alcalde +of the province, or as an officer of the troops scattered through +the islands,--very many of whom remain at home in the residency or +in their quarters, smoking or drinking chocolate, and bewailing their +hard fates, which have condemned them to live so far away from Manilla, +from the theatre, and from society. They come and go without knowing, +or caring to know, anything about the people around them, except when +a feast-day comes, when they are always ready enough to visit their +houses, dance with the beauties, and consume their suppers. + +The most noticeable traits in the Philippine Indians appear to be +their hospitality, good-nature, and _bonhommie_ which very many +of them have. Their tempers are quick; but, like all of that sort, +after effervescing, soon subside into quiet again. + +Very frequently have I been invited to enter their houses in the +country, when loitering about during the heat of the sun, under +the protection of an immense and thick sombrero which prevented me +suffering much from the exposure; and on going into one of them, +after the host or hostess had accommodated me with a seat on the +_banco_ of bamboo, a cigarillo, or the _buyo_, which is universally +chewed by them, and composed of the betel nut and lime spread over an +envelope of leaf, such as nearly all Asiatics use, has been offered +by the handsome, though swarthy, hands of the hostess or of a grown-up +daughter: or, if their rice was cooking at the time, often have I been +invited to share it, and have sometimes so made a most excellent and +hearty meal, using the natural aid of the fingers in place of a spoon, +or other of the customary aids for eating. After eating they always +wash their hands and mouths, so cleanly are their habits. + +So long as any white man behaves properly towards them, and treats +them as human beings should be treated, their character will evince +many good points; but should they be beaten or abused without a +cause, or for something that they do not understand, as they but too +frequently are when composing the crews of ships, the masters of which +are seldom able to speak to them in their own language or in Spanish: +who can blame them if the knife is drawn from its sheath, and their +own arm avenges the maltreatment of some brutal shipmaster or his +mates for the wrong they have suffered at their hands? In all I have +seen or had to do with them they have never appeared as aggressors, +and it has only been when the white men, despising their dark skins, +have ventured on unjustifiable conduct, that I have heard of their +hands being raised to revenge it. + +When they know that they are in the wrong, however, should the +harshest measures be used towards them, I have never known or heard +of their having had recourse to the knife, and I have frequently seen +them suffer very severe bodily chastisement for very slight causes +of offence. + +They are easily kept in order by gentleness, but have spirit enough to +resent ill-treatment if undeserved. Not long ago an instance of the +kind happened to a person who has the character of being a violent +and irascible man. He one day fell into a passion about something +or other, and fastened his ill-nature and passion on an inoffensive +servant who chanced to be near him at the time, and ended some abuse +by ordering the man to go into a room, where he followed him, and after +locking the door and putting the key into his pocket, took up a riding +switch and began to flog the servant, who bore it for a while, until, +losing his temper completely, he seized his master by the throat, +and, taking the whip from him, administered with it quite as much +castigation as he had himself received. + +Their general character is that of a good-natured and merry people, +strongly disposed to enjoy the present, and caring little for the +future. + +So far as regards personal strength and mental activity or power, +they are much superior to any of the Javanese or Malays I have seen +in Java, or at Batavia and Singapore. But, to our modes of thinking, +the greatest defect in their character is their indolence and dislike +to any bodily exertion, which are the effects of the sun under which +they live; but their native maxims and their habits, although we +may disapprove of them now-a-days, when everything goes by steam, +might be dignified by a great poet's verse into the truest and best +philosophy; for does he not sing,-- + + + Otium bello furiosa Thrace, + Otium Medi pharetra decori + Grosphe, non gemmis, neque purpura venale, nec auro. + + Vivitur parvo bene, cui paternum + Splendat in mensa tenui salinum; + Nec leves somnos timor aut Cupido + Sordidus aufert. + + Laetus in praesens animus, quod ultra est + Oderit curare, et amara lento + Temperet risu, &c.----Hor. II. xvi. + + + + + +CHAPTER XVIII. + + +At Manilla a labourer's pay is a quarter of a dollar a-day, or a little +more than a shilling, which is enough to keep him supplied with food +of as good quality and quantity as he needs to eat for about two or +three days, so that if a labourer or coolie, who has only himself to +support, work two days out of the seven, he has enough to supply all +his necessities, and can enjoy what is to him a high degree of pleasure +and amusement,--the training of a cock for the cockpit, sleeping +a long siesta, gossiping with his neighbour, and chewing _buyos_, +or smoking cigarillos, quite at his ease, during the rest of the time. + +They have all a strong dislike to settling down to any employment +demanding the exercise of much bodily exertion, even when it is well +remunerated; and the consequence is, that the extreme difficulty of +procuring labour forms the greatest drawback there is to a planter +settling in the Philippines, and not unfrequently causes the one or two +people who have now got plantations there on a small scale, to suffer +the utmost inconvenience in the management of their estates; and this +operates to so great an extent, as virtually to prevent any one but a +very bold and speculative man investing money in sugar plantations, +or otherwise locking it up in agriculture. Government has long been +sensible of this, and the present Captain-General has issued an order, +containing a permission for persons engaging in plantations to import +Chinese labourers, to whom, if actually engaged in tilling the soil, +are conceded certain privileges which they have not hitherto enjoyed, +being subject to less tribute than what is paid by the rest of their +countrymen who are engaged in other avocations. + +This decree had been lying ready for years in the desks of the +Government officials, no Governor till recently having had the courage +to publish an order so greatly in advance of their general policy. As +it is, this is one of the greatest steps they have ever taken in +the right direction; and I trust it may be attended with the best +effects, although some of the restrictions on the China labourers +may tell against it; and I fear that the large outlay necessary to +import labour from China, while they have a supply, although it is +a very uncertain one, at their doors, without incurring the expense +and risk of doing so, may hinder the success of the scheme. + +There are very few people in the colony who are possessed of the +capital necessary to start a plantation on a large scale. And the +existing laws prevent or check foreigners doing so, unless they +get married to a Spanish or native woman, which, from their general +character, few British would like to do; or by abjuring their religion, +and getting naturalized, which is a measure equally or more repugnant +to the human breast, unless self-interest is the beacon which directs +the path, or is the motive for doing so. + +However, should plantations on a large scale ever be carried on +in these islands with an equal degree of facility, science, care, +and attention, and with the improved machinery now employed in sugar +estates in Jamaica and elsewhere, there can be little doubt that the +productions of the islands will be greatly increased, and it will do +good so far; but whether it would tend to improve the condition, or +increase the comforts of the people, now so independent of care for +a livelihood, appears to be more than doubtful; in other respects, +it would do them good, by stimulating their energies. + +At present there are no large plantations on the islands, although +two or three of small size exist, none of which are understood to be +sufficiently remunerating to offer any inducement to invest money in +a similar manner. + +At Jalajala, M. Vidie, an hospitable old Frenchman, has an estate; +but I understand that the most unceasing efforts, and the greatest +economy, care, and attention, have been necessary to make it answer, +both on his part and on that of its former owner, an Anglo-American, +and a person of great ingenuity, who got so much disgusted with the +incessant battle he had to fight with the soil, and those who tilled +it, that after overcoming the greatest difficulties, he sold the +estate, and was glad to be quit of it. + +The whole of the productions of the islands are raised by the poor +Indian cultivators, each from his own small patch of land, which they +till with very simple, though efficient implements of agriculture. + +With the existing high prices of labour, there is, however, probably +nearly as much surplus produce available for exportation as there +would be for years to come, under the system of large plantations and +dear labour. Because the present occupiers of the land--employing +no hired labour, but only directing the industry of the farmer and +that of his family, to the small patch on which they were born, and, +of course, have some affection for--are certain to expend far more +labour on their own land, and to bring it to a much higher degree of +cultivation, than it would suit the purpose of a large planter to do; +who, like the Australian or Canadian colonist, would probably find it +most for his interest to cultivate a large surface of land imperfectly, +as under high wages of labour, and comparatively cheap land, it would +be likely to yield him a better return than if he cultivated only a +small surface of ground highly. + +For this seems to be the only policy, where the elements to be combined +are dear labour and cheap land; just as when they are dear land and +cheap labour, the contrary would be the case, as it is in Britain. + +Now, when I call a quarter of a dollar per diem a high rate of labour, +I may be misunderstood if it is not stated that this rate, when paid +to the slow and careless Indian labourer, is fully equivalent to +three times that sum to a white or British labourer working at home; +as an able-bodied man at home would do about three times as much work, +and would perform it in a highly superior manner. + +These reasons make me loath to see the present system of small holdings +changed, which would sever old and respectable ties, and would force +the present independent Indian cottage-farmer to seek employment from +the extensive cultivator, and, without getting more work out of him +in the course of a year, would lower him in self-respect, and in the +many virtues which that teaches, without deriving any correspondent +advantage to society. + +In a tropical climate the elements of society are varied, and +quite different from those of a country with a climate like that of +Great Britain. A native Indian, under a tropical sun, could scarcely +support a system of really _hard_ labour for six days of the week for +any length of time; and their indolent habits are, in some degree, +necessary to their existence, perhaps as much as his night's rest +is to the British labourer; for without days of relaxation to supply +the stamina which they have lost during exposure to the sun and hard +labour under it, it is my decided opinion that the men so exposed, +and exhausted, would, after a very few years, knock themselves up, +and become unfit to work, thereby rendering themselves an unproductive +class, and burdens on their friends and on society. + +The present cultivators, who show a high degree of intelligence +in many of their operations, in cultivating their staple, rice, +for example, actually expend more labour on their land, and work +much more constantly than any hirelings would do; as at Jalajala, +out of upwards of a hundred labourers in the village who had no other +employment or source of revenue but their labour, not above a third +of the able-bodied men mustered in the fields when the labours of +the day began in the morning; and I understood from the owner of the +estate, that under no circumstances could he prevail on the whole +body of labourers to muster, nor, so long as their rice lasts, will +they work; it is only when that fails, and they will starve if they +do not exert themselves, that they will undergo hard labour in the +fields under the broiling sun. + + + + +CHAPTER XIX. + + +Very few of the native Indians or Mestizos are possessed of much +wealth, according to British ideas of the term, although there are some +of the latter class who are considered among themselves as very well +off, if their savings amount to from five to twenty thousand dollars; +and when they reach fifty thousand dollars, they are looked upon as +rich capitalists. + +In Manilla, there are one or two of these Mestizo traders whose +fortunes amount to more than this; but such occurances are rare, +and are seldom heard of. Many of these amounts have been collected +together by their possessors by their engaging in a sort of usurious +money-lending or banking business with the poverty-struck cultivators +of the soil, by advancing seed to many of them for their paddy fields, +and making the hard condition of exacting in return about one half +of the produce of the ensuing crop. But perhaps these money-lenders +are, to a certain extent, necessary to supply the wants of an +improvident and careless race, these habits being besetting sins of +the Indian character; yet there can be little doubt that the money +acquired by such a usurious repayment of the sums advanced, does +an immense deal of harm, and lessens the natural independence of +the Indians who are so unfortunate as to fall into the clutches of +the money-lender. Should a poor Indian, the possessor of a patch of +paddy-land capable of producing very little more than is required to +feed his family, once run short of seed, he has a very hard battle to +fight with the soil before he is able to get that debt cleared off, +should his neighbours be too poor to assist him, as he must then have +recourse to the usurer. For although, through his greater efforts and +improved cultivation, he may produce much more paddy than his land +had done before, yet he is seldom able to save enough for seed from +the moiety of the produce which his appetite restricted to live upon, +as the other half must go to repay the usurer who advanced him seed, +or money to purchase it. + +I have seldom heard of Europeans engaging in this business, for which +their nature and habits are much less suitable than those Mestizo +capitalists who devote themselves to the traffic. + +These debts are frequently contracted by the Indians in emulating the +splendour of some richer neighbour on their patron saint's feast-day, +when, in proportion to their means, an immense deal of extravagant +expenditure usually takes place; but, with the exception of the +cockpit, all their other expenses are very slight and thrifty. + +Their houses are mostly composed of attap, or nipa grass, on a bamboo +framework fixed on and supported by several strong wooden posts, +generally the trunks of trees, sunk deep enough in the ground to +render them capable of resisting the violent gales of wind common +over all the islands during particular months of the year. In the +villages some of the richer natives have wooden houses--that is to +say, the framework of the part of the house dwelt in is of wood, +being generally supported by a stone wall which composes the bodega, +&c., underneath. + +Their furniture is generally made from the bamboo, and from this most +useful plant several of their household utensils are also formed; +all these are of the simplest description, but amply sufficient to +supply their wants. + +A crucifix, and the portraits of several saints, are universally +found attached to the walls, and before these they are at all seasons +accustomed devoutly to repeat their morning and evening orisons--all +the family kneeling while the mother recites the prayer. + +At nearly all houses in the country a large mortar scooped out of the +trunk of some tree is found, being the instrument employed to free +their paddy from the husk, and convert it into rice. This operation +appears to rank among those household duties which fall to the wife's +share to perform. The pestle is sometimes of considerable weight; +and when it is so, is worked by two women at once. + +In their field operations the buffalo is the only animal employed, +and is probably the only one domesticated possessing the requisite +strength to perform the work, as the country oxen and horses are much +too small; and although more active, are too weak to drag the plough +through the flooded paddy fields in which they would get entangled and +sink, sometimes to their middles; but through land in this state the +bulky buffalo delights to wade, and, although slowly, creeps along, +and forces himself through. + +In the towns the buffalo is still employed in carts and light work, +for which it is not so well suited as the active-paced horses or oxen +of the country would be, and they no doubt will in time be adopted +for these purposes. + +In the country the horses are only used for the saddle, and for +conveying small packages of goods from one country shopkeeper to +another, as the roads they have to traverse are such as to preclude +any use of conveyances upon wheels. + + + + +CHAPTER XX. + + +Throughout the islands there is a part of every village set apart for +the market-place, where in the early morning, and after sunset in the +evening, the utmost activity in buying and selling prevails. At all of +these places rice, fish, and butcher meat (generally, but not always), +fruit, and merchandise of the most suitable sorts to supply the wants +of the people who are likely to purchase it, are exposed for sale. It +is a curious scene to walk through such a place for the first time, +especially after sunset, when the red glare of the torches or lamps +shows to perfection the sparkling eyes, swarthy features, and long +hair, which, waving about over the foreheads of the men, gives them a +wildness of look, which their sombre dress, consisting of a dark blue +shirt and trousers, having nothing to attract the attention from the +sparkle of their eyes, makes all the more striking. + +In Santa Cruz market-place at Manilla, between the hours of six and +eight in the morning and evening, an immense crowd collect to supply +their household wants, and innumerable are the articles displayed +in the shops;--here the cochineal of Java, there the sago of Borneo, +or the earthenware of China. In the Bamboo Islands the more perishable +commodities are exposed for sale; and fish being the principal article +of the natives' food (and also a favourite one of the white men), +is found exposed for sale in large quantities. But all so offered +is dead, even when the vendor is a Chinaman, although in his native +country great quantities of it are hawked about the streets by the +sellers carrying them alive, in water, so that the purchaser is +certain always to have this food fresh and untainted by keeping; +for even a few hours is sufficient to spoil it in this climate. + +The market is well supplied with all descriptions of fish caught in +the Pasig or the bay, most of which are well tasted; the fishermen of +the villages in the neighbourhood being the principal suppliers. A +small sort is found in the river very much resembling white-bait in +taste. Shrimps are also consumed in large quantities. After the rains +there may generally be procured, by those who like them, frogs, which +are taken from the ditch round the walls in great numbers, and are +then fat, and in good condition for eating, making a very favourite +curry of some of the Europeans, their flesh being very tender. + +The natives principally eat fish, but there is besides a large quantity +of beef and pork consumed by them, which are always procurable, +except on Fridays, when some little difficulty may be experienced in +procuring flesh, as there is only enough killed on the morning of +that day to supply the wants of the invalids. The country-fed pork +is seldom or never seen at the tables of Europeans, these animals +being too frequently allowed to feed in a most disgusting manner; +and many pigs may at any time be seen in the suburbs of the town +where the Indians dwell roaming about the streets, and efficiently +performing the duties of scavengers, by removing the filth and garbage +from many of these remote streets. + +But notwithstanding their knowing, and in fact daily seeing, this +gross and disgusting mode of feeding, it is the most universal and +favourite food of the Chinese at Manilla, and is also a favourite +with the Indians. + +The continued use of pork so fed not unfrequently produces a skin +disease called sarnas, something resembling itch. + +Fowls, turkeys, and ducks, both tame and wild, are at all times +procurable, the supplies of the latter being from the Laguna. Geese +are seldom or never exposed for sale, but are sometimes sent from +China to private persons merely for their own consumption. + +It is a curious thing that geese will not produce eggs, or sit upon +them to hatch their young, at Manilla; and it is also a sufficiently +odd circumstance, that turkeys die in a short time after reaching +Singapore, where they are sometimes sent to private individuals for +domestic use, although they thrive very well both in the Philippines +and in Java. At Singapore, however, after being a few days ashore, +some of them are attacked by a peculiar sickness, apparently giddiness +of the head, which invariably ends in death in a few minutes after +the commencement of the attack. All these birds are subject to it at +that place, if allowed to go about too long before being seized upon +by the cook. + +The principal food of the Indians being rice, it is found exposed for +sale, in large and small quantities, in the bazaars, where nearly all +the kinds of fruits of the season may also be found. The catalogue +of fruits grown in the islands is a long one, but among those most +commonly seen may be reckoned plantains of all kinds, of which +there are an immense variety; mangoes, which are remarkably good, +and superior to any species grown in the East, excepting those of +Bombay, to which they are equal; the custard-apple, the pine-apple, +seldom equal to those of Batavia or Singapore; limes, and oranges, +not very good, and greatly inferior to those of China, from whence +some are imported by the trading Spanish vessels constantly running +between the two places; melons of different kinds, of middling quality; +cucumbers, pumpkins, jackfruit, lanzones, and many other sorts. + +The best gardens, or those from which Manilla is chiefly supplied with +fruit, are in the vicinity of Cavite, from which place the country +people bring it every morning, the carriers being generally young +women, who, from the steadiness requisite to balance the fruit-baskets +on their heads, acquire a good walk, somewhat at the expense of their +necks, however. + +The most common sorts of vegetables exposed for sale appear to be the +sweet potatoes, yams, and lettuce; and green pea-pods are sometimes +to be had, but the latter are seldom good. + +The temperature induces such a rapid vegetation as to injure their +taste, as it prevents their ripening, for, after attaining a certain +growth, the sun dries up the pod in a very few days, to prevent which +they are pulled very early, when the pea is so small and delicate, +being barely formed, that the cooks usually serve up both pods and +peas together at table, after having minced them into small pieces +with a knife, being unable to separate them properly. + +The common potatoe is imported from China, and from the Australian +colonies. Those from Van Diemen's Land are the best; the sorts received +from China are usually watery and small, being greatly inferior to +those sent up from Australia. + +In the fair monsoon, the Chinamen sometimes get supplies of apples, +pears, cabbage, &c., from Shanghai, and these are considered as +great delicacies. + +There are many other fruits and vegetables procurable at Manilla, +but those mentioned are the sorts usually met with. + + + + +CHAPTER XXI. + + +The population of the islands is very uncertain, for although the +Government makes the census _apparently_ with some exactness, a very +little knowledge of the country is sufficient to show that they do not +do so in reality, but that this resembles all their other statistical +information, and cannot be depended upon, although it is useful in +leading to an approximation. + +Their data are made up from the revenue derived from a capitation +tax, which is so much per head for all grown up persons; but as it +is the interest of all who may be called upon to pay it to keep out +of the way during the period of its collection, many of them do so +without much difficulty, more especially in the remote districts, +where their facilities for concealment are much greater than in the +neighbourhood of Manilla, or of the provincial capitals, where the +alcaldes reside; so that those actually liable to it are very much +greater than the payers of the tax. I estimate the population at a +little under five million souls, the great bulk of whom are engaged +in agricultural pursuits. + +Great numbers of people are also employed as fishermen, artizans +of all sorts, and as manufacturers of cloth fabrics of various +descriptions. In addition to the people so gaining a livelihood +by their industry, there are scattered throughout the islands many +Indians, without any occupation, and apparently altogether dependent +on the fruit of the plaintain-tree for subsistence, and indulging +all their natural laziness and indolence of disposition by its aid, +preferring to subsist on the fruit of this most productive plant, +which they can do, from its being always procurable and at all times +of the year in season, without an effort towards its cultivation, +to undertaking the labour and attention necessary to grow rice. + +Some of these people are hunters, occasionally going out to the +wilds in pursuit of game, which must alternate beneficially with +their vegetable diet. + +As an article of food, however, the plantain does not appear to be so +nutritive or strength-supporting as rice; at least, those persons who +are principally dependent on it for food appear less robust looking +than the rice-fed population. This, however, may not be entirely owing +to that cause, but may be attributable in some degree to their lazy +habits, which, by preventing them taking much exercise or bodily +exertion, renders the muscles of their bodies less developed than +those of the other Indians whose harder work keeps their frames in +a proper state of health. + +In person, the native Indians are a good deal slighter and shorter +than Europeans, but are, on the average, taller and stouter than the +Malays, many of them having that broad make of shoulders and lustiness +of limb which indicate personal strength. + +Their countenances are in general open and pleasing, and would +be handsome, but for their smallness of nose, which is the worst +feature in the native physiognomy; however, when that feature is +well shaped, as it frequently is, their faces are decidedly handsome +and good-looking. + +These remarks apply to both sexes; a number of the women are very +beautiful, for although their skin is dusky, the ruddiness of their +blood shows through it on the cheek, producing a very beautiful +colour, and their dark, lustrous eyes are in general more lit up with +intelligence and vivacity of expression, than those of any Indians +I have seen elsewhere. + +A very pleasant trait, to my taste, is the nearly universal frankness +and candid look that nature has stamped upon their features, which, +when accompanied by the softness of manner common to all Asiatics, +is particularly gratifying in the fairer part of creation. + +Their figures are well shaped, being perfectly straight and graceful, +and nearly all of them have the small foot and hand, which may be +regarded as a symbol of unmixed blood when very small and well shaped; +as although the Mestizas gain from their European progenitor a greater +fairness of skin, they generally retain the marks of it in their +larger bones, and their hands and feet are seldom so well shaped as +those of the pure-bred Indian, even although the Spaniards are noted +for possessing these points in equal or greater perfection than the +people of other European countries. + +The bath is a great luxury among the natives, and of all country-born +people, who appear to be fully as fond of the water as ducks are, +and never look so well pleased as when they are paddling about in it, +for nearly all the women can swim. + +It used to be a very favourite sport to make up a bathing party of +ladies, who, dressed in their long gowns, bathed with their male +friends equipped in parjamas, or in short bathing trousers, without +hesitation, swimming about in a retired part of the river for a long +time, generally stopping at least an hour in the water, on leaving +which, and dressing, all reunited to breakfast, or amuse themselves +in some way, with dancing or music. These parties, however, are now +seldom heard of, as the late arrivals from Spain have been so many as +to be able to take the lead, and give a tone to the society of Manilla, +and are now in the midst of revolutionizing the old habits and customs +of the place, certainly not at all for the better, as they have yet +to learn that what is suitable in Europe is not so in the tropics. + +Fondness for gay dress is universal, and the _ninas_ take considerable +pains to understand the subject, and to adorn their natural good looks +to the most advantage by the selection of the most appropriate colours. + +Their hair is one of the most remarkable beauties in the native and +Mestiza women, being very much longer, and of a finer gloss, than +that of any Europeans. + +The staple and most favourite food of the people is rice seasoned +by sun-dried or salted fish, if they should be unable to procure +it fresh, which is, however, seldom the case, as the rivers in the +country abound with many different sorts, and all of them appear to +be very good and well tasted. + +And not only do the rivers abound with fish, but great numbers of +_dalag_ are found in the flooded paddy fields during and subsequent +to the rainy season, when they are soaked with water. How this fish, +which is not very good to eat, being tasteless and insipid, comes +there, is a curious problem, as it is often killed in paddy grounds at +a great distance from any stream, out of which it could come during +an overflow. I am not quite certain whether this fish is ever killed +in a stream or not, or whether it is only found in the paddy fields. + +I do not recollect of its once being caught in a river, although +the natives kill the fish in the ditches and paddy fields in large +quantities, either by shooting them with shot, as they flounder in +the fields, or by pursuing and capturing them, and knocking them down +with a stick. + +In fact, I suspect the _dalag_ to be an intermediary between the +reptile and the fish, although not naturalist enough to investigate +the subject in a proper manner. + + + +CHAPTER XXII. + + +Many of my readers may chance to be aware that the whole group of +Philippine islands was mortgaged to Great Britain for payment of the +ransom agreed upon at the time of our conquest of them nearly a century +ago; and as up till this time neither the money nor the interest on +it has been obtainable, as it probably never will be, they are, at +this, or any other time, virtually our property, should the British +Government foreclose the mortgage and demand payment. This, even at +present, when the kingdom is groaning under extreme pressure for the +necessary funds annually squeezed out of it, would not be thought a +prudent course, even by the ultra-economical politicians who are so +lavish of displaying their crude projects of retrenchment on neatly +ruled-off paper. + +There is no doubt, however, that the cash is never likely to be +forthcoming from the Spaniards, and, under these circumstances, it +surely would be worth the attention of Her Majesty's Government, more +especially as they profess free-trade ideas, to make this state of +things the basis of a request, or even of a _claim_, on the Spanish +Government, for obtaining some liberal concessions in favour of +their countrymen, and the rest of the world, carrying on commercial +intercourse with the Philippines, which is now limited to Manilla; +all foreigners being prohibited from engaging in the country trade, +or from owning property in lands, houses, or ships in the Philippines. + +Of course, the Spaniards themselves suffer for the illiberality +of this policy, as there can be no doubt that, were it more free, +and less burdened with restrictions of all sorts than it now is, +it would be attended with the best effects to their own treasury, +as well as be for the general welfare of the islands. + +This is what they cannot yet comprehend; but it would not be difficult +to make them understand it, if the employe who undertook the task +understood it himself, and possessed knowledge enough of the character +of the people he had to deal with. Any request, if made in a proper +tone, by our Government, would draw attention to the subject at Madrid, +and some good might be done, even were it only of partial advantage, +as for many years to come they are not likely to step boldly out into +the subject. + +At Zamboanga, opposite Zooloo, there already exists a custom-house +and other government offices for the regulation of their own trade +with these islands. But no foreigners are allowed to reside at +Zamboanga. Surely the permission for them to do so is worthy the +attention of a government which has established and is supporting, +at considerable expense, the colony of Labuan for the object not +only of extending our trade and the use of the products of our +manufacturing population, but also with the more generous and noble +idea of civilizing the people in its neighbourhood by their influence, +and of teaching them the blessings that flow from industry and peace. + +The appointment of Sir James Brooke as Governor of Labuan was in every +respect a wise proceeding, as it affords a philanthropist a very wide +field on which to exert his influence. Unfortunately, however, for him, +a number of well-informed people, residing in the neighbourhood of the +spot where his philanthropic exertions are said to have taken place, +deny their having had any existence; but, on the contrary, accuse +that gentleman, through the columns of a Singapore newspaper, of the +worst motives and conduct: in short, he is accused in that newspaper +of murdering innocent natives in great numbers by falsely representing +them to be pirates, to serve his own purposes and gratify his Sarawak +subjects' dislike of them; the naval officers, whose services had +been placed at his disposal to put down piracy, being misled by him. + +I am not sufficiently acquainted with all the facts of the case to +say with what truth this accusation is made, although, I believe, +so grave a charge has never been contradicted by him, or by his +friends authorized to do so in his name, and to state the true facts +of the case to the public. But, as far as Labuan is concerned, those +people who are best qualified to judge appear to be of opinion that, +although it should have a fair trial for some years longer, it will +never become a place of much commercial importance. + +There is little doubt that were foreigners allowed to settle at +Zamboango, where Zooloo, Mindanao, and the entire southern coasts +of the Philippines would be open to their enterprise, it would be +productive of the most beneficial effects, not merely to our merchants +and manufacturers, but to the cause of civilization throughout all +these barbarous countries, and would probably be found much more +effective in putting an end to the existing state of piracy and +kidnapping, which are now carried on to some extent, than any warlike +means which have hitherto been employed to suppress them. + +There are many other objects of a commercial nature worth +the consideration of an enlightened government, such as the +disproportionate protective duties in favour of their national +shipping and the produce of Spain; and some degree of toleration to +the religious opinions of foreigners residing at Manilla might also +be obtained; so far, at least, as to permit their having a piece +of consecrated ground for burying their dead, if no more should be +granted; at present they are not permitted to place the remains of +a Protestant within the limits of consecrated ground; but have to +bury them in a field where Chinamen, who retained their country's +faith till the end of their lives, are laid, and where swine are +continually going about routing up the soil, at the imminent hazard +of disturbing recently interred bodies. + +Liberty for foreigners to settle in the country for the purposes of +trade or agriculture, and to hold property, might be obtained without +much difficulty, were it properly explained, and shown that their +doing so would benefit the Spaniards as much as themselves. + +Under the existing laws their inability to hold property prevents +those foreigners who, after passing many years in the country, have +become as it were almost native, and where they have contracted ties +and formed connexions which few men would like to break, from settling +down in it for the remainder of their lives. As they have no means of +investing their gains with security, though they have probably reached +an age when the cares of business press heavily on relaxed energies, +and they are disposed to sit down quietly, and enjoy themselves in +the country where they are naturalized in every thing but in the eye +of the law--all the interest which good citizens, holding pecuniary +investments, naturally take in the well-being of the country, is +withdrawn from them. No wonder, then, that they are careless about the +domestic improvement of the Philippines, or of their progress in those +arts which fill the treasuries of rulers, and make subjects happy. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIII. + + +The laws do not appear to be bad in themselves, but the dilatoriness +with which they are administered has the effect of rendering them as +baneful to those living under them as if they were radically bad; +the delays and accidents inseparable from the mode of conducting +legal business are very vexatious, and frequently from its cost it +is quite inefficient for its purposes of justice. However, Spain and +its colonies are not singular in that respect, as there is one great +and flourishing country which I could name, where the same defects +exist, although, thank God, in a less degree than they do either +in the colony of Spain, or in that country itself; so the less said +about the mote in our brother's eye, the better for those who have +at this moment a beam in the organ of their own judicial executive. + +In conducting a _pleito_ at Manilla, all is done by writing; first, +the charge is made out and filed; then comes an answer to the charge; +then a counter-answer is put in, and that again is replied to; and +so on they go for any length of time, determined by the weight of +the purses of the respective contending parties, till, if no more +is to be said, or if one or both of them gets tired of the expense, +and the case is decided, the other, if he be a rich man, can refer the +whole affair to Spain, where the same pleadings have to be again gone +through, and all the vexation and expense re-incurred, besides that the +decision of the case may with a little management be protracted for any +indefinite length of time. This is not worse than what happens at home, +and is similar to some of our Scotch cases in former times, when for a +century or more one case would be agitated to gratify family dislike +or prejudice. That no one may think I exaggerate, it may be as well +to mention a case which is still undecided at this moment, and which +originated about 1731, between the lairds of Kilantringan and Miltonise +in Galloway, although near kinsmen, namesakes, and neighbours. + +There are few things more dreaded by the Spaniards themselves than +a lawsuit with one another. Many of them, however, are glad of the +chance it gives them to be revenged on people with whom they are not +upon good terms. So vile is the whole law and practice relating to +the testamentary disposal of property, and to such lengths have the +abuses in this particular branch of it gone, that it has become a +proverb among Spaniards to say that a wise man would prefer being +a trustee on an estate, to being heir to it; and several people at +Manilla are well known to be living on their gains from executorships, +&c., having no other means of support. These persons, although their +incomes are almost universally known to be so derived, are not in +the least shunned as dishonest people, but are looked upon as being +perfectly entitled to feather their own nests in place of performing +their duty, as we should understand it to be in Britain. + +The police laws and regulations are also badly administered, being +very shameful to the Government which permits things to go on under the +same loose system as before. Were there a more numerous and efficient +police force scattered over the country, none of the Spaniards would be +afraid, as many of them now actually are, to live out of town, or to +make distant excursions to the country, from fear of the _tulisanes_, +or robber-bands, which are scattered about in various places, and are +found pursuing their avocations in the neighbourhood of the capital, +although not so boldly as they did a few years since. These robbers +plunder the country in bands perfectly organized, and bodies of them +are generally existing within a few miles of Manilla,--the wilds and +forests of the Laguna being favourite haunts, as well as the shores of +the Bay of Manilla, from which they can come by night, without leaving +a trace of the direction they have taken, in bodies of ten and twenty +men at a time, in a large banca. They have apparently some friends +in Manilla, who plan out their enterprises, send them intelligence, +and direct their attacks; so that every now and then they are heard +of as having gutted some rich native or Mestizo's house in the suburbs +of Manilla, after which they generally manage to get away clear before +the alguacils come up. + +The houses of Europeans are also occasionally attacked, although much +less boldly within the last year or two; yet it is the custom for +people to retire to bed, even in the heart of the town without the +walls, with pistols, a sword, or some other weapon within reach. That +these people do immense damage there is no doubt, as they not only +plunder the country people of buffaloes and horses, but rifle their +houses, if no better prey is to be had, to such an extent, that +the natives are afraid to live at any distance from each other in +many parts of the country, solely through fear of them. From this +cause, patches of fine paddy land in out-of-the-way districts are +left uncultivated, or are hurriedly ploughed and sown by adventurous +persons, who after doing so retire into the nearest village to live, +till the time comes to reap as much of the paddy as the deer and +numerous wild pigs have left untouched. + +The punishments of these bad characters are severe enough when justice +chances to get hold of them; and, should their crimes be atrocious, +they occasionally suffer death. Sometimes they are _garroted_, which +is done in this way. After being seated at the place of execution, +with the back towards a high post of wood, the culprit's neck is +encircled by an iron collar attached to the post, and capable of +compression by a powerful screw passing through the post, which, on +the signal being made, the executioner turns, and the victim is choked +in a second. The practice is much less disgusting than hanging, as +no effects are visible to an on-looker beyond the convulsive movement +of a frame loaded with heavy irons to prevent a severe and disgusting +struggle with departing life. + +A good many of the _tulisanes_ are soldiers who, after committing some +peccadillo, feared its discovery and punishment, and flying to the +wilds have joined or organised a troop from among the bad characters +in the neighbourhood of their hiding-place. + +These executions are not unfrequent at Manilla. One morning, when +riding near the usual place of execution on the sea-beach, I saw six +deserters, who had composed a band of atrocious robbers, suffer death +from the muskets of their former comrades; those who were not killed +at once, having an end put to their existence by the pistols of a +serjeant, who stepped close up to them before discharging the piece. + +Truly it was a sad sight to see their former comrades degraded into +executioners. The number of women who had collected to witness the +last act of this tragedy was very great, very much outnumbering the +men present. But they were principally composed of the most worthless +class of females; yet on many of them the example appeared to make +a considerable impression. + +I have no doubt, whatever the present popular mawkish +sentimental-mongers may write to the contrary, that these exhibitions, +when happening rarely, tend, in a great measure, to restrain the +passions of the evil-disposed, although some of them may think it +bold, among their hardened associates, to turn the spectacle into a +farce. I firmly believe that no human being can in cold blood look upon +another's death by violent means without being forced to think about +it for some time, greater or less, according to his or her temperament. + +For minor offences criminals are sometimes flogged through the +town. They are mounted on horseback, with their legs manacled or +bound under the horse's belly, and a portion of their punishment is +administered at several of the most public places in the town, by +an executioner dressed in red, and with a veil over his face. Thus, +supposing a thief sentenced to receive a hundred lashes or blows, +they would most probably be administered by twenty at a time, in five +different places throughout the capital, proclamation being made at +each place, previous to the punishment, of the offence and of the name +of the offender, who is dressed in the ordinary mode, with a shirt and +pair of trousers, and exposed to the full view of the attending crowd. + +Confinement in the jail at night, with labour in irons on the public +roads during the day, is also a usual punishment; criminals being +generally linked in pairs by a chain round the leg of each, and +taken out, under a guard, to work on the streets or roads at Manilla, +Cavite, or Zamboanga, at sunrise, and led back to jail at sunset. But +as they are not forced by the soldiers to work much harder than they +like, they take care not to injure themselves by overtasking their +powers of labour, and are not apparently much discontented with their +condition, from which I have seldom or never heard of their attempting +to escape, although neither their food nor their lodgings in jail +are very enticing; the former being bad black-looking rice and water, +and the jail generally swarming with vermin. + +They appear to prefer the partial liberty of getting out of jail, and +of working in the streets in chains, to the monotony of a residence +within the walls of the prison, and the sedentary labour they might +be forced to pursue there. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIV. + + +Among the amusements of the Indians the greatest is cock-fighting, +for which they have a passion; and nearly every native throughout +the islands gratifies this taste by keeping a fighting cock, which +may be seen carried about with him perched on an arm or a shoulder, +in all the pride of a favourite of its master. + +During Sundays and feast-days, when no work is allowed to be done, +nearly the half of the native population, if able to muster a few +rials, repair to the village cockpit, to arrange some match for their +favorite fowl, on which they will sometimes stake large amounts, +or to see the sport of their neighbours. + +The privilege of opening a cockpit is an important source of revenue +to the Government, which farms it out to the highest bidder, who, I +believe, has the power to stop fighting for money at any place within +the limits of his district other than the privileged arena, for an +admission to which he exacts a small charge from each person, which is +the mode of reimbursing himself for the amount paid to the Government. + +This place is generally a large house, constructed of _cana_, wattled +like a coarse basket, and surrounded by a high paling of the same +description, which forms a sort of court-yard, where the cocks are +kept waiting their turns to come upon the stage, should their owners +have succeeded in arranging a satisfactory match. Passing across +the yard, the door of the house, within which the matches come off, +stands open: after entering and ascending the steps, the arena is +before us, surrounded by seats sloping down from the wall towards it, +so that every one may be able distinctly to witness the event. + +After the owners of the contending cocks have walked into the ring +and displayed them, each armed with a long and sharp steel spur, many +critical opinions are expressed by the Indians; and the judgments +of the old men, who are keen upon the sport, are worth hearing by +a visitor. + +The spectators having viewed the birds carefully, the bets are +made, by calling one of the men who are constantly walking round +the outside of the arena, for the purpose of arranging the amounts +of bets ventured on either of the birds. Giving him the money with +which you back your opinion, he generally quickly finds, or may at +the moment hold in his hand, the money ventured by some one else on +the other cock, and apprises you of the arrangement. But should your +cock chance to be a favourite, and the broker be unable to arrange an +equal bet against the other, he tells you so before the set-to begins, +and returns your money if you are not disposed to give odds. + +In general the conflict does not last long: in from about two to +five minutes after the set-to, one or other of the birds is pretty +sure to be either killed, or so badly wounded by the steel spur as +to show he has had enough of it, and to give in. Until this happens, +the utmost quietness is maintained by the people, and their intense +interest is only shown by their outstretched necks and eager looks, +as well as by their muttered exclamations at the various stages of the +fight; at the end of which, of course, the gainers are noisy, and in +high spirits at pocketing the money, which is heard clinking all round. + +The amount of money staked on the issue is never very large; at least, +I have not seen more than eighty or a hundred dollars staked in any +cockpit, and the usual bet is an ounce of gold, or nearly four pounds. + +Chance, in a great measure, appears to decide the event; as an early +blow with the sharp spur is quite sufficient to cripple the bird which +receives it so much as to determine the fate of the battle. Quickness +and game no doubt tell to some extent, but not very much. Of course, +the breeding of cocks engages a good deal of attention by those +interested in the amusement; but with the details of it I am not +acquainted. + +Many of the Indians, however, appear to be more fond of a good cock, +and to display more anxiety about it, than would be shown by them +to their wives and children, who are not objects of nearly so much +attention. + +Although extravagantly fond of all games of chance, none of them +appears to be so captivating as the cockpit, which ranks as their chief +passion. Of games at cards, the principal one is _monte_, the playing +of which is sometimes carried on to a great extent, which has caused +such distress that the law has wisely endeavoured to stop the evil, +by enacting severe fines and punishment against those caught playing +at it. Houses suspected of carrying it on, are at all times subject +to a visit from the alguacils, all the people found in them being +carried off to jail. + +But notwithstanding these measures, it is found impossible to put +gambling down entirely, and some of the alcaldes, knowing the inutility +of attempting to do so, habitually give private instructions to their +policemen not to hunt for people playing _monte_, and not to molest +them if found doing so. Tresilla, tresiete, &c., are names of other +games at cards commonly played at Manilla. + +Billiards is also a favourite game of the Indians, whose play differs +in some particulars from ours, and from the usual Spanish game, which +is also dissimilar to ours. Tables are scattered throughout the town, +entirely for the use of the native population, some of whom show +considerable dexterity. + +Although bull-baiting used many years since to be an amusement here, +it is never heard of now, having quite gone out of fashion. Neither +are the bull-fights, as managed in Spain, practised here, probably +from the effects of the climate on the men, who would not much relish +a combat with one of the small, but spirited and powerfully shaped +bulls of the country. + +The considerable number of officers of the troops, and other government +_empleados_, are acquisitions to the society of the place; for being +principally half occupied people, they are almost obliged to have +recourse to amusements to kill the time, which would otherwise hang +very heavy on their hands; and principally to their exertions must +we attribute the means of enjoyment, such as they are, which are now +available here. + +There is a subscription ball-room, where assemblies are held three +times a-month; at one of which there is only dancing; at another, +performances by the amateurs of vocal and instrumental music. Some +of them, having a taste that way, do wonders for amateurs; and after +the concert, there is dancing. + +At the third monthly assembly, there is a farce or play of some sort +acted by amateurs; and as the Spanish genius inclines to the buskin +and the sock, they acquit themselves very well. + +To this _sociedad de recreo_, or casino, there are many subscribers, +including the Governor and his family, if he has any, and all the +considerable people of the place, who for many years kept out those +of lower caste than themselves by the ballot, which is the mode of +electing candidates, who must be introduced by two members. However, +at last the funds of the society got so low, that the admission +of many new members was requisite to bolster up the concern with +their entrance-money and monthly contributions, and, of course, a +much more indiscriminate set were admitted, than formerly used to go +there, which caused one or two people to absent themselves from the +assemblies for some time, as no one, of course, chooses to introduce +his daughters among people he does not wish to associate with. On +the whole, however, the place has benefited by the new people; that +is to say, it is more gay than before they came, which is the chief +consideration to one careless of the precise social degree of any +handsome and pleasant girl whom he may meet at the place. + +All the ladies sit together; and the men, who dare not, apparently, +trust themselves so close to their brilliant and beautiful eyes, +as we fancy we can do with impunity in Britain, promenade up and +down the ball-room, or in one of the large ante-rooms contiguous to +it. No doubt their tindery and inflammable temperaments, whenever +love-making is concerned, has something to do with this arrangement; +as, if a young male acquaintance of any damsel took a seat beside her, +it would be certain to attract the papa or chaperon, to the spot, to +see what was going on, as their most likely subject of conversation +would have a strong leaning towards a flirtation, or downright +love-making, at which nearly all the Spaniards are great adepts; +the flowery expressions of their language being peculiarly suitable +for such sentimental recreations. + +Besides the principal theatre, where Spaniards are the actors, +there are two native theatres, where plays are represented in the +Tagalog language, and written to suit their ideas of the drama; the +subjects represented being principally tragedies connected with their +historical traditions, and of their fathers' earliest connections +with their European conquerors. + +But their mode of representing these subjects is scarcely suitable +to any one's taste but their own, as the amount of vociferation, +and drawling singing of the women who take a part in the pieces, +are very disagreeable, and the noise and quantity of fighting with +which they are always interlarded, is tiresome. Yet, strange to say, +they themselves are much interested while listening to these absurd +recitatives. + +The Spanish theatre is generally opened twice a-week, and one or two +of the performers act very creditably. The national passion is for +dramatic amusements; and the house, which is a large one, is usually +well filled. + + + + +CHAPTER XXV. + + +A misconception appears to exist as to the state of society at Manilla, +people at a distance for the most part labouring under the erroneous +impression that it remains stationary, and is today as much behind +the rest of the world as it was thirty years ago; and that it can +support no newspaper or other publication. Now, during my residence +at Manilla, there have been various periodicals published daily, +bi-weekly, and weekly; but at the end of last year (1850), these had +all given place to one daily newspaper, called the _Diario de Manilla_, +which being more carefully conducted than any of its predecessors, +still continues to enjoy its popularity. + +It is under the direction of an editor, who being in his youth trained +up to commercial pursuits, and having spent some years of his life in +Great Britain in order to conduct the business of his Spanish friends, +has insensibly acquired ideas during his residence there which are, +no doubt, more exact and unprejudiced than those of the bulk of his +countrymen, so that he understands the duties of a journalist, and +manages his paper better than these things were formerly done. Of +course, however, he must study not to trespass on the existing +regulations of the censor, if he would avoid the scissors of that +officer, whose duties are, to prevent any statement obnoxious to the +powers that be from seeing the light. This, of course, is a great check +to the spread of information, especially of a political character; +and articles written and printed, have frequently to be suppressed +in the succeeding impressions of the paper. The power is sometimes +exercised when there is very little occasion for the interference of +authority, and, of course, must very materially interfere with the +mode of conducting an efficient newspaper. + +To give the censor time to examine its contents, the _Diario_ is +printed the afternoon preceding its publication, and is issued every +day except Monday, thus leaving the printers free from work and at +liberty on Sunday. + +The _Diario_ has a large circulation in Manilla and the different +provinces of the islands, besides having agents at Madrid, Cadiz, +and Paris; it is also obtainable in the Havana, at Hongkong, and +at Singapore. + +The subscription is one dollar a month, which is moderate enough; +and advertisements are inserted in its columns without charge. + +Once a week it includes a list of the shipping in the harbour, and +also of the arrivals and departures, and reports every morning the +arrivals and cargoes of any vessels that have come in on the previous +day from the provinces. It also publishes a weekly price-current of +the produce of the country. + +A well-conducted periodical of this nature is of great importance in a +commercial point of view, not only from the advertisements circulated +by its means throughout the Philippines, but from the variety of +facts and information which the country alcaldes address to the +Manilla Government, in which they are required to give a list of the +prices-current for the various articles of produce grown in their +different provinces; a regulation which, of course, tends to keep +the trade on a sound footing, and to prevent reckless speculation, +which the want of market information usually induces. + +The _Diario_ is delivered at the houses of Manilla subscribers at about +daylight every morning, so that they may make themselves masters of +its contents while sipping their chocolate, before engaging in the +business of the day. This is no slight luxury, I assure the reader, +and it is not at all diminished by the place being so remote from +the sound of Bow-bells and the region of Cockaigne, although it is +true that the contents of the paper are not composed of exciting +parliamentary reports, or of leading articles equal in talent to +those of the _Times_ or _Morning Chronicle_. + +The mail bags are carried to the provinces by mounted couriers, and +the north post, arriving at Manilla every Friday morning, brings +communications from the important provinces of Bulacan, Bataan, +Zambales, Pampanga, Nueva Eciga, Pangasinan, Ilocos (North and South), +Abra, and Cagayan; and is despatched from the capital to all these +districts every Monday at noon. + +The south post, embracing the provinces of Laguna, Batangas, Mindoro, +the islands of Masbate and Ticao, Camarines (North and South), Albay, +Samars, and Leyte, reaches Manilla every Tuesday morning, and is +despatched from it in return every Wednesday at noon. To the arsenal of +Cavite there is a daily post, excepting on Sundays; and to the islands +of Visayas, the Marianas, and Batanes, the correspondence is forwarded +by the first ships bound for any of those places, as they are obliged +to give notice to the postmaster two days before starting for them. + +It would be difficult to over-estimate the advantages of this line +of postal communication, which affords the native traders in remote +places the best facilities for the prosecution of their trade in the +various articles of commerce produced in the districts where they live. + +There are, of course, several things which might be improved in the +administration of the post-office, as is the case in every country, +without bringing Spain and her colonies in question; but, no doubt, +these will be found out by-and-by, and an alteration for the better +will take place. + +The press of Manilla is much more active than is commonly supposed, +as, besides the _Diario_, there are several other periodicals printed +in the place. Among them may be mentioned the _Guia de Forasteros_, +and an _Almanac_, which is printed at the College of Santo Tomas, +being entirely got up and sold by the priests of that institution, +the proceeds being devoted to charitable purposes. + +Various religious and polemical works also emanate at different +times from the press, all of them neatly and well printed, nay, +highly creditable to the Indian compositors who execute them. + +I have frequently seen it stated in books, the authors of which should +have been better informed, that no periodical publications exist at +Manilla. Certainly there is much less appetite there for such things, +than is exhibited among my own countrymen, whose birthright it is to +grumble at the conduct of authorities, and to show up delinquencies +with the most unsparing zeal, neither of which would be quite safe +to attempt at Manilla, although it is so in Great Britain, and all +her colonies and dependencies. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVI. + + +Through ignorance and a misconception of the nature of the country, +many people are in the habit of adducing the scantiness of manufactures +among the Indians, as an evidence of their backwardness in civilization +and the arts which it teaches. + +But this is not so in reality, for if our readers reflect on the +subject a short time, it can scarcely fail to occur to them, that +the fertility of the soil, and the abundance of primary materials, +even of those made use of in the manufactories, is the true reason +why they neglect manufactures, and turn all their attention to growing +the raw produce, from which spring the materials for conducting them. + +It is this cause which makes the Americans send their cotton-wool to +Manchester, to be there, at some thousands of miles from the place +of its growth, made into cloth--and the shepherds of Australia to +send their wool to Yorkshire for a like purpose. + +This appears paradoxical, but it is true. A day's labour on a fertile +tropical soil is better recompensed when it is directed to grow cotton, +than it would be, were the same labour applied to weaving the wool +into cloth; for although this climate is suitable for the growth of +cotton in the fields, it does not at all follow that it is so for +weaving cloth, as has been proved to be the case in the United States. + +In that country, where manufacturing industry has so much energy +of character in those carrying it on to back it up, and to secure a +satisfactory result, it appears very strange that we should be able +to beat them in the manufacture of their own produce. + +But although many efforts have repeatedly been made by speculative +and sanguine men to weave all the descriptions of cotton cloth made +in Great Britain by the power-loom, they have never been able to +do so in the United States. Even when they have actually carried +machinery and men from Manchester to work it, across the Atlantic, +the produce of the looms has been of a different quality of cloth +to that which the same cotton yarn would have produced by the same +machinery in Great Britain. This can only be accounted for, I believe, +by estimating the effects of climate. The moisture of the atmosphere, +the difference of water, and other causes, have been assigned as +the cause of this very remarkable circumstance, and perhaps some, +or all of them, have their share in producing it. + +In the Philippines, the natural shrewdness of the people, who show +considerable aptitude in the arts which experience has taught them +will pay them best, is demonstrated by the neatness of execution +which characterises many of their handiworks, demanding no small +portion of skill, care, and perseverance; the elaborate execution +of the gold ornaments worn by the women frequently exhibiting signs, +in a very high degree, of skilful and neat workmanship. + +I have seen chains, &c., of native make, quite as beautifully and as +curiously worked as any I have seen in China, where those ornaments +are made in more perfection than the European gold or silversmiths +have as yet been able to attain. + +But probably the pina cloth manufactured in the Philippines, is the +best known of all the native productions, and it is a very notable +instance of their advance in the manufacturing arts. + +There is perhaps no more curious, beautiful, and delicate specimen of +manufactures produced in any country. It varies in price according to +texture and quality, ladies' dresses of it costing as low as twenty +dollars for a bastard sort of cloth, and as high as fifteen hundred +dollars for a finely-worked dress. The common coarse sort used by the +natives for making shirts costs them from four to ten dollars a shirt. + +The colour of the coarser sorts is not, however, good; and the high +price of the finer descriptions prevents its becoming generally a +lady's dress; and the inferior sorts are not much prized, chiefly +because of the yellowish tinge of the white cloth. The fabric is +exceedingly strong, and, I have been informed, rather improves in +colour after every successive washing. + +Pina handkerchiefs and scarfs are in very general use by the Manilla +ladies, although they are rather expensive; the price of the former, +when of good quality, being from about five to ten pounds sterling +each, while for a scarf of average quality and colour about thirty +pounds is paid. The coarser descriptions can be had for much less +money than the sums mentioned; and the finest qualities would cost +from three to four times more than the amounts I have set down. + +Besides the pina there is also a sort of cloth made by the natives +called juse (pronounced huse), or siriamaio, which makes very beautiful +dresses for ladies. It is manufactured from a thread obtained from +the fibres of a particular sort of plantain tree, which is slightly +mixed with pine-apple thread; and the fabric produced from both of +these is very beautiful, being fine and transparent, and looking, +to the unaccustomed eye, finer than the ordinary sort of pina cloth. + +It can be made of any pattern, and is generally striped or checked +with coloured threads of silk mingled with the other two descriptions. + +The manufacture of both these articles is carried on to a small extent +in the immediate neighbourhood of Manilla; but in the provinces of +Yloylo and Camarines the best juse is produced, the price of which is +very much lower than pina, as a lady's dress of it may be got at from +seven to twenty dollars; and for the latter amount a very handsome +one would be obtained. + +In addition to these manufactures, which the natives have appropriated +and made their own, from the greater facilities found in the +Philippines than in other places less adapted by nature for their +prosecution, the Government has been at some pains to force them +to engage in the manufacture of cotton yarn and cloth by imposing +high duties on those descriptions of foreign manufactured goods +most suitable for the native dress, either from their partiality to +particular colours, or from other causes. + +And for this reason solely a number of kambayas of blue and white +checks are made in the country by the native hand-loom, these colours +being in general favourite ones of the Indians; the custom-house +duty on such goods, and on other favourite colours, being 15 and 25 +per cent., according to the flag of the vessel importing them; the +Spaniards guarding their own shipping, and securing to it a monopoly +of the carrying trade by that difference of the import duty. Should +these goods come from Madras, which is their native country, the duty +charged on them is 20 and even 30 per cent. + +Although these rates of duty may be considered high enough, they +are in reality very much more than that per-centage, because the +duty is charged by the authorities on a very high fixed valuation, +or on the _ad valorem_ principle, which actually is equivalent to +increasing the rates of duty, were that only charged upon the actual +market price. Since the beginning of this year (1851), however, +I understand some changes have been made in the tariff by altering +the valuations of goods. + +Kambayas are used as sayas, or outer petticoats, by the native or +Mestiza girls, and are generally made of cotton cloth, although, +of late, juse and silk sayas appear to be more generally worn than +they used to be. + +Tapiz of silk and cotton is also manufactured in the country. This +piece of dress is used as a sort of shawl, and is wrapped tightly +round the loins and waist, above the saya, being generally a black +or dark blue ground, with narrow white stripes upon it, which, when +the garment is worn, encircles the body. + +The great advantage which the natives have over foreign manufacturers +of these coloured cloths consists not so much in the duty, although +that is an immense protection, as in the quickness with which they +are able to meet the changes of taste in the patterns and designs +of such fancy goods. For it is evident that before designs of new +styles can reach Great Britain, and the goods be manufactured there, +and shipped off to Manilla, many months must elapse, during which the +native manufacturers have been supplying the market with these new and +approved styles of goods, and of course reaping all the advantages of +an active demand, exceeding the supply, by the high prices obtainable +for the new designs. For the market of Manilla varies as much, and +the tastes of the people are as inconstant and capricious with regard +to their dress, as the natives of almost any country can be. + +It will scarcely be believed, that in this remote quarter of Asia, +many of the natives of the country are as much _petits maitres_ in +their own way, as a gallant of the Tuileries or of St. James's. It +would astonish most people to see some of these poor-looking Indians, +or Mestizos, wearing a jewel of the value of four or five hundred +dollars in the breast of their shirts, or in a ring on their fingers. + +No doubt some of them prefer keeping their money in this way, as it is +easily transportable, and is always about their persons, to leaving +their dollars or gold ounces concealed somewhere about their houses, +from which they may frequently be obliged to be absent. Though, as +it is a common custom for the natives to have a piece of bamboo in +which to deposit their ready-money, and as there is so much bamboo +work about the house, of course it is not very difficult for them +to select one piece, which from its being out of the way, and rather +unapproachable, renders it a secure deposit for their hoards. + +Towels, napkins, and table-cloths, are also manufactured by them, from +the cotton of the country, and Governor Enrile taught some of their +weavers how to make canvas from cotton. It is now very extensively +used by the native shipping, and bears the name of the distinguished +and philanthropic individual who taught them how to make it, being +known by the name of _Lona de Enrile_, which name may it long bear, +and remain as the most honourable memento any governor could leave +behind him, of his beneficent and wise interest in the affairs and +administration of an important colony. + +At several places in Luzon, and in Cebu, &c., the natives make +a species of cloth from the plantain-tree, known by the names of +_Medrinaque_ and _Guiara_ cloths. The former description is in the +greatest consumption, being stouter and more valuable than the other +sort, and is mostly all bought up by the natives themselves, although +a small portion of it is also exported. + +The bulk of all the _Medrinaque_ exported goes to the United States, +to the extent of about 30,000 pieces annually; and sometimes as much +as double that quantity is sent, although last year there were only +about 23,000 pieces purchased for that market, a large quantity having +gone to Europe, which is a novel feature of the trade in the article. + +Although the silkworm is bred to some small extent in the country, +the silk manufacture is not extensively carried on, as the market can +so easily and quickly be supplied from China with any description of +goods in demand. Some articles of dress are, however, successfully +made by the Indians, to oppose the China silks in the market, such +as tapiz for the women, and panjamas for the men. + +In various parts of the country, the manufacture of earthenware is +pursued to a small extent. It is generally of a very coarse description +for cooking purposes, water-jugs, &c., and does not interfere with +the sale of the finer China ware, with which the natives are supplied +for most of their household purposes by the Chinese dealers in the +article, that of China make being very much finer than any they have +as yet produced in the country. + +In the colours and patterns of their dresses the natives are great +dandies; the women, as usual, being more particular in those affairs +than the men. Very seldom, indeed, does a native Indian or Mestiza +beauty sport the same saya for two gala days consecutively. And a +very large proportion of their earnings are spent in self-adornment, +their _tanpipes_, or wardrobes, being very well supplied with clothes, +all of them of different patterns. Blue and purple appear to be the +colours most admired, because, although the tastes and caprices of the +people may vary in an infinite degree as to the patterns or styles of +their dresses, they do not differ much in their choice of the colours +which compose them. A dark complexioned beauty is never improved +by a yellow dress; and any woman at all old or ugly looks hideous +indeed when dressed in that colour. Apparently the Government were +not ignorant of this when they imposed a heavy duty on blue, purple, +or white articles of dress, and allowed yellow and other colours +disliked by the natives to come into the country on the payment of a +less duty. They have even gone the length of allowing yellow cotton +twist of foreign manufacture to be imported duty free. + +Truly this was very cunning of them--this apparent liberality to +a foreign nation, ignorant that the colour would scarcely ever be +used. Its affected moderation would most certainly tend to stop any +complaints which might be made about the high duties imposed on our +manufactures imported into the colony. + +But perhaps the authorities had some design on the native beauties, +when they held out such an inducement for them to wear unbecoming +dresses. Who can say if the official who drew the scheme up had not +a wife, jealous of the influence of some dark Indian beauty, to whom +she thus held out the inducement of cheap dress, to disarm the power +of her charms! Or, it may be, as the priests are at the bottom of +most things in Spain, who can tell but their influence was exerted +to get this law passed in the pious hope of inducing those feelings +of self-abasement and humility which the sense of being ugly, or even +plain-looking, generally induces among the fair? + + + + +CHAPTER XXVII. + + +Besides those already mentioned, there are several other branches of +manufacture successfully pursued in different places throughout the +country, although none of them are very extensive. + +Among others, that of hat-making may be mentioned. It is practised +principally at a village called Balignat, in the province of Bulacan; +and is also carried on to a smaller extent in Pangasinan, Camarines, +and Yloylo. + +The hats are made from the cane, the fibres of which, employed in +their construction, very much resemble the materials of those made at +Leghorn, of straw. They are made both black and white, and are used +almost universally by the native population, at times when the heat +of the sun does not require the _salacod_ as a protection to the +head. These are made of cane also, but are much thicker, heavier, +and wider, and are shaped like a flat cone, so that the rays of the +sunbeams are deflected from it, in place of being concentrated on +the brain, as they are by the shape of the European hat. + +A large number of Balignat hats are exported to the Australian +colonies, and to China and Singapore, as well as a few to the United +States. + +Cigar cases, or covers, are made to a small extent in the neighbourhood +of Manilla, and most of the patterns used for them are pretty, +gay-looking affairs. The fineness of these pouches or cases varies +to an almost infinite extent, and so does the price they sell at. + +The mats on which the natives all sleep are largely manufactured, and +employ a great number of people, as everybody throughout the island +uses one or more of them. Some of those made in Laguna province are +finer and better finished than any others I have seen elsewhere. They +are plain or coloured, and of all patterns, and could be manufactured +to any degree of fineness, according to the price promised to the +workmen. + +Ropemaking is extensively carried on; the best cordage manufactured +in the islands being made from the fibres of the plantain-tree, +which is known in commerce by the name of Manilla hemp. + +At Santa Mesa, in the neighbourhood of Manilla, the rope is spun up +by the aid of steam and good machinery, established there for the +purpose, and still carried on by an old shipmaster, who produces by +far the best rope of all that is made. It is also manufactured in +several other places by the common hand-spun process, but from being +unequally twisted when made by the hand, it is very much inferior to +what has been subjected in its manufacture to the uniform steadiness +of pull which the regularity of the steam machinery occasions, all of +which is consequently much more suited to stand a heavy strain, from +being twisted by it. The price of this rope is altogether dependent +on the price of hemp, as the value of the labour employed seldom +or never varies, although the raw material of which it is composed +constantly does; the usual addition made to the current price of hemp +being four dollars a pecul of 140 lbs. English, for the machine-made +rope, generally known as "Keating's patent cordage," supposing the +material so spun to be converted into an assorted lot of from one to +six-inch cordage. + +The hemp employed in the manufacture of the patent cordage is generally +selected for its length of fibre, and lightness or whiteness of +colour; and when whale-lines are made, only the very finest lots of +hemp procurable at the time are used; but the charge for spinning +them is increased to six dollars a pecul, the extra labour being +so considerable, that even with the additional charge, the maker, +Mr. Keating, informed me that he was much better recompensed by the +larger sizes of the rope he spun than by these. + +Bale or wool lashing is also made to a small extent for shipment to +Sydney, &c.; the quality of the hemp used in making it being of an +inferior description, and of a brownish colour. As it is very much +more loosely twisted than any other descriptions of rope made here, +the charge for spinning it is reduced to two dollars per pecul, and +the cost of it will be that amount added to the price of hemp at the +time of its manufacture. + +The hand-spun rope never sells so well as that made by machinery, +and is usually obtainable at from one to two dollars per pecul less +than the latter, according as it is well or ill spun. + +The export of rope varies from about 9,000 to 15,000 peculs annually; +by much the largest quantity usually going to the United States, +although there are considerable shipments to the Australian colonies, +China, Singapore, and Europe. A large quantity of it is also taken +by vessels visiting the port, for their own use. + +The manufacture is encouraged by its freedom from any export duty, +to which hemp exported in an unmanufactured state is subject, to the +extent of 2 per cent. + +Besides this cordage, there is another sort of rope made at the Islan +de Negros, from a dark-coloured plant,--a description of rush,--which +is found growing there in abundance; and as it is not damaged by +exposure to the influence of water, it is very extensively used by +the native coasting-vessels of small size for cables, for which it +is found to answer very well. + +Soap is made to a small extent at Quiapo, in Manilla; and is, I +understand, shipped to Sooloo and Singapore for sale. But it is not +consumed to any great extent in the Philippines, except for washing +clothes, &c., the natives preferring to employ a red-coloured root, +called _gogo_, for their own personal ablutions. + +This root may be said to be a sort of natural soap, as it serves the +same purposes. After being steeped in water for a few minutes, if the +water be violently agitated, or if the _gogo_ be rubbed between the +hands in the water, a white foam is produced, which exactly resembles +soap bubbles, and assists the purification of the skin even better +than soap does, being assisted by the fibres of the root, which are +usually made to do the duty of a flesh-brush in the bath. When using +it, however, it should not be allowed to get into the eyes, as any +water impregnated with its bubbles, will inflame them very severely. + +So far as I recollect, those that I have quoted are the most important +articles manufactured in the country, and they are more numerous and +important, considering the state of society in Manilla, than might be +looked for. They well exemplify the ingenuity of the people, which is +very much more lively than that of any other Oriental nation within +the limits of the Indian Archipelago. + +Although cigars may be considered as manufacture, I propose classing +them with tobacco, which will be found in the list of the agricultural +produce of the islands. + + + + +CHAPTER XXVIII. + + +The import trade of Manilla is almost entirely in the hands of the +British merchants established there, so far as the great staple +articles of manufactured goods are concerned; although a quantity +is regularly furnished to supply the demands of the market by the +Chinese, whose earthenware, iron cooking utensils, silks, cloths, and +curiosities, are very plentiful at Manilla, and are indeed obtainable +over all the country without much difficulty. + +Among the produce of our looms, especially those of Manchester and +Glasgow, which are at all times saleable here, may be mentioned +shirtings, both white and grey, long-cloths, domestics, drills, +cambrics, jaconets, twills, white and printed, bobbinet, gimp lace, +cotton velvet, sewing thread, cotton twist of certain colours, +principally Turkey red, Turkey red cloth, prints of various sorts, +chiefly Bengal stripes, furniture prints, and Turkey red chintz prints, +kambayas, and ginghams, which being cheaper, are gradually taking +the place of kambayas; indigo blue checks, imitation pina cloth, +blue and striped chambrays, grandrills, trouser stuffs of various +sorts, chiefly of cotton, and mixed cotton and wool; handkerchiefs +of many descriptions, known as Kambaya handkerchiefs, Turkey red +bandanas, fancy printed, light ground checked handkerchiefs, Scotch +cambric handkerchiefs, &c.; broad-cloth, cubicoes, lastings, orleans, +gambroons, long ells, camlets, carriage lace, both broad and narrow, +canvas, cordage, iron, lead, spelter, steel, cutlery, ironmongery, +earthenware, glassware, umbrellas and parasols of cotton and silk, +&c., as well as India beer, which, though last mentioned, is not the +common sort of beer, nor the least profitable or pleasant of them all. + +It may be well to mention here, that the provincial traders generally +arrive at Manilla in the month of November, soon after the rains have +ceased, although they sometimes do not make their appearance till +December, when they set about making their purchases, and returning to +their places of abode as quickly as possible, to sell the merchandize +they take with them. If they are successful, and drive a prosperous +trade, which is regulated by a variety of accidents, the principal +features affecting it being probably the success of the rice crop, +they then write to their agents in Manilla to continue purchases of the +goods which they find to be of the most saleable descriptions in their +different districts, so that it is not until they have ascertained the +temper of the market, during the sale of their first lots, that their +largest purchases begin to be made, through their agents at Manilla, +who, from this circumstance, usually do their most extensive business +during the months of February, March, and April; and, in consequence, +these months may be considered as the best seasons of the year for +the sale of piece goods in that market. + +The rainy season commencing in June, puts a stop to the activity +of trade, which usually goes on until its near approach. For +although there is a demand throughout the year for plain cottons, +and similar articles of general use, the trade in coloured goods is +almost suspended during the continuance of wet weather, and as the +traffic in kambayas, ginghams, handkerchiefs and all other coloured +and fancy goods, is by very much the most important description of +trade carried on at Manilla, the commerce of the place languishes +considerably during the continuance of the rainy season. + +The goods imported from the Peninsula are of very small value, +consisting principally of wines, olive oil, and eatables of various +descriptions; for wherever a Spaniard lives, he would be quite unhappy +without his _garbanzos_ or _frijoles_. + +From Germany and France also various descriptions of manufactures are +sent, such as cutlery, toys, glass, furniture, pictures, &c., &c., in +fine, an endless catalogue of small wares of that description. Having +never seen any complete statement of the quantity, value, or proper +description of the merchandise imported into the Manilla market, +on which I should be inclined to place any reliance, owing to the +absolute impossibility of collecting correct statistical information +of the sort at that place, I do not presume to furnish such to the +reader, even with that explanation. + +The goods imported from Liverpool or Glasgow, from which very large +quantities of coloured goods are sent here, are always shipped in +Spanish vessels at a very high rate of freight, being generally +about double what British ships would be glad to take them for, did +not the differential duties in favour of the Spanish flag put all +this carrying business beyond their reach. A very large--in fact, +probably by much the greatest--quantity of goods, is in consequence +of this navigation law, carried by British shipping from our seaports +at home to Singapore and Hong Kong, where, after having to stand +several charges for coolie hire, landing, storing, and warehouse rent, +till such time as a disengaged Spanish vessel for Manilla makes her +appearance, and the number of goods at either of these intermediate +ports accumulates in sufficient quantity to form a cargo to load her, +they have to remain of course at a considerable loss, not only of +the interest of money locked up in them, but besides the new charges +for freight, insurance, &c., which must be incurred upon them, when +transhipped to the place of their destination. + +In order further to protect their own shipping against the competition +of other countries, they hold out the inducement to merchants exporting +manufactures to Manilla, to embark them in a Spanish ship in Europe, +by making the duties less on the goods so imported, to those merely +brought from a short distance from our settlements in the neighbourhood +of Manilla. The following are the rates:-- + +When coming in a Spanish vessel direct from Europe, they pay 7 +per cent. + +When coming from Singapore, their voyages to that place and back again, +occupying about three months, including the time the vessel is in +that port,--as although the monsoon is fair one way, it is certain +to be opposed to the ship on the other, except just at the time of +its turning,--goods from it pay 8 per cent. + +When coming from Hong Kong, to and from which place the monsoons are +equally favourable at all times of the year, and the usual average +voyage of Spanish ships is about ten days either going or coming, +they pay 9 per cent. + +These regulations are hard enough on our shipowners, whose vessels, +going over to Manilla to load cargo there for all parts of the world, +seldom or never can procure any freight to that place; or if they do, +it is only to a very insignificant amount, only consisting of something +which the owner is in a hurry for, and is willing to pay the large +differential duty upon, to get it quickly, which of course is a case +of very rare occurrence. But to prevent the frequent occurrence of +this, any foreign ship bringing no more than even one small package +of inward cargo, is required to pay heavier port charges than she +would do if coming in without it. + + + + +CHAPTER XXIX. + + +Besides the sale of foreign manufactures and merchandise in the +Philippines, there exists a great outlet for it in the islands of +Sooloo and Mindanao, although in the present state of society in +those islands, where the insecurity of life and property is very +great, the natural advantages of these countries have not been at all +adequately developed. In front of Zamboanga, the last town towards +the south which recognizes the authority of the Government of Manilla, +is situated the island of Sooloo, which, although not of great size, +is the centre of an active trade during certain months of every year, +as great numbers of the natives of the neighbouring islands frequent +it at those seasons, in order to dispose of the produce of their +fisheries or to sell the slaves whom they have kidnapped or captured +during their piratical cruizes and attacks on their neighbours, if +at war with them, as some of them usually are with each other. From +Manilla some small vessels are annually fitted out for the trade, +which is nearly altogether in the hands of the Chinese dealers, +as no persons except themselves would stand the bad treatment they +are subjected to by the authorities of the place; the character of +the Celestial people leading them to suffer any amount of bad usage +provided they are paid for it, or can make money by it, which they +somehow manage to do, even in Sooloo, although they are exposed to +the almost unlimited plunder and extortion of the Sultan and Datos, or +native chiefs, who, on the least occasion, or pretext for it, capture +and enslave or confine them, only allowing these unfortunates to +regain their very unstable liberty by presents or extortionate bribes. + +The vessels engaged in the trade, being brigs or schooners, commonly +start from Manilla in March or April for Antique, Yloylo, or other +places, where they can complete a Sooloo cargo, after doing which they +steer for Zamboanga, to report their cargoes and provide themselves +with passports at the custom-house there, should they not have done +so at Manilla. + +It is, however, only within these few years that these facilities have +been given to those engaged in the trade, as formerly the colonial +ships were forbidden, under a heavy penalty, to touch at any place +in the Philippines after clearing out for Sooloo from Manilla. In +spite of this law, however, few of those engaged in the trade had +virtue sufficient to obey it, and pass these places by, when it was +so very much to their interest to complete their cargoes there, which +they could not do elsewhere nearly so advantageously. And the only +consequence of this absurd old prohibition against their doing so, +was to involve many of them in long-pending and expensive lawsuits, +which have often ruined prosperous men. + +Besides those _wise_ regulations, there existed some other forms +equally sensible. For instance, the traders of Bisayao province, who +send several small craft to Sooloo, which they are close to, were +compelled to make a tedious voyage to Manilla against the monsoon, +in order that they might report their cargo for Sooloo and get out +passes, after which they had to return all the way back again, and +at length were at liberty to steer for Sooloo. + +However, these foolish restrictions were at length put a stop to, and +the trade encouraged, by the Government establishing a custom-house at +Zamboanga, where there is at all times a considerable military force. + +The Sultan appears to be the most powerful nobleman in the country, +rather than the sovereign monarch of it. For although the chiefs of +the islands, or Datos, usually acquiesce in appearance to his will, +they do so more from fear of his power at the moment than with any +idea of his legitimate authority, and in effect they very seldom +comply with his decrees. + +The entire people are slaves owned by the Sultan and these Datos, +who exercise over the unfortunate wretches the worst species of +tyrannical power; for as these nobles or _reguli_ are subject to +no law but there own caprice, if any slave displeases his master, +he can, without the slightest fear of having to give any account +of the circumstance to a living soul, draw his kris, and murder the +slave. Of course by so doing, however, he impoverishes himself, as he +loses the market price of the day for a slave; or should he murder a +slave belonging to some one else, a Dato is only expected to pay the +amount he was considered worth by his master, or to give another one +of his own in exchange for him. + +But, notwithstanding all the insecurity of life and property, the +Chinese annually resort to Sooloo in pursuit of gain, and occasionally +as many as eight small vessels are seen there at a time, during the +busy seasons, for trade, just after the changes of the monsoon. + +Some of these Chinamen marry and remain in the country, although +every now and then some of them are obliged to flee from it to +the Philippines, where the Spanish flag protects them against their +tyrannical and barbarous pillagers; for as there is no law to appeal to +as a protection against the chiefs, they are quite at their mercy. The +Datos themselves decide their quarrels and disputes with each other, +by arming and assembling all their slaves and those of their friends +who are willing to help them, and fight it out; but should their +disputes run very high, or the feud last for any length of time, +some powerful Dato, or the Sultan himself, interferes, and decides +it finally by obliging both parties to keep the peace. + +The footing on which the trade is carried on with Sooloo is rather a +strange one; although regulations have at various times been arranged +between the Spanish government and that court, by which, although +the Sultan has formally promised to give his guarantee that all goods +sold by the traders from the Philippines to the Datos shall be paid +for, yet there are very few of the traders at Manilla who consider +the pledge of his Highness as of much importance, as it is usually +only redeemed when his own particular interest requires it. He is, +in truth, generally absolutely unable to make the nobles fulfil +their contracts, they being as a body very much more powerful than +he is. There being little or no money in Sooloo, the trade carried +on by the Chinese supercargos of the ships frequenting the port is +principally transacted by barter, they giving their manufactures +for the produce of their fishery, &c., and for edible birds'-nests, +tortoise-shell, beche de mer, mother-of-pearl shell, wax, gold-dust, +pearls, &c. + +The profits of those engaged in this trade are very variable, for +although their goods are all disposed of apparently at enormous prices, +yet there are so many of them delivered to powerful chiefs, or to the +Sultan, as presents, or sold to these dignitaries without the traders +ever being able to get paid for them, that in reality the profit of +the voyage may he scanty enough, although, were the guarantee of the +prince to the Manilla government fulfilled, they might he very large +if the prices at which they had been sold were actually paid to them. + +If the debts of the Datos are not paid off at once they are allowed to +stand over for another year, at which distance of time they are very +seldom recoverable, good memories being very seldom met with there. + +When the result of an adventure is good, the traders look upon these +presents and bad debts as necessary expenses incurred to conciliate +the authorities of the place, without whose good-will they would be +quite unable to prosecute the trade, and in this sort of commerce the +Chinese are adepts, although no Europeans could manage it, or would +carry it on while upon such a footing. + +The ships most suited for the trade are small vessels, of about 200 +tons, and their cargoes consist of an infinite variety of goods, each +lot being generally of small value. The invoices of a cargo usually +cover many pages of paper, and it is no easy matter to make them up +without the assistance of intelligent Chinese, who have themselves +been engaged in the traffic, and are well acquainted with the place +and the people to be dealt with. + +Some of the principal cotton manufactures sent to that market from +Manilla consist of chintz prints, jaconets and mulls, white shirtings, +cambrics, bandana, kambaya, and other descriptions of handkerchiefs; +also, iron and hardware, glassware, coarse China earthenware, silk, +cloths, copper work, &c. + +Ships are in the habit of touching at some port of the Philippines, +generally the Island of Panay, there to load and fill up with +rice, sugar, tobacco, oil, and several other articles in small +quantities. Rice is generally taken from its being always in demand +by the Sooloomen, whose habits and feelings little suit them for its +production, even when the nature of the country admits of its being +grown. The Chinese usually take down a large quantity of a kind of +cloth made in their own country, which habit has substituted for money, +a piece of it of the usual size being always reckoned as a dollar. + +The Sooloomen pay for their purchases in various articles, of which the +edible birds'-nests are the most valuable. They are classified by the +traders as of two sorts: white, and feathered; of which, the first sort +is the most valuable, being generally worth about its weight in silver, +or if very good, a little more; but should its colour tend to a red +or darkish tinge, it is depreciated in value and is not worth so much. + +The feathered sort, called so because the edible substance, of which +the Chinamen make soup, is covered by the birds' down and feathers, +is very much lower in price than the white kind, being worth nearly +two dollars a pound, or I believe it is generally roughly taken as +being only about one-tenth part as valuable as the white. + +Tortoise-shell they collect and sell at very high prices, the bulk of +it going over to supply the China market with that article, a small +quantity only being annually sent to Europe. + +Beche de mer, or tripang, is a sort of fish or sea-slug, found on the +coral reefs, &c., of the neighbourhood, which, when cured and dried, +is generally shaped something like a cucumber. + +It is minced down into a sort of thick soup by the Chinese, who +are extremely fond of it,--and indeed with some reason, as when well +cooked by a Chinaman, who understands the culinary art, the tripang is +a capital dish, and is rather a favourite among many of the Europeans +at Manilla. + +There are thirty-three different varieties enumerated by the Chinese +traders and others skilled in its classification; for being brought to +Manilla in large quantities for that purpose, for the China market, +it has become a peculiar business of itself by the dealers in it, +and varies in price, according to quality, from fifteen to thirty +dollars per pecul of 140 lbs. English. + +The slug, when dried, is an ugly looking, dirty brown-coloured +substance, very hard and rigid until softened by water and a very +lengthened process of cookery, after which it becomes soft and +mucilaginous. + +Sometimes the slugs are found nearly two feet in length, but they are +generally very much smaller, and perhaps about eight inches might be +the usual size of those I have seen, their shape, as before mentioned, +strongly resembling a cucumber. After being taken by the fisherman +they are gutted, and then cured by exposure to the rays of the sun, +after which they are smoked--over a fire, I believe--when the curing +process is completed. + +Shark fins, and the muscles of deer, are also exposed for sale by +the Sooloo people to their Chinese visitors, by whom they are eagerly +purchased for their countrymen's cookery, both of these articles being +very favourite delicacies. The first I have never tasted, although +the flesh of a shark, if cut from some particular parts of his body, +is far from being bad or unsavoury, if dressed by a China cook. As +for the sinews of deer, they are very good, and occasionally met +with at Manilla on the tables of Europeans who enjoy the reputation +of having good palates. + +Mother-of-pearl shell is so well known in Europe, that it is quite +unnecessary to remark upon it, more than that those coming from Sooloo +are by much the finest and largest shells of any hitherto known in +commerce, being superior to those coming from the Persian Gulf. + +Pearls are also brought from Sooloo, but they are seldom of any great +size or value. + +Gold is brought to Manilla from the same place, both in dust and in +small bars, but not in any great quantity. + +The ships engaged in this trade are generally absent about six months +from Manilla, which they leave in March or April, and return to, after +coasting about and disposing of all their cargoes, in September or +October; no new voyages being undertaken by them until the following +year. + +During June and July, the most active trade is said to be carried on, +as the number of traders annually frequenting the island from those +in the neighbourhood, is much greater than at other times. + +Besides the trade with Sooloo, a ship is absent nearly every year +to Ternate, and other places of the Moluccas, where they usually +manage to get their goods ashore, without paying the heavy duties +which the Dutch have imposed upon them. The months of December or +January being the usual time for starting for the Moluccas, these +traders generally begin the busy season at Manilla by the purchase of +grey shirtings and domestics, by adding which to goods very similar +to those suited for Sooloo, they are enabled to have two strings to +their bow, should the prices in the Moluccas be low; as they can, +in that case, stand over to Sooloo in June, when they are usually +able to dispose of their investments. + + + + +CHAPTER XXX. + + +The insolence of the Sooloo men has at various times drawn down on +them the wrath of the Spanish authorities, who, in 1848, and also +shortly after I left Manilla, towards the end of 1850, were making +arrangements for punishing them, as they afterwards did, with some +severity, about the beginning of this year. + +The Datos, and their families, are like the old Danes, or Norsemen, +born to be seamen; and the barbarous state of their native country +preventing the establishment of a mercantile marine, their energies +have marked out a scheme of warlike adventure on the sea, to succeed +in which their natural quickness and duplicity of character eminently +qualify them. + +A young Sooloo chief, whose ambitious or restless temper will not +permit him to remain an idle man at home, where his passions for +cruelty and voluptuous excess could scarcely fail to ruin him in +a few years--surrounded as he is there by slavish dependents, and +fearless of any higher power, whose authority might act as a check +on his temper, or force him to control his passions--finds that the +activity of his mind and body demand more scope for excitement than +exists at home; and having a bias for the sea, he becomes a pirate +chief, and scours the neighbouring waters in search of honour as well +as gain. Under proper influences these men might be taught to divert +their roving propensities into more peaceful channels. Fitting out +large and fast-sailing proas, manned by their slaves, and officered +by kinsmen, their warlike excursions take a wide range, and on some +occasions their audacity has led them up even to the Bay of Manilla, +landing on the shores of which, they have plundered the people, +and carried off some of them to increase the number of their slaves, +who constitute their principal wealth and power--daring to do this +when so near as to be almost under the very walls of the capital, +on which waves the banner of Castile. + +On the coasts of the provinces these predatory inroads were not +uncommon, till General Claveria, in the beginning of 1848, determined +to punish them severely, and to intimidate them so signally, as to +prevent any repetition of these offences. Accordingly, having secretly +fitted out an expedition from Manilla on the 13th February, 1848, the +steamer on board of which the Governor himself was, anchored between +the islands of Parol and Balanguinguy. Next day the transports arrived, +and on that and the following day they reconnoitred the islands, +and did all the damage they could, by way of reprisal, demolishing +several piers, and destroying a large quantity of paddy which they +discovered concealed in a cave in a retired place. + +At daybreak, on the 16th February, the troops were disembarked before +Balanguinguy under cover of a fire from the ships, and after a little +resistance from the Sooloo men--who were excessively frightened by +the appearance of the steamers, whose facility of movement they were +quite unprepared for--the fort, consisting of bamboo, was taken by +escalade after a brave resistance. The attacking force, consisting +of about 4000 men, behaved with great coolness and decision, when +exposed to the enemy's fire and missiles of all sorts, such as arrows, +javelins, &c. About eighty of the defenders of the place were slain, +many of them with the desperate bravery--or ferocity if you will--of +men who neither would give or accept of quarter, having first stabbed +their wives, children, and useless old men and women. On seeing +the success of the Spaniards, they formed themselves into a band, +nearly all of whom perished on the points of the soldiers' bayonets, +fighting bravely to the last; when the few survivors, seeing their +companions dead and dying around them, with all the desperation of +pirates, threw themselves from the walls, which were lofty, preferring +certain death to the chance of falling into the hands of their enemies +alive. Fourteen pieces of artillery were found within the place, +which was destroyed, and preparations were made and acted upon for +attacking the forts of Sipac and Sungap, both of which were successful. + +The Governor, General Claveria, gained at the time a good deal +of reputation from his soldierly management of the forces at his +disposal; and when the news reached Spain, he was created the _Conde_ +of Manilla, &c. + +On his return from this expedition, a great deal of absurd parade +was, as is usual with the Spaniards, prepared to welcome him; and the +General was forced to march under triumphal arches, &c., all of them +bearing the most glowing inscriptions to the conqueror of the three +bamboo forts from a race of barbarians, most of whom were unprovided +with better arms than bows and arrows, spears, &c.; for although they +had some small cannon, they could not make a proper use of them. Truly +it was a pity to see the good deeds of the Balanguinguy expedition +burlesqued by these ridiculous pageants. + +The lesson then taught the Sooloo chiefs did not, however, linger long +in their memories; for their old habits of piracy, and kidnapping +people for slaves, were resumed almost so soon as the Spaniards +returned to Manilla. + +In 1850, Don Antonio de Urbistondo, Marques de la Solana, came out to +Manilla as Governor of the Philippines. He was a man whose whole life +had been passed in the camp, but his reputation had been gained during +the civil wars in Spain, where he fought for legitimacy by the side of +Don Carlos against the present queen. Nor did he give up the cause in +which he had drawn his sword, until Don Carlos himself lost heart and +forsook it, after which Don Antonio took advantage of the clemency of +the queen, and swore allegiance to her as his sovereign. His talents +as a soldier, although they had been displayed against herself, +were rewarded by a marquisate, and afterwards by the government of +the Philippines. A person of his character and military education was, +of course, a most unlikely one tamely to permit an insult to be offered +to the Spanish flag, or an outrage to be perpetrated in the Philippines +by the Sooloomen; accordingly, when an instance occurred near the end +of last year, prompt satisfaction was immediately demanded from the +Sultan and Datos, who, as usual, accused some of their neighbours, +with whom they were at variance at the time, of being the authors of +it; and invited the Spaniards to seek reparation from them sword in +hand. Accordingly an expedition was fitted out, and, with the Governor +at its head, sailed for Sooloo in order to awe them, by the alacrity +and force which the occasion at once called forth, and to establish +a new treaty which would prevent the recurrence of such acts, and the +necessity for such expeditions; and it was proposed to punish with no +light hand those Tonquiles and others of the Samales whom the Sultan +had accused as the perpetrators of the late aggression. + +However, on reaching the principal fort of the Sultan Mahomet Pulalon, +he found that the Sooloomen would have no communication with him, +and that they even threatened the envoys sent among them; and at last, +some guns were, I believe, fired on one of the ships. Immediately after +this, measures of retaliation were arranged, and were acted upon at +once; the place off which the fleet was, being attacked and taken, +and all the forts and villages in the neighbourhood burnt within +forty-eight hours after the Spanish flag had been insulted. After +this severe lesson the Sultan and Datos fled, leaving in the hands of +the Spaniards eight bamboo forts and one hundred and thirty pieces of +artillery, besides several other warlike stores. All this took place +very recently, no longer ago than on the last day of February of this +year (1851). General Urbistondo published to his troops a general +complimentary order, dated from the fortified residence of one of +the most powerful Datos; and on the 1st of March the Spaniards were +in possession of the principal fort of the Sultan. The particulars +of this expedition I cannot give, having left Manilla shortly before +the preparations for it began, although, I believe, it consisted of +three war-steamers and some transports, who carried about 4000 men +down to Sooloo. + +The loss of the Spaniards in the whole affair was 34 men killed, +with 84 wounded. A very unpleasant circumstance to the army was +connected with this expedition. Two field-officers, both of them acting +lieutenant-colonels of separate regiments, showed the white feather +at the moment of danger; for which, I believe, they have since been +cashiered, and not shot, as they might have been, had their chief +not been as merciful as he is brave. + +Although this chastisement to the Sooloo men has been severe, it is +unlikely to restrain the chiefs from their predatory expeditions, at +least for any length of time; as under the present state of things +prevailing among them, they have no other objects to exhaust their +idleness and energetic characters upon, than piratical adventure. But +were commerce and its emoluments displayed before them, from some +place in the vicinity of Zamboanga, or from that place itself, the +civilizing influence which the arts of peace always engender would so +pervade their minds in a very few years, that their habits would be +changed, and the blessings of education, religion, and peace, might +be expected to civilize and elevate their minds. Their energies and +seamanship would then be in requisition as the navigators of all +the Archipelago, and to carry in their native vessels the produce +of the fertile inland districts of Mindanao, and of Northern Borneo, +to the great mart which Zamboanga would become, should it fortunately +be made an open port of trade for the people of all nations. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXI. + + +The coasting trade, which is a very important nursery for the marine +of the Philippines, is carried on exclusively by the national vessels, +no foreign ships being allowed to engage in it. + +Manilla, being the only port open to the foreign merchants, is the +grand emporium or centre to which nearly all the productions of the +islands are brought, which regulation gives employment to an infinite +number of colonial shipping, in carrying them to that market. Every +day there are several arrivals from the various sea-ports of the +different districts of the islands, of brigs, schooners, pontines, +galeras, caracoas, and pancos, all of them being curious specimens +of every variety of ship-building, from the black and low snake-like +schooner, or handsome brig, to the most rude description of vessel +built. Where iron nails are scarce and expensive, some of these are +fastened together apparently in a manner the most unsatisfactory +possible for their crews or passengers, should they have to encounter +a gale of wind during their voyages. + +Nearly the whole of the coasting trade is in the hands of the Indians, +or Mestizos of Chinese descent, called _Sangleys_, although several +Spaniards and European Mestizos at Manilla also own a better class of +ships than those described, constantly engaged in going and returning +from the provinces. + +Still, from some cause or other, they do not appear to carry the on +trade so successfully as the provincial shipowners, most of whom have +only one or two small vessels, which they keep constantly running +between their native place and Manilla, and whose sole business +it is, after despatching either of them, to purchase up from the +cultivators of the soil, such small lots of their produce as are +cheap at the time, such as sugar, rice, &c., which they are able to +do at greatly lower terms, when buying them by little at a time, than +it would be possible for the agent of a merchant in Manilla to do, +whose operations it would probably be necessary should be conducted +upon a more extensive and quicker scale, and whose knowledge of the +district and of the vendors could seldom be equal to that of a native +Sangley, or Indian born among them. + +In consequence of all the produce being originally purchased by small +lots at a time, it is of very variable quality; and on a cargo of +Muscovado sugar, for instance, being purchased from one of these +traders by a foreign merchant of Manilla, for exportation, it is +perfectly essential to open the whole of the bags in which it has +come up to Manilla from the provinces, and to empty their contents +into one great heap, which causes it to get well mingled together, +and ensures the requisite regularity of sample, after which it has +to be rebagged and shipped off to the foreign vessels that may be +waiting to receive it in the bay. + +Of course the expense of all this is very considerable, for not +only is there all the labour and cost of bags, &c., incurred twice, +but there is the freight and insurance by the province vessel, which +has brought it up to Manilla, to be added to the natural cost of the +sugar at the place of its growth and manufacture. + +All these restrictions on trade affect the quantity of sugar sold +by the native planters, and in a very material degree depress the +agricultural activity of the people, who suffer from them. But probably +there are no greater sufferers from such restrictive regulations than +the Government which so ignorantly sustains or has imposed them. So +little anxious have they been to encourage the trade, that formerly, +at various times, they very nearly all but ruined it, by imposing +import duties on all the produce of the provinces that came to +Manilla from them, for sale. This, added to the export duties at +the time of its shipment to foreign markets, so much increased the +cost of those articles in Manilla, that the foreign merchants there, +finding they could procure similar merchandise at other places for less +money, of course would not buy it; and the native traders, finding +their produce unsaleable except at losing prices, could not make any +further purchases from the native agriculturists, which caused so much +distress in the country, that the provinces got into a high state of +disaffection on several occasions, from the same cause; upon seeing +which the Government were wise enough to repeal their restrictive +laws, and allow the free interchange of commodities between all the +provinces of the Philippines. + +For instead, as was supposed, of its falling upon the exporting foreign +merchants, and on those who bought their cargoes of Manilla produce +from them at the port of discharge, the tax fell upon the native +agriculturists, inasmuch as they had to reduce the former prices of +all their produce which paid the tax, and to equalise them to the +rates at which similar merchandise was procurable in other markets, +where no tax of the sort existed;--and this, of course, compelled the +cultivators of these articles in the Philippines to sell the produce +of their farms for less money than they formerly obtained for the same +goods. By so doing, it was equivalent to reducing the former wages of +their labour, or of the produce of their land--the effects of which +were speedily felt and comprehended by them, although some of the +officials, who imposed it, might scoff at the causes they assigned, +and reiterate their crude and erroneous notions of political economy, +to prove that it could not affect them, but must be paid by the great +merchants, or by the consumers of their produce in Europe. They quite +forgot that these could be supplied with the same things from other +places, where they were not subjected to the tax, and of course were +procurable cheaper. + +Owners of vessels suitable for the coasting trade, who reside +in Manilla, have one advantage over the provincial ship-builders; +namely, that when the government service gives employment to shipping, +they are in a better position for offering for it, than persons at +a distance from the capital can be. + +The freight of tobacco, for instance, gives a good deal of employment +to ships, and as government rates are in general rather better than +any charters obtainable from private merchants, the procuring of +a government contract for carrying any of the articles which they +monopolize, of which the above-mentioned is one, is an object of some +competition. These freights are usually settled by tenders, sealed and +delivered to an officer appointed to receive them, by the Yntendente, +or officer at the head of the Finance Department. I was acquainted +with a gentleman, who, having several idle vessels suitable for +this carrying trade, was of course most anxious to get the contract, +to give employment to his ships; and having found out who the other +contractors for it were, and all of them happening to be cautious +men, not likely to offer for it at a losing price, he resolved to +play a bold game, and made his tender for the conveyance of it out +in some such words as these: "I offer freight for the tobacco, at +one _cuarto_ less than any body else will take it at," and signed +his name; a _cuarto_ being the very smallest copper coin current at +Manilla. Of course he got the contract; which--as he anticipated from +knowing the men who offered for it--turned out to be a very good one; +and, as the Yntendente of the time was an intimate friend of his, +he ran little risk of being taken advantage of, by a lower sum being +named to him as the lowest tender than what was actually the case. + +Nearly all the tobacco collected in Cagayan is yearly brought to +Manilla during the north-east monsoon. The contracts for this purpose +generally embrace a term of three or four years, during which the rate +paid by Government to the person who engages to bring all the bales +(or cases) of it which they may require at one fixed freight, never +fluctuates, even although the amount shipped by them is very much in +excess of the usual quantity, and he may be forced to charter vessels +from his neighbours at a much higher rate than the Government pay him, +in order to fulfil the conditions of his contract. Considerable care +is requisite in loading this tobacco, as, should there be a mistake +made even of one bale, the contractor is forced to account for it to +Government at the price they sell it at, which is about three times +as much as they pay for it; and this regulation is no doubt found to +be very requisite, in order to prevent fraud. + +After the tobacco has been manufactured into cigars, the contractor +has to deliver it at various stations throughout the islands, these +places being generally the head-quarters of the fiscal or _estanco_ +department of the different maritime provinces from which the other are +supplied. Besides the coasting trade from the provinces to Manilla, +and that in the government service, there is a trade carried on +by various provinces between themselves, such as conveying rice or +paddy from the grain-districts to other provinces where less of it +is grown, from the attention of the natives being directed to some +other agricultural produce more suitable than paddy to their soil and +climate, as from Antique to Mindora or Zamboanga, or from the island +of Samar to that of Negros, or to Mesamis. Thus in the hemp provinces, +little paddy is planted, as it is more profitable for them to make +hemp, or to weave Sinamais cloths, &c., than to do so. This commerce, +however, is not of any great extent; the principal--indeed the only +great--market of the country being Manilla, where traders from all +parts of the Archipelago meet to buy and sell. + +It has been mentioned elsewhere that foreign men, as well as foreign +ships, are at present excluded from engaging in the provincial trade; +which is about as illiberal and unwise an act as any country could +be guilty of, and should be changed, not for the benefit of foreign +traders, but for the good of the country. + +In connexion with the province trade, the naval school ought to be +mentioned, as it is a most useful institution, where arithmetic, +geometry, and navigation are taught gratuitously, at an expense to +Government of nearly 2,400 dollars a-year. + +The President of the Chamber of Commerce is also President of the +school, and the members of that body have the privilege of admitting +the pupils--a right which I believe they exercise liberally. At this +place, boys are very well trained up in the scientific and theoretical +part of their profession; but unfortunately, from some cause or other, +their education afterwards as practical seamen does not keep pace with +it, and they generally are as much behind our British or American +shipmasters in all relating to the sea, as can be well conceived, +although they are not unfrequently superior to them, and at least +are equal, in their theoretical attainments. + +At this school, many of the Creoles and Mestizos of Manilla have +shown to the world that they did not want the ability to learn, +when they had good masters to instruct them; but good heads and +hands are seldom found together. In fact, I rather think that the +lads educated here are taught too much (if that be possible), and +by being so, have their ideas raised above their stations; for many +of them are, by a great deal, much more like gentlemen than a number +of the merchant skippers or mates in our British ships, whose horny +fists and tar-stained dress make few pretensions to outward gentility. + +Among the province-trading vessels lying at anchor in Manilla +river, there are at all times to be seen some curious specimens of +ship-building, few of them being insurable. + +Some of these coasters, although nearly all shaped in the European +style, have almost the whole of their rigging constructed of ropes +made from the bamboo, and are fitted with anchors made from ebony +or some other heavy wood, having occasionally a large piece of stone +fastened to them, to insure their sinking. The cables to which they +are attached are generally of a black rush, like sedge, or of bamboo; +but in the event of a gale, I should say that their crews had great +need never to embark in these frail shells, except when well assured +of being at peace with God and man. + +In ordinary years these vessels are laid up for several months every +season, as it would most probably be certain destruction for any of +them to attempt proceeding to sea from October till December. + +Although a large proportion of the colonial-built vessels are bad, +still there are a few constructed in the country which would be +considered fine ships in any part of the world. + +When a good vessel is built there, the first voyage she makes is +usually to Spain, if she can get a freight; and after discharging +her cargo, her next voyage is to a British port, in order that she +may be fitted with copper bolts and iron work, under the inspection +of Lloyd's surveyor; after which her character is established, and +she is classed A 1 ship for a term of years. + +But notwithstanding these ships being placed in Lloyd's books, +the insurance offices can seldom be persuaded to accept of risks +even in first-class vessels, when their crews are Spaniards, on +the same favourable terms at which risks are freely taken on good +British ships. They almost invariably demand an increased premium, +and occasionally decline risks by them altogether. + +Now, although bad management sometimes occurs on board of Spanish +ships, our own are not exempt from it; and I believe that prejudice +causes them to refuse the insurance as much as anything else. + +The Dons have got a bad name as seamen, and very true is the elegant +proverb, "Give a dog a bad name, and hang him." + + + + +CHAPTER XXXII. + + +Nearly the whole of the produce of the Philippines is exported from +Manilla by the foreign merchants resident there, none of the Spaniards +being engaged in commerce to anything like the same extent as the +foreigners are; the few British and the two American houses doing +an immensely greater amount of business than the whole transactions +of all the Spanish merchants, numerous though they be. The trade of +my countrymen consists principally in selling cotton manufactured +goods, and in purchasing the produce of the islands for export; +while the business of the Americans, who sell few goods, consists +almost entirely in purchasing produce for the markets of the United +States, and elsewhere. The Chinese are also large importers of their +country's manufactures, curiosities, and nick-knacks, and also very +considerable exporters. + +The statistical data embodied in the following tables will inform the +reader pretty exactly of the amount of exports from the Philippines, +with the exception of the single article of rice, immense quantities +of which are carried over to China by Spanish ships, which load it +at the districts where it is grown; for as the Government charge no +export duty on its exportation in ships bearing the national flag, +they are allowed to depart from the general rule of all vessels being +obliged to load at Manilla while shipping cargo for foreign ports, +if they are merely taking rice on board, and nothing else. + +It is right, however, to inform the reader, that although the subjoined +table may approach very nearly to the truth in most respects, as it +has been gradually and very carefully collected by the largest British +mercantile establishment at Manilla, the nature of whose business +requires that they should be as well acquainted with all facts such +as the table embraces, as from the nature of existing circumstances +there it is possible to be, yet at that place there is at all times a +greater or less degree of difficulty in obtaining correct statistical +information of the trade; and this is considerably increased by the +Government not choosing to communicate the particulars they collect +at the Custom-house, erroneous though they be. + +In an underhand way, however, these particulars can be obtained from +some of the Indian copyists employed in that establishment, if they +are paid for it; and, in fact, they are in the habit of communicating a +note of the different cargoes of ships coming in, or going away loaded, +to some of the merchants. Yet these notes are nearly always more or +less erroneous, from various causes. To obviate these inconveniences, +several of the principal export merchants are in the habit of mutually +furnishing each other with a correct statement of the various cargoes +they ship; but still, as there are many exporters besides themselves, +some degree of error must pervade even their carefully-gleaned +information. But there is one thing to be borne in mind, that the +following table is most likely to be considerably under the truth, +and certainly is not over it. + + + General Statement of Exports from Manilla during 1850. + +---------------+--------+---------+----------+---------+---------+----------+-------+---------------- + | To | To the | To the | To | To | To | To | + | Great |Continent|Australian| China. |Singapore|California|United | + |Britain.| of | Colonies | | Batavia,| and the |States.| Total + | | Europe. | | |& Bombay.| Pacific. | | +---------------+--------+---------+----------+---------+---------+----------+-------+---------------- +Sugar | 146,926| 50,830 | 142,359 | -- | 12,749 | 29,144 | 77,919|459,927 peculs. +Hemp | 16,073| 5,568 | -- | -- | 544 | -- |102,184|124,367 " +Cordage | 96| 476 | 3,753 | 1,732 | 680 | 2,137 | 210| 9,084 " +Cigars | 10,319| 11,867 | 12,561 | 9,262 | 26,859 | 1,707 | 914| 73,439 mil. +Leaf Tobacco | -- | 42,629 | -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 42,629 quintals +Sapan-wood | 37,068| 14,436 | -- | 18,942 | 17,337 | -- | 9,015| 96,798 arrobas. +Coffee | 165| 9,670 | 1,481 | 100 | 250 | 1,072 | 2,063| 14,801 peculs +Indigo | 259| 213 | -- |uncertain| -- | -- | 3,753| 4,225 quintals +Hides | 3,340| 213 | -- | 1,069 | -- | -- | -- | 4,622 peculs. +Hide Cuttings | -- | -- | -- | 536 | -- | -- | 2,419| 2,955 " +Mother-of-pearl| | | | | | | | + Shell | 820| 338 | -- | -- | 260 | -- | 74| 1,492 " +Tortoise-shell | 2,081| 580 | -- | 555 | 1,912 | -- | 469| 5,597 catties. +Rice | -- | 6,576 | -- |uncertain| -- | 1,467 | -- |Uncertain. +Beche de Mer | -- | -- | -- | 4,348 | -- | -- | -- | 4,348 peculs. +Gold Dust | -- | -- | -- | 5,068 | -- | -- | -- | 5,068 taels. +Camagon, or | | | | | | | | + Ebony-wood | 235| 1,213 | -- | 794 | -- | -- | -- | 2,242 peculs. +Grass-cloth | 175| 13,252 | -- | 500 | -- | 650 | 22,975| 37,552 pieces. +Hats | -- | -- | 9,400 | 5,115 | 9,115 | 500 | 25,870| 50,000 hats. +---------------+--------+---------+----------+---------+---------+----------+-------+---------------- + + +The quantity of rice and paddy shipped to China from the provinces +cannot be ascertained with any degree of exactness; what goes from +Manilla is very small, because, before arriving there, it has, by its +transport expenses, added to the price at which it is obtainable in +the districts where it is produced, which, of course, prevents its +being shipped from the capital. At a guess, however, I should suppose +that about a million cavans, each of which, one with another, weighs +about a China pecul, or 133 1/3 lbs, is an average yearly export, +should the Government not prohibit the article from being exported +for a longer period than usual, which is annually regulated by the +scarcity or abundance of food in the country. + +From the preceding table, the reader will observe that the exports +of 1850, when compared with those of 1847, of which the following is +a statement, have increased in some respects, and fallen off in others. + + + Statement of Exports from Manilla during 1850. + +---------------+--------+---------+-------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+---------------- + | To | To the |To the | To the | To the | To | To | To | + | Great |Continent|United | Pacific |Australian| China. |Singapore.|Batavia.| + |Britain.| of |States.| and |Colonies. | | | | Total + | | Europe. | |California.| | | | | +---------------+--------+---------+-------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+---------------- +Sugar |104,246 | 18,755 | 92,149| 4,150 | 174,777 | -- | -- | -- |394,077 peculs. +Hemp | 16,592 | 2,438 | 98,440| -- | -- | 300 | 1,888 | -- |119,658 " +Cordage | 20 | 546 | 7,038| 404 | 4,430 | 825 | 1,425 | -- | 14,688 " +Indigo | 58 | 78 | 2,166| -- | -- | 149 | 118 | -- | 2,569 quintals +Sapan-wood | 12,055 | 11,960 | 28,891| -- | 160 | 5,210 | 18,814 | 1,817 | 78,907 peculs. +Hides | 1,366 | 183 | 1,821| -- | -- | 2,389 | -- | -- | 5,759 " +Hide Cuttings | -- | -- | 1,893| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 1,893 " +Gold Dust | -- | -- | -- | 3,970 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 3,970 taels. +Coffee | -- | 9,244 | 395| -- | 4,267 | -- | -- | -- | 13,906 peculs. +Rice | 23,760 | 4,520 | -- | 300 | 772 |uncertain| 875 | -- |Uncertain. +Paddy | 1,870 | 13,978 | -- | -- | -- |uncertain| -- | -- |Ditto. +Cigars | 16,010 | 11,176 | 548 | 787 | 9,674 | 6,706 | 19,169 | 5,943 | 70,013 mil. +Leaf Tobacco | 5,440 | 115,016 | -- | -- | -- | -- | 5,280 | -- |125,733 arrobas. +Mother-of-Pearl| | | | | | | | | +Shell | 708 | 92 | -- | -- | -- | 16 | -- | -- | 816 peculs. +Grass-cloth | -- | -- | 56,171| -- | -- | -- | -- | -- | 56,171 pieces. +Hats | -- | -- | 1,600| -- | 10,932 | -- | 5,560 | -- | 18,092 hats. +---------------+--------+---------+-------+-----------+----------+---------+----------+--------+---------------- + + +The quantity of hemp shipped during the years 1848 and 1849, was +greater than the quantity indicated in either of these tables, but +as the increased export was principally caused by speculation in +the United States, the average annual export may probably not be +greater than the amount set down in the table of 1850, although, +in the previous year, about 30,000 peculs more were shipped. + +Of the exports to the continent of Europe only a small proportion +goes to Spain, probably not exceeding a third part of the quantities +set down in the table for the continent. + +Bremen, Hamburg, and Antwerp, are the three towns in the north +with which most business is done, and Bordeaux and Havre de Grace, +are nearly the only places to which the other exports are shipped +for Europe, exclusive of the ports of Cadiz, Malaga, and Bilboa, +in the Peninsula. + +Having furnished the preceding tables of the amount of the exports +from the only outlet for foreign trade with the islands, excepting in +rice to China, as before mentioned, the reader may be able to form +some opinion of their veracity and value. And as it may be of some +service, I shall give a short sketch of each of the most important +of the articles there set down, premising it with a memorandum of the +weights and measures now in use through the islands. The pecul is equal +to 140 lbs. English, or 137 1/2 lbs. Spanish; the Spanish lb. being +two per cent. heavier than the standard British lb. The quintal is +102 lbs. English, and the arroba 25 1/2 lbs. English. The cavan is a +measure of the capacity of 5,998 cubic inches, and is subdivided into +25 quintas. The Spanish yard, or vara, is eight per cent. shorter +than the British yard, by which latter all the cotton and other +manufactures are sold by the merchants importing them, although the +shopkeepers who purchase them retail everything by the Spanish yard. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIII. + + +It is not my intention, even were it in my power, which it is not, +to attempt an exact and complete description of all the productions +of the group of islands composing the Philippines, to which nature +has with no niggardly hand dispensed great territorial and maritime +wealth. And as the limits of this work prevent much expansion, I will +confine the following observations to an outline of the principal +articles produced in the country, beginning the catalogue with the +most important of them all, namely, rice. + +The cultivation of paddy, or rice, here, as all over Asia, exercises +by far the greatest amount of agricultural labour, being their most +extensive article of cultivation, as it forms the usual food of the +people, and is, as the Spaniards truly call it, _El pau de los Indios_; +a good or bad crop of it, influencing them just as much as potatoes +do the Irish, or as the wheat crops do in bread-consuming countries. + +In September and October, when, in consequence of the heavy previous +rains since the beginning of the wet season, the parched land is +so buried as generally about that time to present the appearance of +one vast marsh, it is ploughed lightly, after which the husbandman +transplants the grain from the nurseries in which he had previously +deposited it, in order to undergo there the first stages of vegetation. + +In December, or in January, the grain is ready for the sickle, and in +general repays his cares and labour by the most abundant harvest. There +is no culture more easy and simple; nor any which gives such positive +good results in less time, as only four months pass between the times +of sowing and reaping the rice crop. + +In some places the mode of reaping differs from the customs of +others. At some places they merely cut the ears from off the stalks, +which are allowed to remain on the fields to decay, and fertilize +the soil as a manure; and in other provinces the straw is all reaped, +and bound in the same way as wheat is at home, being then piled up in +ricks and stacks to dry in the sun, after which the grain is separated +by the treading of ponies, the horses of the country, upon it, or by +other means, when the grain is again cleared of another outer husk, +by being thrown into a mortar, generally formed out of the trunk of +some large tree, where the men, women, and children of the farm are +occupied in pounding it with a heavy wooden pestle, which removes the +husk, but leaves the grain still covered by a delicate skin. When +in this state it is known as pinagua; but after that is taken off, +the rice is clean. + +For blowing away the chaff from the grain, they employ an implement +worked by a handle and a wheel in a box, which is very similar to +the old-fashioned fanners used in Scotland by the smaller farmers +for the same purpose. + +In the neighbourhood of Manilla, there is a steam-mill for the purpose +of cleaning rice; and there are several machines worked by horse-power +throughout the country. But although there are many facilities for the +employment of water-power for the same purpose, I am not acquainted +with any mill moved on that principle. + +The qualities of rice produced in the different provinces, varies a +good deal in quality. That of Ylocos is the heaviest, a cavan of it +weighing about 140 lbs. English, while Camarines rice weighs only about +132 lbs., and some of the other provinces not over 126 lbs. per cavan. + +Although in all the provinces rice is grown to a considerable extent, +yet those which produce it best, and in greatest abundance, and form +what may be called granaries for the others, which are not so suitable +for that cultivation, may be considered to be Ylocos, Pangasinan, +Bulacan, Capiz, Camarines, and Antique. + +It is best to ship rice in dry weather; and should it be destined +for Europe, or any other distant market, it should leave by the +fair monsoon, in order that the voyage may be as short as possible, +to ensure which, all orders for rice purchases for the European +markets should reach Manilla in December or January, as the new crop +just begins to arrive about the end of that month. It takes about +a month to clean a cargo at the steam-mill, and after March, the +fair monsoon for homeward-bound ships cannot much be depended upon; +and were the vessel to make a long passage, the cargo would probably +be excessively damaged by weevils, by which it is very frequently +attacked. Ylocos rice is considered to be the best for a long voyage, +as it keeps better than that grown in other provinces. + +The price of white rice is rarely below two dollars per pecul, or +above two and a half dollars per pecul, bagged and ready for shipment. + +A hundred cavans of ordinary province rice will usually produce 85 +per cent. of clean white, and about 10 per cent. of broken rice, +which can be sold at about half the price of the ordinary quality: +the remaining 5 per cent. is wasted in cleaning. + +Rice exported by a Spanish ship, goes free; but if exported by any +foreign ship, even when it is sent to a Spanish colony, it pays 3 +1/2 per cent. export duty, and when sent to a foreign country by a +foreign ship, it pays an export duty of 4 1/2 per cent. In order to +be more explicit, it may be well to give a _pro forma_ invoice of rice. + + + +5,000 peculs of white rice, bought ready for shipment + at the mill, at $2-1/4 per pecul $11,250 00 + +Charges :-- + + Export duty on valuation, which can generally + be managed to be got at a good deal under + the market price; say at $1-1/2 per pecul, + at 4-1/2 per cent. $337 50 + Boat and coolie hire, shipping 200 00 + ------ + 537 50 + ---------- + $11,787 50 + +Commission for purchasing and shipping, + &c., at 5 per cent. 589 37 + ---------- + $12,376 87 + + +This is about equal to its price if purchased and cleaned in another +manner; for instance:-- + + +1,000 cavans province rice, costing, say, 10-1/2 + rials per cavan, = $1,312 50 + + will generally produce 85 per cent. clean white + rice, fit for shipping, and 10 per cent. broken + rice, which can be sold at about 5-1/4 rials + per cavan, = 65 62 + + thus 150 cavans (equal to about 820 peculs) will --------- + cost $1,246 88 + +Add the expenses of receiving on board the native + boats, measuring there, landing, re=measuring, + cleaning, bags and bagging, averaging from about + 70 to 80 cents. per pecul of cleaned rice, say at + 75 cents, = 615 00 + --------- + $1,861 88 + + + +or equal to $2-27/100 per pecul for clean white rice, ready for +shipment. + +_Sugar._--Although the cane is cultivated to a greater or less +extent throughout all the islands, there are four descriptions of +sugar well known in commerce, grown in the Philippines, and these +come respectively from the districts of Pampanga, Pangasinan, Cebu, +and Saal, after which districts they are named; and the growth of +other places producing similar sugars to any of these descriptions, +usually passes under one of these names in the market, although Yloylo +is sometimes, though rarely, distinguished as a separate quality. The +mills employed for expressing the juice from the cane are nearly all +of stone; and firewood is usually employed to boil the sugar; for +although they have for some years introduced the plan of employing +the refuse of the cane for that purpose, it is not yet very general. + +A large quantity of the Muscovado sugar made in the country, resembling +the descriptions produced in the provinces of Pampanga and Pangasinan, +is brought to Manilla for sale, in large conical earthern jars, called +_pilones_, each of which weighs a pecul. The Chinese or Mestizos who +are engaged in the purifying of sugar are the purchasers of these lots, +and most of them are in the habit of sending an agent through the +country, with orders to buy up as much of such sugar as they require +to keep their establishments at work. They are in the habit of paying +these travellers a rial, which at Manilla is the eighth part of a +dollar, for every pilone he purchases on their account at the limits +they give him. When enough has been collected in one neighbourhood +to load a casco or other province boat, it is despatched to their +camarine at Manilla, where after being taken from the original pilone, +if it has come from Pampanga, it is mixed up together, and placed in +another one, with an opening at the conical part, which is placed over +a jar into which the molasses distilling from it gradually drop, when +the colour of the sugar from being brown becomes of a greyish tinge. + +At the top of the pilone, so placed with the cone turned down, a +layer of clay is spread over the sugar, as it has the property of +attracting all the impurities to itself; so that the parts of the +sugar in the pilone next to the clay are certain to be of the whitest +and best colour, whilst the sugar at the bottom, or next the opening +of the cone, is the darkest and most valueless, until it has had its +turn of the clay; for when the Chinamen perceive that the top part of +the sugar in the pilone or earthen jar has attained a certain degree +of whiteness, they separate the white from the darker coloured, and +the greyish tinged sugar from the dark brown coloured portion at the +foot of the jar; and after exposing the white and greyish coloured +to the sun, they are packed up, while the dark brown portion, after +being mixed with that of a similar colour, is again consigned to the +pilone to be clayed. + +Besides clay, some portions of the stem of the plantain-tree are +said to have the power of extracting the impurities from sugar, and +in some districts are said to be preferred to clay for that purpose, +being chopped up in small pieces, and spread over it. + +The unclayed descriptions of sugar are generally procurable at +Manilla by the end of February, when the new crop commences to come +in; and clayed, or the new crop, is seldom ready for delivery before +the middle of March. + +The entire crop is all ready for export by the end of April, although +the market is seldom cleared of it till the January of the ensuing +year, when the sugar clayers being anxious to close their accounts +of the past crop, and wind up all that remains in their camarines, +in order to be ready for the new season's operations, are sometimes +willing to make a reduction in the nominal price of the day, in order +to effect that purpose. But as the grain of sugar does not improve +by keeping, especially when it has to stand the moistness of the +atmosphere during the preceding wet season, such sugar, if bought at +that time, is seldom equal in grain to the produce of the new crop, +although its colour may be preferable. + +Pangasinan sugar is of a beautiful white colour, but with a very +inferior grain: it loses much in the sun-dryings, and is generally, +I believe, mixed with the clayed Pampanga sugar, to give the latter +a colour, although all the dealers deny doing it themselves, but are +ready enough to believe, if told that their neighbours are in the +habit of mixing both Cebu and it, in their pilones,--the first for +the sake of cheapness, and the other for a colour. Pampanga sugar is +of a brownish tinge, and when of good quality, of a strong grain. It +possesses a very much greater quantity of saccharine matter than any +other description of sugar I am acquainted with, and is consequently +a favourite of the refiners at home and in Sweden. Taal and Cebu +descriptions are never clayed separately, although, as before +mentioned, the latter, on account of its cheapness, is occasionally +mixed with Pampanga for claying. + +They are principally in demand for the Australian colonies, where Taal +is generally preferred to Cebu (or Zebu), from its possessing more +saccharine matter than the latter. Taal is generally so moist that +it always loses considerably in weight, sometimes to the extent of +about 10 per cent., and even more;--it is a strong sweet sugar. Cebu +seldom loses so much as Taal, generally not more than 3 per cent. on +a voyage of about two months' duration. + +All sugar is sold to the export merchants by the pecul of 140 +lbs. English, and it is either paid for at the time of its delivery, +or if a contract is made for a large quantity with a clayer, or other +dealer, it is often necessary to advance a portion of the price to +enable him to execute the order, and the merchants often do this long +before a pecul of sugar is received from him, or any security given +in return. This system prevails not only in sugar, but in all other +articles of the agricultural produce of the islands, in the sale of +which no credit is given to the purchaser. + +Sugar pays an export duty of 3 per cent. It should never be weighed +except upon a hot dry day, as if there is the least moisture in the +air it absorbs it, and adds considerably to its weight. + +In connection with sugar, it may be stated, that some very good rum is +made at Manilla, although very little is exported. It is a monopoly +of the Government, who farm it out to one of the sugar clayers at +Manilla. Molasses are never shipped, but are used in Manilla for +mixing with the water given to the horses to drink, most of them +refusing to taste it unless so sweetened. + +Hemp is produced from the bark of a species of the plantain-tree, +forests of which are found growing wild in some provinces of the +Philippines. The operation of making it is simple enough, the most +important of the process apparently being the separation of the +fibres from each other by an iron instrument, resembling a comb +for the hair. After drying in the sun, and undergoing several other +processes, with the minutiae of which I am unacquainted, it is made +up into bales, weighing 280 lbs. each, and in that state is shipped +for Manilla, where, after being picked more or less white, which is +dependent entirely upon the purposes it is intended to serve, and the +markets it has to be sent to, it is again pressed into bales of the +same weight as before, although of much less bulk, and is exported, +the greater quantity of it going to the United States of America, +as the export tables will show. + +The best hemp is of a long and fine white fibre, very well dried, and +of a silky gloss. The dark coloured is not so well liked, and if too +bad for exportation, is generally made up into ropes for the colonial +shipping, or sent down to Singapore for transhipment to Calcutta, +where it is employed for the same purpose. + +The best hemp comes from Sorsogon and Leyte, and some of the Cebu +is also very good. Albay, Camarines, Samar, Bisayas, and some other +districts, are those from which it principally comes. + +The freight on hemp shipped by American vessels to the United States, +is reckoned at the rate of 40 cubic feet, or four bales of 10 feet +each, to the ton; but when shipped to Great Britain, the freight is +generally calculated at the ton of 20 cwt., or 2,240 lbs. avoirdupois. + +Annexed is a table of calculations of what it will cost if put on board +a ship in Manilla Bay, including all charges, and 5 per cent. paid +to an agent there for purchasing it, &c. + + +--------------+-----------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+------------- + | If bought | | | | | | | + | at $5 per | | | | | | | + | pecul | | | | | | | + At the |would cost,| At | At | At | At | At | At | At + exchange | free on | $5-1/4 | $5-1/2 | $5-3/4 | $6 | $6-1/4 | $6-1/2 | $7 + of | board | | | | | | | +--------------+-----------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+------------- +s. d. | L s. d. |L s. d.|L s. d.|L s. d.|L s. d.|L s. d.|L s. d.|L s. d. +4 1 per $| 19 0 6 |19 17 8|20 11 5|21 12 1|22 10 5|23 6 3|24 5 4|26 0 3} +4 1-1/2 " | 19 4 5 |20 1 9|20 19 8|21 16 5|22 15 0|23 11 0|24 10 5|25 5 6}Per +4 2 " | 19 8 3 |20 5 10|21 3 11|22 0 9|22 19 6|23 15 9|24 15 3|26 10 0} +4 2-1/2 " | 19 12 2 |20 9 11|21 8 2|22 5 2|23 4 2|24 0 6|25 0 2|26 16 2}ton +4 3 " | 19 16 0 |20 13 11|21 12 4|22 9 7|23 8 9|24 5 4|25 5 1|27 1 6} +4 3-1/2 " | 19 19 11 |20 18 0|21 16 8|22 14 0|23 13 4|24 10 1|25 10 1|27 6 9}of +4 4 " | 20 3 10 |21 2 1|22 0 10|22 18 5|23 18 0|24 14 10|25 15 0|27 12 1} +4 4-1/2 " | 20 7 8 |21 6 1|22 5 1|23 2 10|24 2 6|24 19 7|26 0 0|27 17 5}20 +4 5 " | 20 11 7 |21 10 2|22 9 4|23 7 3|24 7 2|25 4 4|26 5 0|28 2 9} +4 5-1/2 " | 20 15 6 |21 14 3|22 13 7|23 11 8|24 11 9|25 9 1|26 9 11|28 8 0}cwt. +4 6 " | 20 19 4 |21 18 3|22 17 10|23 16 0|24 16 4|25 13 10|26 14 10|28 13 4} +--------------+-----------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+--------+------------- + + +To understand this table, suppose an agent in Manilla purchases a +quantity of hemp for a merchant in London, at 5 dollars per pecul, the +cost of packing, shipping, and the 5 per cent. commission for buying, +&c., will make it cost, when put on board ship in Manilla Bay, 20_l._ +19_s._ 4_d._ per ton, if drawn for at the exchange of 4_s._ 6_d._ +to the dollar. On its arrival at London, the freight, insurance, &c., +added to this, will be its actual cost laid down there. + +_Tobacco._--The best tobacco produced in the Philippines is grown +in the Island of Luzon or Luconia, where it is monopolized by the +Government, to whom it furnishes an important revenue. From the +province of Cagayan, where the greater part of it is grown, the +best quality comes, and that leaf, being much stronger than any +grown elsewhere, is generally used as the envelope to wrap round +the inferior descriptions of tobacco employed in the manufacture of +cheroots. Most of the other descriptions used for them come from the +district of Gapan, in Pampanga province, and the two sorts combined +are said to produce pleasanter cigars than either separately could +do,--the Cagayan leaf being too strong to be used alone, and the +Gapan leaf too mild for the ordinary taste. + +In the mountains of Ylocos and Pangasinan, some of the native Indians +inhabiting them grow quantities of tobacco, which they sell to the +traders of the neighbourhood. In these mountains the Indians are still +free, and retain their old pagan religion, unsubdued either by the +Spanish soldiery, or by the more salutary and effective warfare waged +against them by the priests, who labour assiduously to convert them +to Christianity. Being mountaineers, and leading the unsettled and +roving life of huntsmen, subsisting by the produce of the chase and +the plaintain-tree, very little is known about them at Manilla beyond +the fact of their existence, although the well-directed energies +of several enthusiastic missionaries, who have as yet only found +an entrance among them, are likely to civilize and ameliorate their +condition somewhat, and to supply this information. Notwithstanding +that the mounted police force, scattered over the country, are +particularly attentive to hunt out all illicit growth of tobacco, +and to put a stop to it by the severest punishments when it is +discovered; they have not as yet been, nor in fact are likely to be, +at all successful in doing so efficiently, so long as the Government +continue to make the enormous profit they at present do from its sale, +after it has been made by them into cheroots, or brought to Manilla +and sold in the leaf for export. In Bisayas the quality of the leaf +is so inferior in strength and appearance to that produced in Luzon, +that the Government have not thought it worth while to appropriate +the produce of the islands to themselves by a monopoly. + +There are several extensive manufactories of cigars carried on by +the Government at and near Manilla, the most extensive being in the +capital, although those at Malabone and Cavite also employ a great +number of people in rolling them up. + +In making cheroots women only are employed, the number of those so +engaged in the factory at Manilla being generally about 4000. Besides +these, a large body of men are employed at another place in the +composition of cigarillos, or small cigars, kept together by +an envelope of white paper in place of tobacco; these being the +description most smoked by the Indians. + +The flavour of Manilla cheroots is peculiar to themselves, being quite +different from that made of any other sort of tobacco; the greatest +characteristic probably being its slightly soporific tendency, which +has caused many persons, in the habit of using it, to imagine that +opium is employed in the preparatory treatment of the tobacco, which, +however, is not the case. + +The cigars are made up by the hands of women in large rooms of the +factory, each of them containing from 800 to 1000 souls. These are all +seated, or squatted, Indian-like, on their haunches, upon the floor, +round tables, at each of which there is an old woman presiding to keep +the young ones in order, about a dozen of them being the complement of +a table. All of them are supplied with a certain weight of tobacco, +of the first, second, or third qualities used in composing a cigar, +and are obliged to account for a proportionate number of cheroots, +the weight and size of which are by these means kept equal. + +As they use stones for beating out the leaf on the wooden tables, +before which they are seated, the noise produced by them while making +them up is deafening, and generally sufficient to make no one desirous +of protracting a visit to the place. The workers are well recompensed +by the Government, as very many of them earn from six to ten dollars +a month for their labour, and as that amount is amply sufficient to +provide them with all their comforts, and to leave a large balance for +their expenses in dress, &c., they are seldom very constant labourers, +and never enter the factory on Sundays, or, at least, on as great an +annual number of feast-days as there are Sundays in a year. + +During the years of 1848 and 49, the Government were not in the habit +of selling leaf-tobacco for export, but they have again resumed the +practice of 1847, which, however, is likely to be stopped soon again; +how soon, it is impossible to say--probably just when the caprice of +the director of tobacco inclines him, as he is an influential person, +generally, in his own department. + +The denominations of cheroots were changed in January, 1848; when the +description formerly known as Thirds was and still is called Seconds, +and the manufacture of a new sort known as Firsts was begun. + +The weights of new cigars when sent out of the factory are as +follow:--Firsts 1500, Seconds 3000, Thirds 4000 to the arroba; the +weight of the arroba when issued by Government from the factory being +actually 1 pound 9 ounces over the current weight,--this allowance +being made to meet the loss of weight which cigars always experience +during a long sea-voyage, which, although it diminishes their bulk, +is said materially to improve their flavour. All cigars for the use +of the country-people are made in the Havana shape, and are prohibited +being exported, probably from their desire to keep the name of Manilla +cheroots up to its proper status, as the Havana-shaped cigars are +seldom equal in flavour to those made for exportation. + +A large quantity of the Havana-shaped are made and used in the +country by smugglers, who sell them at one-half the price charged by +the Government, and some of these are occasionally sent from Manilla +by stealth. But they are seldom so good as those of the Government +make, although that occasionally deteriorates to an alarming degree, +so that every now and then very bad cheroots are exported. Of course, +when they are smoked and disliked no one uses them, and they become +unsaleable, so that when Government finds that there are few or no +purchasers, and that their stock is accumulating, they are obliged to +use a better class tobacco in their manufacture, upon which people +begin to buy from them again. However, this uncertainty as to their +_at all times_ producing good cigars, has a most detrimental effect +upon themselves, and this alone prevents their consumption from being +very much greater than it now is, if one uniformly good quality of +tobacco were always used and the bad descriptions sold. + +The rates at which Government sell cigars are fixed, being 14 dollars +per 1000 for Firsts, 8 dollars for Seconds, and 6 3/4 dollars for +Thirds; although, if the purchasers will take off more than the +stocks existing in their warehouses, the prices may be regulated by +the eagerness of the buyers, from the cigars being sold at public +auction, which, however, very seldom happens. Purchasers have no +power to secure the good quality of the cigars they buy, as on an +application being made to the director of the renta for a quantity, +he merely fills up a printed order for their delivery, and after the +money has been paid for them, but not till then, they are delivered +by the warehouse-keepers at random, as it is not allowed to select for +delivery any of the cigars under their charge, which are consequently +never seen by the purchaser until after the completion of the bargain, +when if the quality is bad he has no remedy for it, as they will not be +received back again by the Government or the money for them returned. + +_Indigo._--The quantity produced is very small; that exported to the +United States being the bulk of the crop, although large quantities +of liquid indigo are also annually sent to China in casks; but I have +not been able to ascertain its amount with any degree of precision. It +is of an inferior quality to the solid dye, and sells for considerably +less money. + +The dye coming from the provinces of Laguna and Pangasinan is generally +of superior quality to that produced in Ylocos and elsewhere, their +relative prices being about forty-five dollars per quintal for the +first two descriptions, and twenty-eight dollars for the other sorts +of first, second, and third qualities in proportions. + +The cultivation of the plant is very precarious, as it is liable +to damage from a variety of causes; it will die if too much water +collects round it, or if too little is given to it. It generally +is grown on a dry soil, having a slight decline, to carry off the +rain. To extract the dye from the plant, the usual process is to +place it in large vessels containing lime and water, and then to +bruise it with a wooden pestle; after which, when the water becomes +still, the colouring matter will sink to the bottom of the vessel, +when the water and the plants are drained off, and the matter, which +by that time has acquired the consistency of paste, is exposed to the +air to dry upon mats: as it becomes more dry it is divided by lines +into small quadrangular pieces, and is broken up. + +To secure a good quality of indigo, great attention must be paid to +the clearness of the water, and the proper mixture and quantity of +the lime, as too much or too little is equally pernicious; also the +time during which the bruising takes place, which, it appears, is a +matter of very nice judgment, as it is usual to explain or account +for the cause of the bad quality of a lot by saying that the planter +has beat it for too long or too short a time, and that he did not +know exactly when to stop. + +This article is very liable to adulteration, at which both native and +Chinese dealers are so peculiarly expert, that purchasers trusting +solely to their own knowledge are very liable to be deceived by them. + +The blues of the country are much brighter than any of the British or +continental dyes, and are in consequence much preferred by the natives. + +_Cotton_.--Cotton is only grown in a very small quantity, principally +in Ylocos and Batangas provinces. Some of it is sent to China, but +the major part of the crop is used in the country. It is seldom or +never well cleaned, the rude machines employed for doing so being +usually worked by the hand or foot, very imperfectly and slowly, +cleaning only a small quantity of the wool in a day. + +_Cocoa-nut oil_.--Cocoa-nut oil is made in the province of Laguna +and in Bisayas. That coming from the Laguna is of the best quality, +and generally sells for a good deal more than the Bisayas oil, +which does not give so good a light, and has a worse smell than the +other. The manufacturing processes employed in producing it are very +rude in both of these districts, although that followed in Laguna +is the better of the two; but both are bad. It has been proposed, +however, to remedy this by establishing proper machinery at Manilla +for carrying on its production on a large scale, as is done in Ceylon. + +The chief difficulty of exporting the article appears to be the want +of knowledge of the proper means of seasoning the tanks in which +it is shipped. These have not as yet been well made at Manilla; and +some merchants have been in the habit of getting their empty tanks +from Batavia, as they are usually better made there than they are +procurable in Manilla. The best mode of seasoning them appears to be, +to fill them all with oil, and to place them in the sun, after being +well coopered, above a large vat or other receptacle to catch all the +oil which may leak out of them; and after they have stood for some +time in this way, the pores of the wood get filled up by the oil, +which prevents further leakage. + +When filled with water, as has been the practice for some time past +at Manilla, on the oil being shipped, the effect, as has been found, +is to increase its leakage over what the casks lose when they have not +been filled with water, but left altogether alone, as water expands the +wood, while oil causes it to shrink. By attention to the preparation of +the casks at Colombo in Ceylon in this manner, they are able to send +home oil in old beer casks, &c., which, of course, enables them to +avoid a great deal of unnecessary expense. Perhaps a small quantity +of boiling hot oil poured into a cask, which should then be rolled +about so that the oil might wet every part of it, would cause it to +shrink more speedily than by exposing it to the sun for about six +weeks. I am not aware, however, of this having ever been tried. + +Cocoa is grown among plaintain-trees, which afford it some shade, +and protect it from the excessive slow heat, which kills it. + +Although the growth of cocoa is at present very small, did any one take +the trouble to bestow the necessary care and attention it demands, the +crop might be very greatly augmented. The best is now grown in Cebu, +although, from Samar, Misamis, and Batangas, the Manilla market is +also supplied, but it is only saleable at about twenty-three dollars +per pecul, while the Cebu grown fetches about twenty-seven dollars +per pecul. + +Very little is exported, and the chocolate made in Manilla is nearly +all consumed there. Supplies occasionally come from Guayaquil of a +quality very similar to that of Cebu. + +All the efforts hitherto made to send cocoa to Spain, without +its deteriorating in quality, by getting spotted, &c., have been +unsuccessful. + +_Coffee._--Although there have been efforts made at various times to +promote this valuable branch of agricultural industry, by holding out +to the natives rewards in money for a certain number of plants in a +state of bearing, it has not as yet had the effect of greatly promoting +its growth. Tayabas and Laguna are provinces from which most of it +comes to Manilla, but this it does by very small lots at a time, and +generally uncleaned, which the provincial traders have to do here. The +quality of most of that grown at these places is fully equal to that +of Java, from which, however, it differs a good deal in flavour. The +French, who take off the bulk of the crop, are fonder of its peculiar +taste than most other people, and prefer it to other descriptions. + +Pepper is grown to a very limited extent in Tayabas, and is all +consumed in the country, although in former years some has been +exported from that province. + +Opium could be grown in the greatest perfection in several places +of the Philippines, where the white poppy abounds in the utmost +luxuriance; but Government do not choose to permit its growth and +manufacture, except in the immediate vicinity of Manilla, although I +believe there is a permission to do so there, where, however, there +is no soil suitable for the growth of the plant. There are many +places, also, which would subject the planters of it to the nearly +unlimited control of the police, whose interference alone would be +so vexatious and unpleasant as to deter any one from attempting its +growth, even did the stringent regulations laid down with reference +to it not do so; such as exactly counting the number of plants, and +being forced to deposit all the drug in the custom-house for export, +for the permission to do which twenty-five per cent. would have to be +paid to the Government. These regulations are a virtual prohibition +to engage in its cultivation, as no prudent man is at all likely to +embark his capital in such an enterprise while they exist. + +In consequence of the heavy duty imposed upon opium, to discourage its +importation, the greater portion of the drug consumed in the country +is smuggled into it by the masters of the Spanish trading-vessels +from China or Singapore. + +Government farm out the privilege of supplying the market with opium +to the highest bidder, who seldom, however, imports many chests for +its consumption; but what he does sell is usually at a very large +advance on the prices paid for it in another market. + +How much better were it for the Government to attempt to regulate the +trade of this article instead of doing all in their power to suppress +it, in which they can never be successful, so long as Chinamen and +their descendants remain with the tastes that now belong to them. Can +there be any prohibition against the introduction of opium more strong +than that of the Chinese Government? and are there any more useless, +or any laws more openly evaded? It is impossible to extirpate the +taste, but it would be easy to regulate and in some degree control it; +and these are the proper and legitimate aims of a Government. + +Under proper management and increased facilities for the planter to +rear opium, the Philippines, merely from their situation, would rule +the China market for the drug, which would employ multitudes of people +in its growth and manufacture, and be a source of immense wealth to +the country. + +Some one will object that it is an immoral trade, which caters to +the worst passions of the nature of the Chinese. Let it be proved so; +let us see something more than mere prejudice; let it be shown to be +worse than the conduct of the farmer, at home, who raises and sells +barley to make whiskey; or of the distiller, who makes it; or of +the West Indian, who produces rum from his estate, as both of these +stimulants increase the evil passions in men while swayed by them, +to a much greater extent than opium. + +Smoking tobacco does no good to the person who practises it; it is +a vice, although those addicted to it may call it one of the lesser +sins. But would it be just or wise to prohibit the growth of tobacco, +because smoking it may not be a virtue? + +To attempt stopping the use of opium is no wiser, and just as futile, +in China, as King Jamie's foolish decrees against tobacco proved to +be in Britain. + +Wheat is grown in the provinces of Ylocos, Tayabas, and the Laguna, +but is seldom or never more than enough to supply the wants of the +European population, none of it being exported; and the import of +foreign wheat is prohibited, although it is frequently conceded to +the bakers, on their memorialising the Governor, and showing that +the prices at the time of their doing so are excessively high. + +Although sulphur can scarcely be ranked in the same category with the +preceding articles of commerce, I set it down here, as a considerable +quantity is annually shipped to China. It is brought from the vicinity +of the volcanoes in Bisayas: the best is said to come from Leyte, +which is worth about one and a quarter dollar per pecul. Residents +at Manilla usually immerse a large block, weighing about two peculs, +in the wells from which their drinking water is taken, just as the +rainy season commences, and it is found to have a most salutary effect +upon the water impregnated with it, causing less liability to those +who drink it, to suffer dysentery from its use. + +Cowries, the shells of a small snail, are found on the shores +of several islands, and are shipped as an article of commerce to +Singapore, &c., where they are, I believe, purchased by the Siam +and Calcutta traders, as they serve for money in several of the +countries of Asia. Those found on Sibuyan island, in Capiz province, +are considered the best, being the smallest and stoutest. They are +sold by the cavan, weighing nearly a pecul, if of good quality, +at about two dollars per cavan. + +Pitch, or tar, is brought from Tayabas to Manilla, in boxes or baskets, +and is employed, I believe, principally by the shipwrights there, +in the prosecution of their business. Some of the natives also use +it for making torches, it being cheaper than oil. + +Betel-nut, or areca, is, as is well known, used nearly all over +Asia, all the natives of which are excessively fond of the taste +the mastication of it produces in their mouths. The prepared leaf is +called a _buyo_ in the Philippines, when it is spread over with lime, +and a morsel of betel-nut enclosed in it. Immense quantities of it are +consumed in the islands and in China, and in former times, I believe, +it formed a branch of the excise revenue. + +_Hides._--The quantity of buffalo hides shipped to China and Europe +is considerable. Those exported to China are sometimes shipped without +being salted, although it is necessary that all those sent on so long +a voyage as it is to Europe should undergo that process. Buffalo hide +cuttings are generally prepared for shipment by being immersed in +lime-water, from which they are withdrawn perfectly white and coated +with lime. + +Buffalo hides weigh about 21 lbs. a-piece, and cow, only about the +half of that. Deer hides are also sometimes, though rarely, cured +and exported. + +The beef of the buffalo, cow, and deer, is cured for the China +market, by being salted and allowed to dry in the sun: it is then +called _sapa_. + +Tamarinds, which are called sampaloc by the natives, are seldom +exported for sale. + +The woods of the country are various and valuable; but, perhaps, +the best known for its useful properties, is the Sapan dye-wood, +called sibocao. It comes from various provinces; but principally from +Yloylo and Pangasinan. + +Good wood is stout, straight, well-coloured, and with no appearance +or trace of water having been used to heighten it, which may be +easily detected on a careful inspection, although the unwary have on +several occasions been known to have purchased, and shipped home to +Britain, quantities of the common firewood in place of it, as after +being wetted, it acquires the colour of Sapan-wood, sufficiently to +deceive an ignorant or careless purchaser. + +Nearly all of the straight wood is sent to Europe, and the roots to +China and Calcutta, where they are said to be quite as well liked +as straight wood, and beyond a doubt they produce more dye than +the latter. + +The mountains of the Philippines are clothed with numberless varieties +of woods of almost every description of Oriental timber; but the +markets of Europe being so distant, and the cost of freight to them so +enormous, very few are sent there, except, perhaps, ebony and molave, +although several beautiful descriptions of wood are employed by the +cabinet-makers of the country and those of China, some of which are +of superior beauty to anything I have ever seen at home when made up +into furniture. + +The ebony principally comes from Cagayan and Camarines, the wood from +which is perfectly dark, and as good as any I know of. The Cagayan +wood is very beautiful, being marked by broad black and white, or +black and yellow stripes; it takes a polish very well, and forms a +peculiarly fine timber for the cabinet-makers to exercise their skill +upon, its rays producing magnificent tables, &c. + +Molave is a wood of great solidity, and of incredibly lasting +properties; and it resists, better than all others, exposure to +the weather. It is said to become petrified when immersed for some +time in water, and in fact it appears to be nearly as lasting and +incorruptible as stone itself. It is employed for nearly all purposes, +and large quantities of it are shipped to China. + +Narra is a common description of red wood, somewhat resembling +mahogany, which occasions it to be largely used in cabinet-making. From +the lower parts of this tree I have seen a table exceeding two yards +square, cut out, in one piece. + +Tindal wood resembles narra, but has a higher colour than the latter, +which, however, gets sobered, and becomes darker by age. + +Alintatas is of a beautiful yellow colour. + +Malatapay is also yellow, or rather coffee-coloured, and is well +veined for ornament. + +Lanete is a white wood, and is made use of for a variety of purposes. + +All the preceding woods are capable of being made into furniture of a +very handsome and valuable description, and were they better known in +Europe, would be largely employed for that purpose, as people would +be willing to purchase them for their beauty, even at the high prices +which the distance and expense of transit would occasion. + +Among the common useful woods for ship-building and other purposes, +may be mentioned the banaba and mangachapuy: the latter does not +stand water well, however. + +Yacal, for beams and joists of houses, &c., and a tall, straight +wood, called _Palo Maria_, is valuable for supplying spars, &c., +to the shipping of the colony. + +Baticulin, for cutting up into boards or deals. + +Dungo unites strength and solidity to an immense size. + +Teak is found in Zamboanga, and its value is too well known to require +any remark upon it. + +Ypil is brought to Manilla from Yloylo, and being a very lasting and +hard timber, is of the greatest value, and is applied to a variety +of uses. + +These are some of the many species of woods abounding in the country, +whose number and value are yearly increasing as they become better +known to the foreign timber merchants of China and elsewhere. The +China market alone would take off greatly increased supplies, were +they allowed to ship the timber from the ports next to where the +woodman's axe had felled the tree, in place of forcing it to bear +all the heavy charges which its transport to Manilla in the first +instance now subjects it to. + +The investigations of Don Rafael Arenao have been of great service +to me in forming a list of these; and for several other particulars +scattered throughout the preceding pages I have to thank him. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXIV. + + +The money current in the Philippines consists of Spanish and South +American dollar pieces principally, although no two of them have +precisely the same weight in silver. Thus the Chilian dollar of 1833 +had 456.24 grains of pure metal, while that of the Rio de la Plata +has only 441.24 grains of silver. + +Nearly all the Mexican dollars differ in their quantity of pure silver; +for example, that of the coinage of 1832 had only 442.80, while that +of 1833 had 451.20 grains of pure metal. The old Spanish dollar has +445.08 grains of pure silver, and the half dollar 222.48 grains; +while the Bolivian half dollar has only 168.60 grains of pure silver; +and the Bolivian quarter-dollar piece has only 84.84 grains of pure +silver; while the standard Spanish quarter-piece contains 111.24 +grains of unalloyed silver. + +The golden doubloon, weighing an ounce, is worth sixteen dollars in +Manilla, although it usually sells for considerably less in China. + +Both of these coins are subdivided into halves and quarter-pieces, +and the dollar is divided into eight reals, one of which is +equal to two and a half reals of the vellon money current in the +Peninsula; and the Manilla real is represented by a copper currency +of seventeen cuartos. In calculations, however, the real is divided +into twelve parts by an imaginary coin called grains; so that by +$3. 2. 6. would be understood three dollars, two reals, and a half +real, or three dollars and five-sixteenth parts of a dollar. + +The copper money in circulation is so scanty, as to be perfectly +inadequate for the purpose; and at the time of my leaving Manilla, +the usual charge for exchanging a dollar for copper money was a +quartillo, or the quarter of a real, worth about a penny halfpenny +of English money. + +In consequence of this scarcity, the natives are in the habit of +employing cigars as money, to represent the smaller coins; and all +over the Philippines a cigar is actually the most important circulating +medium, each representing a cuarto. + +At various times the scarcity of copper coins has given rise to +extensive forgeries of them, and caused a considerable depreciation +in their actual value, the false coinage being all of spurious metal. + +The gold which is found at Pictas, in Misamis, and at Mambalao, +Paracala, and Surigao, is consumed in the country in ornaments, &c., +and some of it is sent also to China. The amount annually produced +at these places is very uncertain; and the quantity exported to China +is probably a good deal more than the amount set down in the tabular +statement, it being a thing of so very easy export, that I should +suppose at least an equal number of taels are sent there privately, +to what appears in the table to have passed the Custom-house. + +Its value in Manilla varies, according to quality, at from twenty +dollars a tael down to fourteen for the inferior sorts. + + + + +CHAPTER XXXV. + + +After travelling so far together, the reader will permit me to direct +his attention to the geographical position and natural advantages of +the Philippines, which are unequalled by any other islands in the whole +eastern Archipelago. Their vicinity to the immensely populous empire +of China is in itself enough to render them a most flourishing colony. + +The Spanish and local governments are alive to the importance of this, +and appear desirous to encourage trade to a limited extent, but are +apparently anxious to hold the reins of it, and to regulate it as they +deem best for themselves, or at any time to put a stop to it entirely. + +The evils arising from the changeable elements given birth to by +their interference it is difficult to over-estimate, as from the +ignorance, which prevails through all classes, of the first elements +of a commonwealth, and from their capricious notions of government, and +want of knowledge of the advantages of liberality and of the facilities +given to the prosecution of commerce, few persons of prudence care +to expose their capital very extensively to the chances of trade. + +At present the Philippines want some infusion of foreign capital +and energy into the veins and local arteries of the country, which, +backed by the enlightened application of science, would cause these +islands to emerge from the obscurity now surrounding them, and force +them to assume the important position for which nature has apparently +destined them. + +This will not come to pass until the present opinions of the Government +and people are considerably changed with reference to their commercial +legislation, or until all government interference in affairs of that +nature is left off, so far as the interests of the revenue will permit, +when the people will be insensibly but wisely taught by experience +to rely upon themselves alone. + +The principles of commerce, and the wealth of nations, as laid +down by Adam Smith in his great work, which is almost deserving of +immortality for the truths it tells mankind, are as true and as sure +in practice as they are in theory; and should the wisdom and truth +of his investigations ever be applied to the commercial regulations +of these islands, it is difficult to foretell the destiny that may +ultimately await them. + +It appears to me to be as unwise to attempt to restrain the course of +nature and its fruits, aided by the energies of man to develop or to +use them, as it would be to bind down the mind of a man of genius, +or of a poet, in order to prevent their operation, or to hinder the +great conceptions of their muse, or the scientific research which a +bright genius renders serviceable to his fellow mortals, from ever +seeing the light. No one will defend the justice or wisdom of the +time which forbade Galileo to publish, or even himself to believe in, +his great discoveries; but is that more unjust than the policy of +rulers, who shut up from the beings whom God has created to use them, +the fruits of our common mother, the earth? + +It is equally absurd to prevent and to prohibit in either case; +but notwithstanding this, the passions and prejudices of mankind are +violent enough to permit of the one, although they would by no means +suffer the other. Wisdom and passion can seldom or never accompany +each other. + +Philanthropy will ultimately banish from our codes all such regulations +as tend to check the fruitfulness of the soil and its use by man, +who has been endowed with reason in order that he may assist the +operations of nature. The constant and unrestricted use of the bounties +of nature does not lead to their abuse; the contrary is the fact, +for it is only when our appetites are excited by the obstacles to +their attainment that they become excessively indulged and depraved. + +The illiberality of the Government places the existing position of +foreigners in rather an equivocal position, for they are only there +upon sufferance; and in the event of any disturbance, such as happened +at Manilla in 1820, or of a war between the two nations, what would +become of the foreigners or of their property? + +It has already been shown to the world that our fellow-subjects at +Manilla in 1820, might be murdered in the streets like dogs, and no +retribution be demanded by their Government; and to this day their +personal liberty and property can at any time be endangered by the +caprice of the Governor or of his subordinates. + +In 1848, an alcalde laid hold of a number of British subjects, +and threw them suddenly into prison, because he happened one day to +discover that the time for their permission to remain in the country +had years ago expired, which all of them had been led to expect it was +quite unnecessary to have renewed so long as they remained quiet and +well-conducted members of the community. As the alcalde did not know +very well what to do with them when he had got them into the jail, +he kept them there for a few days till he had smoked a good deal, +and thought a little about them, and then he told the jailor to let +them out again. + +Our trade with China would be materially improved by the attention +of Her Majesty's Foreign Secretary being directed to the position +of the Philippines in connection with our own interests with them, +and with the great empire adjoining them. Besides, it is a shame to +ourselves that such things should exist in the colony, not only of +a friendly European power, but of one so much indebted, as Spain is, +to the valour of our arms for her independence, and to our liberality +for possessing this colony at all. + + + + THE END. + + + + + + + + PRINTED BY HARRISON AND SON, + London Gazette Office, St. Martin's Lane; and Orchard Street, + Westminster. + + + + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Recollections of Manilla and the +Philippines, by Robert Mac Micking + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK RECOLLECTIONS OF MANILLA *** + +***** This file should be named 20189.txt or 20189.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/0/1/8/20189/ + +Produced by Clare Boothby, Jeroen Hellingman and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net/ + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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