South-west of this island between Samar and Leyte is the strait of Juanillo, another paffage of the Philippine Islands.

Samar is an island covered with mountains, but poffeffing vallies of great exuberance. Here it is the bean of St. Ignacius is grown; a fruit in high estimation with the Indians for its medical virtues, but the use of which the phyficians of Europe confider dangerous.

In this island it is always cooler than at Manila, the air being continually refreshed by breezes from the ocean.

LUBAN AND AMBIL.

These are but iflets. Luban is only five leagues in circumference, and Ambil still smaller on the latter is a very lofty volcano. They yield wax, and a kind of black hemp.

BABUYANÈS AND BATANÈS.

Thefe iflets are fituate about the nineteenth degree of latitude north. The nearest is fubject to the Spaniards, and produces wax, ebony, cocoas, and bananas.

MANILA.

This ifland, the most confiderable of the Philippines, ftretches from latitude twelve degrees thirty minutes to eighteen degrees forty minutes north it is upwards of one hundred and twenty.leagues † long, by a various and very unequal breadth, being very narrow in certain parts, and in others from thirty to forty leagues broad.

It is divided into feveral provines, that is to fay, Balayan, Tayabas, Camarinès, Parecala, Cagayan, Illoccos, Pangafinam, Pambangan, Bulacun, Bahi, and Manila; to these the island of Camadnanès being added, makes the whole number twelve..

Balayan lies on the western fide at about the fourteenth degree north it poffeffes two confiderable bays Bambon and Batangas. The islands of La Cafa, and the Corregidor are dependent on this province.

Tayabas is fituate eaftward of Balayan; on the fouth-eaft and north-east, it is washed by the fea. This province is of great extent and very populous.

Camarinès, fouth-east of Tayabas extends as far as to the ftrait of Samar. On its western shores is the port of Sorfocon of great extent and well adapted for building of fhips. On its eastern fide is the bay of Albay, near which is a lofty volcano..

Cantaduanès is an island ‡, eaft of the province of Camarinès in fourteen degrees north; it is thirty leagues in circuit, and forms of itself one province. It yields much rice, palm, oil, cocoa nuts, honey and wax; the inhabitants collect fome gold from the rivers, and carry on a confiderable traffic with Manila in boats: to remedy the inconvenience which the transport of these one by one would occafion, they build them of different sizes, and place the one fucceffively within the other. The planks of which these boats are made are not joined together with nails, but are fewed or joined together with cane and rattans. The inhabitants of the island are warlike, and paint their faces.

Parecala has mines of gold, and produces loadstone. The cacao tree and the palm yielding wine grow in this province: it has two bays, the one called Lampon,

the other Mauban.

These iflets, at the entrance of the ftraits of St. Bernardino, lie, Ambil north-east, and Luban fouthfouth-weft of Cape Baliquaton, each a few miles distant. - TRANSLATOR.

+ French leagues, twenty to the degree.

Nearly of oblong form, thirty-five English statute miles from north to fouth, tranfverfely about twenty-five broad. TRANSLATOR.

North of Tayabas, on the coaft.

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f

Cagayan

Cagayan extends along the eastern coaft * from the fifteenth degree to Cape Engaro † in latitude eighteen degrees thirty minutes. This province though filled with mountains is neverthelefs very fertile in rice; it alfo produces abundance of wax, a wood fit for dyeing called fiboucao, and ebony, but this of a qualitity inferior to that of the ifle of France. The inhabitants of the province are partly a wild race.

Illoccos lies on the western coaft of Manila t. This province is forty leagues in length from north to fouth, by a breadth of eight from east to weft; it is watered by the river Bigan, and in the last is bounded by mountains peopled by favages, whofe only traffick consists in bartering their gold for rice, tobacco, and other neceffary articles: the province is rich, populous, and produces abundance of cotton.

Pangasinan is fouth of Illoccos. Its mountains are covered with favages who carry on a traffic fimilar to that of their neighbours. In this province alfo is found the fiboucao tree.

Pampangan, fouthward of the preceding, is extenfive and fertile ; it fupplies Manila with an abundance of cattle and provifions, and likewife a great quantity of timber. The inhabitants are partly subject to the Spaniards, and partly independent favages.

Bulacan, fouth of Pampangan, is a province of no great extent; ftill does it yield abundance of rice, and from its palm-trees a large quantity of wine.

Bahi is an inconfiderable province, and remarkable only on account of a lake of the fame name; this lake is about thirty leagues in circumference, and gives origin to the river Bahia, or Aro, which falls into the bay near the city of Manila. The Indians who dwelt on the banks of lake Bahi feed on immenfe bats, the extended wings of which measure from three to three and a half feet. The areca tree and that which bears the betel nut are found in this province.

CITY OF MANILA.

Manila, fituate in latitude fourteen degrees thirty-fix minutes eight feconds, north longitude eaft of Paris, one hundred and eighteen degrees thirty-one minutes fifteen feconds, is a city built on the banks of the river Bahia. Its figure is irregular, wide in the middle, but narrow at the two extremities. It is reputedly a league in circuit.

Gomez Perez de las Marinas, fent to govern the Philippines in 1590, was the firft who erected fortifications about Manila. They are now in a good ftate; the walls are mounted with artillery, and the ditch and counter ditch are full of water: it has alfo fome advanced works .

*North of Parecala.

+ The north-western promontory.

At the northern extremity.

At

This city was founded June 24,1571, by Miguel Lopez de Legafpi, a man famous throughout America for his bravery and conduct. He was appointed general of the expedition to the Philippines by the viceroy of New Spain under special authority from Philip II. and failed to make the conqueft of them from the Port de la Natividad, now called Acapulco, on the 21st of September 1564. Philip empowered the viceroy to nominate the general and fit out the expedition, but under his own feal gave direction to an Auguftin monk called Fray Andres de Urbaneta, to take charge of what regarded the navigation of the armament. This man, one of the first mathematicians and best failors of his time, after ferving in the army in Italy, had embarked for America, and held the rank of captain under Loayfa and Saavedra in their maritime expeditions, during which he acquired much practical knowledge refpecting the Philippine islands. On his return thence to Mexico he refigned his employ, and entered the convent of Saint Auguftin.

The expedition committed to the care of Urbaneta confifted of four hundred picked men, a number of monks, and an Indian interpreter, chriftened in Tidore by the name of George, at the time that island received the equipment of Villalobos. Complete fuccefs attended its efforts, which were feconded much

by

At one of the extremities of the city, and in front of the bay, the Spaniards have erected Fort St. James. This fort defends the entrance of the river, and protects two jetties which advance into the fea at a distance from each other of nearly four hundred fathoms they are cased with stone and kept in good condition; but, to render them of greater utility, they require to be prolonged, efpecially that on the fouthern fide; indeed it might be well to continue them to the bar, as in that cafe it would be an eafy matter to deepen the channel, and render it fafe of paffage for fhips as well as the country coafters, which at prefent run a risk of grounding, and are fearful of attempting to pafs it when the wind is anywife high. The fea is generally rough on the bar, on which even at height of tide there is fcarcely twelve feet water.

Manila has fix gates, thofe of Los Almacenes, Santo Domingo, Parian, Sta. Lucia, La Puerte Reale, and a postern.

The city is handsome, and airy; the streets mostly straight: the governor has caused them to be paved with granite from China, and to be lighted with lamps, fo that paffengers may walk them in fafety by night as well as by day.

The houses confift of but one story above the ground-floor. The lower part is built of stone and vaulted; the walls of great thicknefs. The upper part is of wood covered with plaifter. The roof is fupported by thick pofts, placed upright, and refting on the inferior walls, in which they are inferted. These posts are connected by the beams which fuftain the roof, and the whole is strongly joined together with pegs, so that when earthquakes happen they play without disjoining: but as the apartments are not cieled, the fight of the skeleton of the building has a very difagreeable effect.

The rooms are fpacious and but slightly furnished; they do not receive the light directly from without, but communicate by doors with galleries of wood which furround the house, and have large windows formed of tranfparent fhells, the fafhes of which flide one over the other. This contrivance is excellent for introducing a coolness into the apartments, but externally offends the eye.

The public edifices and churches are folidly conftructed; the belfrys in particular are very maflive. The cathedral is of great fize; attached to it is an archbishop and twelve canons. Manila was erected into a bishop's fee in 1581, and was afterwards in 1595 raised to the dignity of an archbishopric. The; fuffragans of the metropolitan are the three bishops of Zebu, Nueva Cazeris and Nueva Segovia.

The government-house is large, but prefents nothing extraordinary. The fquare in front is fpacious and regular; the governor has planted it with trees and furnished it with lamps. The embellishment has certainly a fine effect, though a more fit appropriation of the square would certainly have been to have made it a parade for troops.

by the conciliating meafures of the general, and the perfuafions of the miffionaries; and after finding the first town in the island of Zebu, which from his own name he called San Miguel Legafpi, in June 1565 fent back the commodore's fhip with Father Urbaneta, as previously concerted with the viceroy. Urbaneta happily arrived at Acapulco, after a voyage of four months, and on his arrival produced a very circumftantial account of his course, together with a much efteemed and very exact journal, which afterwards formed an excellent guide for the navigation between Acapulco and Manila.

It was not until after he had fubdued and pacified the chief island, that of Luzon, that Legafpi founded Manila, made numerous wife regulations for the divifion of property, and administration of juftice, and declared the city to be the metropolis of New Caftile, the name he gave to this region. Eftablicimientos Ultramarinos de las Naciones Europeanas, per Edvardo Malo de Laque. Tomo v. pag. 197. et feq. Madrid, 1790.-TRANSLATOR.

At

At Manila convents occupy at least one third of the city. The Jefuits had formerly two churches here, thofe of St. Ignacius and Saint Jofeph; these are still highly decorated. The Dominicans have two colleges, and the Auguftins a convent. There is also a convent of St. Clare for forty nuns, and a house termed the monaftery of Mercy, deftined for female orphans of Spaniards as well as of Creoles. Thefe orphans ultimately receive a bounty if they become nuns, and a portion if they

marry.

On leaving the city a bridge prefents itself, built in part of stone in part of wood; it is wide enough to admit of two carriages abreast, and serves to join the city and the different suburbs; there are twelve in number, to wit: Parian, Minondo, Sta Cruz, Ilao San Michael, San Sebastian, Bagambaya, San Jago Ntra, Sra del Eremito, Tondo, Malati, and Chiapo.

Parian, which fronts the city, is reckoned the most confiderable; it has several streets, and is inhabited by Chinese, called Sangleyes, who all of them are artizans, smiths, or merchants; the number at present is three thoufand. It was vaftly more confiderable in 1603, but at that epoch twenty thousand perished*. A very strict watch is kept over these Chinese: an alcalde and a number of Spanish officers have the fuperintendence of the police, and exact from them, as is faid, confiderable fums of money, chiefly at the new year. The fimple license of playing at metooa (odd or even) being purchased by them at the rate of ten thousand dollars.

Minondo and Sta. Cruz are inhabited by Spaniards and Indians. The Spaniards, whose houses are constructed in the fame ftyle as thofe of Manila, prefer a refidence in these two fuburbs, on account of enjoying greater freedom, as the gates of the city are closed at an early hour: as for the Indians, their dwellings are raised on pofts, the walls are of plaister or matting, and the roof is covered with the leaves of the palm. This mode of building is ungrateful to the eye, but it fecures the inhabitants of fuch dwellings from injury, by floods or earthquakes.

San Sebaftian likewife has fome good houfes. In this fuburb is a long causeway raised by the government, as a promenade for the inhabitants; hither especially the ladies of Manila refort much in their carriages. The Chinese are faid to have defrayed the expence of making this mall with money extorted from them for exemption from fome obftructions purpofely ordained by the Spaniards: the mall is pleasant, is shaded by a number of areka trees, and commands a fine profpect over the country.

Tondo is the most northern of the different fuburbs; formerly it was a fmall town: its church was the first constructed by the Spaniards in this country.

A number of canals divide these different fuburbs, and greatly facilitate the transport of merchandize.

The country about Manila is remarkably fine; the foil appears to be very rich; it is flat at first, but afterwards rifes gradually. The villages are commonly furrounded by trees, and the beauty of the profpect would be greatly heightened were the houses lefs wretched. In every village is a stone church, as well as a parfonage-house, for the rector, who is conftantly one of the monks. These last, who all of them are Europeans, are very much refpected by the Indians; while the fecular clergy, who most commonly are Creoles, are held in contempt: hence the government fhews great deference to the rectors; for, generally speaking, the Indian always confults them on entering upon any enterprize, and even as to paying his taxes. The monks who

* Previous to the infurrection and fubfequent flaughter of the Chinese in 1603, by Acuna, the suburb of Parian contained 30,000 Sangleyes.-Ed. Malo de Luque Hift. Polit. de los Eftab. Ultr. &c. Tom. vi. p. 203, Madrid, 1790.

2

officiate

officiate in the different parish churches are the Auguftins, Francifcans, and barefooted Carmelites.

On afcending the river from the town, a number of country houfes are seen on its banks, with each a bath on the margin of the river inclofed with matting. To these during the prevalence of hot weather the wealthy inhabitants of Manila much resort: both men and women bathe together, but for the fake of decency the men wear drawers, and the women a wide fhift.

Two miles above the town is the royal hofpital. On advancing higher fome old houses are seen almost level with the ground; for the English after taking Manila, not being able to quit the city without expofing themselves to be shot by the Indians, entrenched in thefe dwellings, to remedy the inconvenience reduced them to the state in which they have continued to the present time.

The garden of the Philippine Company is likewise out of the town; it is much neglected, and no longer exhibits any of the rare trees or plantations of mulberries it once poffeffed. In the midst a monument, resembling a fountain more than a maufoleum, is erected in memory of Mr. Pineda, who died in the expedition of M. de Malefpina: it is furrounded by four enormous termini, works furely of no utility in a garden.

At some distance from Malati, a village fituate near the bay, and a league diftant from Manila, the Spaniards have conftructed a polverista, or powder magazine. This little fort is in a very unfit pofition; for, being too far from the town to be fuccoured, it could readily be taken by an enemy who should effect a descent, to whom it would be of confiderable fervice.

Mr. D'Aguilar, a governor of the Philippines when I was there, being apprehensive of an attack on the part of the English, caufed a canal to be cut from near the polverista communicating with the river, fo as to allow gun-boats to enter the bay, and leave it without danger, or to feek fhelter under the jettie's which protect the entrance. In conftructing the canal * the wild palm was used (palma brava): the wood of this tree is hollow, hard, tough, and very durable in water it is likewife used for making the gutters which furround the houses, and conduct the rain water into the cisterns, with which almost every house in Manila is provided.

PORT OF CAVITE.

This port lies three leagues fouth of Manila. Veffels take refuge in it during the south west monsoon; and return to anchor in front of the city in the season when winds from the north and north-eaft are prevalent.

The town of Cavite is fmall, and ftands on a tongue of land; it has but one fuburb, called San Roch. The fort is built at the extremity of the town; it is weak, and could not hold out against a veffel of war. In doubling the point, attention fhould be paid not to keep too near, as there is a fhoal in its vicinage. The Spaniards have an arfenal at Cavite, and here it is that large merchant ships are built.

BAY OF MANILA.

The Bay of Manila, being every way eight leagues over, the depth of it is likewife great. The margin is partly covered with wood, and partly with villages. The island of the Corregidor is at the entrance of the bay; hence it is that fignals are made on