64 REMARKS AND OPINIONS. 



danao, Jolo, &c. possessions of their hereditary 

 enemies, the Moors, or Mahometan Indians, who 

 do not cease to spread consternation and devasta- 

 tion, by piracies, over all the coasts in the hands of 

 the Christians. 



The Presidio of Sanboangan, on the west point 

 of Magindanao, is designed to keep this race in 

 check, but is, in fact, like the government of the 

 Mariana islands, only a source of revenue to the 

 commandant, calculated, according to the years of 

 his government, to enrich himself by the exclusive 

 trade with all the salaries appointed for the garrison 

 and public officers. 



The expeditions which are sent out from Manilla 

 in armed boats, are not more serviceable. They 

 only protect the smuggling trade, and Christians 

 and Moors avoid each other with the same dili- 

 gence. Only the Bay of Manilla, which was 

 represented as unsafe by La Peyrouse, seems to be 

 now closed against the pirates. 



There are, in the Philippine islands, besides the 

 Spaniards, who are looked upon as foreign masters, 

 and the Chinese, their parasites, two native races 

 of men : Papuas in the interior, and the Malays 

 in a more extended signification, or south-landers 

 on the coasts. The Spaniards are but few in 

 number. The Chinese, who are called Sangalese, 

 that is " Wandering Merchants," (they might 

 be called the Jews of this part of the world,) 

 differ in their numbers at different times; some- 

 times greater, and at other times less. Their 



