G6 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL 



government to Bacolor in the province of Pampanga, to 

 the north of Manila Bay. 



The old town, triangular in shape, is surrounded with 

 walls of solid masonry, now cracked and shattered by 

 innumerable earthquakes. To the north and south-west 

 it is protected by the river and the sea respectively. The 

 land-face has strong bastions and a double fosse, but the 

 fortifications would be of little use against modern 

 artillery, and only serve to render unhealthy the town 

 which they enclose. Within, the streets are gloomy and 

 narrow, and show frequent evidences of the earthquakes. 

 Here are the chief official buildings, the cathedral, the 

 convents, and the barracks, and outside the walls en the 

 river-face are the wharves and a monument to Magellan. 

 Commercial Manila lies across the river, upon its right 

 bank, in the quarters of Tondo and Binondo, where the 

 Chinese stalls and 'stores gradually give place to busy 

 thoroughfares lined with European shops. Canals which 

 become partly dry at low water intersect the streets, and 

 leave much to be desired from a sanitary point of view. 

 But otherwise this part of the city is well kept, and the 

 main street — the Escolta — where are situated the chief 

 cafes and shops, is well paved and lighted. The officials 

 and merchants reside chiefly in the suburbs of San Miguel 

 and San Sebastian, while Quiapo and Ermita are the most 

 important native quarters. Three or four miles to the 

 north is Malabon, with a gigantic cigar factory, which 

 employs sometimes as many as 10,000 hands. 



Manila owns nothing of importance in the way of 

 buildings. The cathedral built in 1654 was destroyed 

 in the frightful earthquake of the 3rd June, 1863,^ but 



^ The following account of this catastrophe is given by the German 

 traveller Jagor : — 



" On the 3rd of June- 1863, at thirty-one minutes past seven in the even- 



