322 



Marriages. Drive on the Prado. 



MANILLA. 



Tertulia. Cock-fighting. 



combing their hair. In this way the whole morn- 

 ing is lounged away : they neither read, write, nor 

 work. In dress they generally imitate the Euro- 

 peans, except that they seldom wear stockings, and 

 go with their arms bare. In the afternoon they 

 ride on the Prado in state, and in the evening 

 accompany their husbands. Chocolate is taken 

 early in the morning, breakfast at eleven, and din- 

 ner and supper are included in one meal. 



Mothers provide for the marriage of their 

 daughters ; and I was told that such a thing as a 

 gentleman proposing to any one but the mother, or 

 a young lady engaging herself, is unknown and un- 

 heard of. The negotiation is all carried forward 

 by the mother, and the daughter is given to any 

 suitor she may deem a desirable match. The 

 young ladies are said to be equally disinclined to a 

 choice themselves, and if proposals were made 

 to them, the suitor would be at once referred to 

 the mother. Among the lower orders it is no un- 

 common thing for the parties to be living without 

 the ceremony of marriage, until they have a family ; 

 and no odium whatever is attached to such a con- 

 nexion. They are looked upon as man and wife, 

 though they do not live together ; and they rarely 

 fail to solemnize their union when they have accu- 

 mulated sufficient property to procure the requisite 

 articles for housekeeping. 



Our afternoons were spent in drives on the 

 Prado, where all the fashion and rank of Manilla 

 are to be met, and where it is exceedingly agree- 

 able to partake of the fresh and pure air after a 

 heated day in the city. The extreme end of the 

 Prado lies along the shore of the bay of Manilla, 

 having the roadstead and ships on one side, and 

 the city proper with its fortifications and moats on 

 the other. This drive usually lasts for an hour, 

 and all sorts of vehicles are shown off, from the 

 governor's coach and six, surrounded by his lan- 

 cers, to the sorry chaise and limping nag. The 

 carriage most used is a four-wheeled biloche, with 

 a gig top, quite low, and drawn by two horses, on 

 one of which is a postilion ; these vehicles are ex- 

 ceedingly comfortable for two persons. The 

 horses are small, but spirited, and are said to be 

 able to undergo great fatigue, although their ap- 

 pearance does not promise it. This drive is en- 

 livened by the music of the different regiments, 

 who are at this time to be seen manoeuvring on the 

 Prado. The soldiers have a very neat and clean 

 appearance ; great attention is paid to them, and 

 the whole are well appointed. The force stationed 

 in Manilla is six thousand, and the army in the 

 Philippines amounts to twenty thousand men. The 

 officers are all Spaniards, generally the relations 

 and friends of those in the administration of the 

 government. The pay of the soldiers is four dol- 

 lars a month, and a ration, which is equal to six 

 cents a day. As troops, I was told they acquitted 

 themselves well. The Prado is laid out in many 

 avenues, leading in various directions to the sub- 

 urbs, and these are planted with wild almond trees, 

 which afford a pleasant shade. It is well kept, 

 and creditable to the city. 



In passing the crowds of carriages very little dis- 

 play of female beauty is observed, and although 

 well-dressed above, one cannot but revert to their 

 wearing no stockings beneath. 



On the Prado is a small theatre, but so inferior 

 that the building scarce deserves the name: the 



acting was equally bad. This amusement meets 

 with little encouragement in Manilla, and 1 was 

 told, was discountenanced by the governor. 



I had the pleasure during our stay of attending a 

 tertulia in the city. The company was not a large 

 one, comprising some thirty or forty ladies and 

 about sixty gentlemen. It resembled those of the j 

 mother country. Dancing was introduced at an ) 

 early hour, and continued till a few minutes before ! 

 eleven o'clock, at which time the gates of the city ! 

 are always shut. It was amusing to see the sudden ; 

 breaking up of the party, most of the guests resid- i 

 ing out of the city. The calling for carriages, shawls, 

 hats, &c., produced for a few minutes great con- 

 fusion, every one being desirous of getting off at the 

 earliest moment possible, for fear of being too late. 

 This regulation, by which the gates are closed at so 

 early an hour, does not appear necessary, and only 

 serves to interrupt the communication between the 

 foreign and Spanish society, as the former is obliged, 

 as before observed, to live outside of the city pro- 

 per. This want of free intercourse is to be re- 

 gretted, as it prevents that kind of friendship by 

 which many of their jealousies and prejudices might 

 be removed. 



The society at this tertulia was easy, and so far as 

 the enjoyment of dancing went, pleasant; but there 

 was no conversation. The refreshments consisted 

 of a few dulces, lemonade, and strong drinks in an 

 ante-room. The house appeared very spacious 

 and well adapted for entertainments, but only one 

 of the rooms was well lighted. From the novelty 

 of the scene, and the attentions of the gentle- 

 man of the house, we passed a pleasant evening. 



The natives and mestizoes attracted much of my 

 attention at Manilla. Their dress is peculiar: over 

 a pair of striped trousers of various colours, the 

 men usually wear a fine grass-cloth shirt, a large 

 straw hat, and around the head or neck a many- 

 coloured silk handkerchief. They often wear slip- 

 pers as well as shoes. The Chinese dress, as they 

 have done for centuries, in loose white shirts and 

 trousers. One peculiarity of the common men is 

 their passion for cock-fighting; and they carry these 

 fowls wherever they go, after a peculiar fashion 

 under their arm. 



Cock-fighting is licensed by the government, and 

 great care is taken in the breeding of game fowls, 

 which are very large and heavy birds. They are 

 armed with a curved double-edged gaff. The 

 exhibitions are usually crowded with half-breeds 

 or mestizoes, who are generally more addicted to 

 gambling than either the higher or lower classes 

 of Spaniards. It would not be an unapt designa- 

 tion to call the middling class cock-fighters, for 

 their whole lives seem to be taken up with the 

 breeding and fighting of these birds. On the exit 

 from a cockpit, I was much amused with the mode 

 of giving the return check, which was done by a 

 stamp on the naked arm, and precludes the possi- 

 bility of its transfer to another person. The dress 

 of the lower order of females is somewhat civilized, 

 yet it bore so strong a resemblance to that of the 

 Polynesians as to recall the latter to our recollec- 

 tion. A long piece of coloured cotton is wound 

 round the body, like the pareu, and tucked in at the 

 side : this covers the nether limbs; and a jacket 

 fitting close to the body is worn, without a shirt. 

 In some, this jacket is ornamented with work 

 around the neck; it has no collar, and in many 



