Ch. XVIII.] THE MESTIZAS. 205 



objects among their most marketable and profitable com- 

 modities.. 



The inhabitants of ManUla are said to number 300,000 

 natives, Spanish, and Chinese. The common costume of the 

 men is a pair of trowsers of light material, and a kind ot 

 shirt, thrown on loosely in the manner of a smock-frock. 

 This article of dress is most characteristic, and in it the 

 greatest possible variety of form, colour, and material occurs. 

 It is sometimes of Hnen, — white, clean, and neatly and 

 curiously plaited and folded ; but more usually the material 

 is thin and more or less gauzy, and the colours as numerous 

 and diversified as those of the rainbow — or in other cases 

 black. They appear to take the greatest pride in the get-up 

 of this article of attire, which is always clean and neat. A 

 straw hat of various forms, more or less approaching the 

 European, however, covers the head, and an umbrella is a 

 constant companion, almost as constant as the cheroot. The 

 men are very similar to Malays in aspect ; but the women 

 are very superior in this respect, being usually striking and 

 good-looking; their eyes large and dark, and their long 

 black hair hanging loose behiad, and adding an expression 

 oi'abandon to their luxuriant and voluptuous beauty. Their 

 costume, gay and graceful, consists of a kind of skirt (Saya) 

 of a bright-coloured material, and usually of large pattern, 

 and a jacket (Pina camisa) of similar material, but some- 

 what scanty as to quantity, closed in front, but leaviug the 

 arms and neck bare, and aUowiag an inch or two of dusky 

 skin to be visible between it and the lower garment. On 

 their feet they usually wear high wooden sandals, which 

 raise them two or three inches in stature, and make them 

 appear taller than they really are. Like the men, they 

 seldom appear without a cigarette or a cheroot in their 



