188 The Philippine Journal of Science ms 



Notwithstanding the general agreement that something should 

 be done to actualize the will of Carriedo, all the discussion of 

 the subject produced nothing tangible, and despite several se- 

 rious epidemics of cholera (notably in 1820), which the native 

 population believed to be due to the poisoning of the water of 

 the Pasig River by foreigners, no definite action was taken 

 until March 7, 1841, when, in consequence of another outbreak 

 of cholera, a royal order was issued calling for immediate ac- 

 tion. The result was the appointment of a committee in 1843, 

 headed by Gregorio de Borja Tarrius, whose duties were to 

 prepare plans for bringing water from San Pedro Macati, or 

 San Mateo, to examine the springs in the neighborhood of 

 Manila (Malinta, Diliman, Maybonga, and San Juan del Monte 

 were specified), and to make a careful study of the tides of 

 Laguna de Bay in order to discover how far up the Pasig River 

 the water was impregnated with salt.''* _ 



As the outcome of these suggestions, an exhaustive report 

 which had been prepared between December, 1843, and March, 



1844, was ready for consideration by the municipal board within 

 a year. Only one member, however, Jose Bosch, who was in 

 constant communication with the officers of the Spanish en- 

 gineer corps stationed in Manila on the matter, was anxious 

 to take immediate action. The rest of the board, in view of 

 the strained finances of the city, due to large sums having been 

 spent on the reception to Governor-General Claveria and on 

 the celebration of the majority of Queen Isabel II, expressed 

 their interest in a scheme for the purification of the Pasig 

 water at San Pedro Macati, as in accordance with the desire 

 of Carriedo, but laid all the proposals on the table."^ 



In 1845 and in 1853-54 the same story was repeated. In 



1845, while a committee of the board composed of Juan Bau- 

 tista Marcayda and Cristobal Arlegui were engaged on a pro- 

 ject to supply the city with water by means of artesian wells, 

 based on a new estimate of the population, the consumption of 

 water per head, and its cost per water jar, tinaja, Tomas Cor- 

 tes, colonel in command of the Spanish Engineer Corps stationed 

 in Manila, was also preparing similar data, with clerical assist- 

 ance from the city, with a view to running a pipe line from the 

 San Mateo River, at a cost of 300,000 pesos.^" His scheme, which 

 was dated May 31, 1845, was warmly supported by Jose Bosch 



"Actas de Manila (1843), 33, 36. 

 "Ibid. (1844), 23, 101. 

 "Ibid. (1845), 37. 



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