276 



THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 



CITIES AND TOWNS 



Although there are innumerable villages and many consider- 

 able towns in the Philippine islands, the restrictive policy of 

 Spain and the centralization of civil, military, and ecclesiastical 

 power at Manila have prevented the growth of any other great 

 community; consequently it is the only important city. 



The geographical conditions, principal among. which is the con- 

 nection of Manila bay with Lake bay by the river Pasig, afford- 

 ing facilities for communication with the interior, led to the 

 foundation of a settlement at the mouth of the river in prehis- 

 toric times', as when the Europeans first landed there they found 

 a native town, enclosed by a stockade for defense, called by the 

 natives Maynila. 



Although the name Manila is generally applied to the city on 

 both sides of the river Pasig, which forms the metropolis of the 

 islands, it is only the old walled city or fortress situated on the 

 left, or south, bank of the river to which the designation was 

 originally applied. It was founded in 1581 , and King Philip III 

 of Spain gave it armorial bearings and conferred on it the title 

 of "La muy noble ciudad," the very noble city of Manila. It 

 is a typical old-fashioned Spanish town, surrounded by ram- 

 parts, and has seen very little alteration or improvement during 



NATIVE VILLAGE OF ALIIAY 



By courtesy of Leslie's Weekly 



