MANILLA. 295 



ever, kept this anchorage, and rode out these storms in safety ; but 

 native as well as Spanish vessels, seek at these times the port of 

 Cavite, about three leagues to the southwest, and at the entrance of 

 the bay, which is perfectly secure. Here the government dockyard 

 is situated, and this harbour is consequently the resort of the few gun- 

 boats and galleys that are stationed here. 



The entrance to the canal or river Pasig is three hundred feet 

 wide, and is enclosed between two well-constructed piers, which 

 extend for some distance into the bay. On the end of one of these 

 is the light-house, and on the other a guard-house. The walls of 

 these piers are about four feet above ordinary high water, and in- 

 clude the natural channel of the river, whose current sets out with 

 some force, particularly when the ebb is making in the bay. 



The suburbs, or Binondo quarter, contain more inhabitants than the 

 city itself, and is the commercial town. They have all the stir and 

 life incident to a large population actively engaged in trade, and in 

 this respect the contrast with the city proper is great. 



The city of Manilla is built in the form of a large segment of a 

 circle, having the chord of the segment on the river : the whole is 

 strongly fortified, with walls and ditches. The houses are substan- 

 tially built after the fashion of the mother country. Within the 

 walls are the governor's palace, custom-house, treasury, admiralty, 

 several churches, convents, and charitable institutions, a university, 

 and the barracks for the troops ; it also contains some public squares, 

 on one of which is a bronze statue of Charles IV. 



The city is properly deemed the court residence of these islands; 

 and all those attached to the government, or who wish to be con- 

 sidered as of the higher circle, reside here; but foreigners are not 

 permitted to do so. The houses in the city are generally of stone, 

 plastered, and white or yellow washed on the outside. They are 

 only two stories high, and in consequence cover a large space, being 

 built around a patio or courtyard. 



The ground-floors are occupied as storehouses, stables, and for 

 porters' lodges. The second story is devoted to the dining-halls and 

 sleeping apartments, kitchens, bath-rooms, &c. The bed-rooms have 

 the windows down to the floor, opening on wide balconies, with blinds 

 or shutters. These blinds are constructed with sliding frames, having 

 small squares of two inches filled in with a thin semi-transparent 

 shell, a species of Placuna ; the fronts of some of the houses have a 



