MANILLA. 315 



workshop is in the second story, which is divided into six apartments, 

 in which eight thousand females are employed. Throughout the 

 whole extent, tables are arranged, about sixteen inches high, ten feet 

 long, and three feet wide, at each of which fifteen women are seated, 

 having small piles of tobacco before them. The tables are set cross- 

 wise from the wall, leaving a space in the middle of the room free. 

 The labour of a female produces about two hundred cigars a day ; 

 and the working hours are from 6 a. m. till 6 p. m., with a recess of 

 two hours, from eleven till one o'clock. The whole establishment is 

 kept very neat and clean, and every thing appears to be carried on in 

 the most systematic and workmanlike manner. Among such numbers, 

 it has been found necessary to institute a search on their leaving the 

 establishment to prevent embezzlement, and this is regularly made 

 twice a day, without distinction of sex. It is a strange sight to 

 witness the ingress and egress of these hordes of females ; and pro- 

 bably the world cannot elsewhere exhibit so large a number of ugly 

 women. Their ages vary from fifteen to forty-five. The sum paid 

 them for wages is very trifling. The whole number of persons em- 

 ployed in the manufactories is about fifteen thousand ; this includes 

 the officers, clerks, overseers, &c. 



As nearly as I could ascertain, the revenue derived from these esta- 

 blishments is half a million of dollars. 



The natives of the Philippines are industrious. They manufacture 

 an amount of goods sufficient to supply their own wants, particularly 

 from Panay and Ylocos. These for the most part consist of cotton 

 and silks, and a peculiar article called pina. The latter is manufac- 

 tured from a species of Bromelia (pine-apple), and comes principally 

 from the island of Panay. The finest kinds of pina are exceedingly 

 beautiful, and surpass any other material in its evenness and beauty 

 of texture. Its colour is yellowish, and the embroidery is fully equal 

 to the material. It is much sought after by all strangers, and consi- 

 dered as one of the curiosities of this group. Various reports have 

 been stated of the mode of its manufacture, and among others that it 

 was woven under water, which I found, upon inquiry, to be quite 

 erroneous. The web of the pina is so fine, that they are obliged to 

 prevent all currents of air from passing through the rooms where it is 

 manufactured, for which purpose there are gauze screens in the 

 windows. After the article is brought to Manilla, it is then embroi- 

 dered by girls; this last operation adds greatly to its value. We 



