282 
MANILLA. 
conquest is to be observed in these islands; the two races are identified 
now in habits, manners, and religion, and their interests are so closely 
allied that they feel their mutual dependence upon each other. 
The establishment of the new constitution in Spain in the year 1825, 
has had a wonderful effect upon these colonies, whose resources have 
within the last ten years been developed, and improvements pushed 
forward with a rapid step. Greater knowledge and more liberal views 
in the rulers are alone wanting to cause a still more rapid advance in 
the career of prosperity. 
As our visit was to Luzon, we naturally obtained more personal 
information respecting it than the other islands. We learned that the 
northern peninsula* was composed of granite and recent volcanic 
rocks, together with secondary and tertiary deposits, while the southern 
peninsula is almost wholly volcanic. 
The northern contains many valuable mines of gold, lead, copper, 
and iron, besides coal. A number of specimens of these, and the rocks 
which contain them, were presented to the Expedition by Senors 
Araria and Roxas of Manilla. These will claim particular attention in 
the Geological Report, to which the reader is referred for information. 
So far as our information and observations went, the whole of the 
Philippine Islands are of similar geological formation. In some of 
the islands the volcanic rock prevails, while in others coal and the 
metalliferous deposits predominate. On some of them the coal-beds 
form part of the cliffs along the shore; on others, copper is found 
in a chlorite and talcose slate. The latter is more particularly the 
case with Luzon, and the same formation extends to Mindoro. Much 
iron occurs on the mountains. Thus, among the Tagala natives, 
who are yet unsubdued by the Spaniards, and who inhabit these 
mountains, it is found by them of so pure a quality that it is manu¬ 
factured into swords and cleavers. These are, occasionally, obtained 
by the Spaniards in their excursions into the interior against these 
bands. 
The country around Manilla is composed of tufa of a light gray 
colour, which being soft and easily worked, is employed as ths 
common building material in the city. It contains, sometimes, scoria 
and pumice, in pieces of various sizes, besides, occasionally, impres¬ 
sions of plants, with petrified woods. There are confined to recent 
species, and include palms, &c. 
This tufa forms one of the remarkable features of the volcanoes of 
* It is called so in consequence of the island being nearly divided in the parallel of 14° N., 
by two bays. 
