296 
MANILLA. 
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 sufficent 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 manufactured 
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 considered 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 embroidered by girls; this last operation adds 
greatly to its value. We visited one of the houses where this was in 
progress, and where the most skilful workwomen are employed. 
On mounting the stairs of bamboos, every step we took produced its 
creak; but, although the whole seemed but a crazy affair, yet it did not 
want for strength, being well and firmly bound together. There were 
two apartments, each about thirteen by twenty-five feet, which could be 
divided by screens, if required. At the end of it were seen about forty 
females, all busily plying their needles, and so closely seated as appa¬ 
rently to incommode each other. The mistress of the manufactory, who 
was quite young, gave us a friendly reception, and showed us the whole 
process of drawing the threads and working the patterns, which, in many 
cases, were elegant. A great variety of dresses, scarfs, caps, collars, 
cuffs, and pocket-handkerchiefs, were shown us. These were mostly 
in the rough state, and did not strike us with that degree of admiration 
which was expected. They, however, had been in hand for six months, 
and were soiled by much handling; but when others were shown us in 
the finished state, washed and put up, they were such as to claim our 
admiration. 
I was soon attracted by a very different sight at the other end of 
the apartment. This was a dancing-master and his scholar, of six 
years old, the daughter of the woman of the house. It was exceedingly 
amusing to see the airs and graces of this child. 
