MANILLA. 295 



stating the course I intended to pursue, frankly told me that all the 

 existing charts were erroneous. He only knew enough of the ground 

 to be certain that they were so, and consequently useless. He advised 

 my taking one of the native pilots, who were generally well ac- 

 quainted with the seas that lay more immediately in my route. The 

 captain of the port was afterwards kind enough to offer to procure me 

 one. 



The intercourse I had with these gentlemen was a source of 

 much gratification, and it gives me great pleasure to make this public 

 expression of it. To both, my sincere acknowledgments are due for 

 information in relation to the various reefs and shoals that have been 

 recently discovered, and which will be found placed in their true posi- 

 tion on our charts. 



During our stay at Manilla, our time was occupied in seeing sights, 

 shopping, riding, and amusing ourselves with gazing on the throng 

 incessantly passing through the Escolta of the Binondo suburb, or more 

 properly, the commercial town of Manilla. 



Among the lions of the place, the great royal cigar manufactories 

 claim especial notice from their extent and the many persons em- 

 ployed. There are two of these establishments, one situated in the 

 Binondo quarter, and the other on the great square or Prado ; in 

 the former, which was visited by us, there are two buildings of two 

 stories high, besides several storehouses, enclosed by a wall, with two 

 large gateways, at which sentinels are always posted. The principal 

 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- 



