Occupation! of ilie Inhabitants. MAN I LI, A. 



large space, being built around a patio or court- 

 yard. 



The ground-floors arc occupied as storehouse!), 

 stable*, and fur porters' lodges. The second story 

 is devoted to the dining-halls and sleeping apart- 

 ments, kitchens, bath-rooms, &.e. The bed-rooms 

 have the windows down to the floor, opening on 

 wide balconies, with blinds nr 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 placutta ; the 

 fronts of some <if tho houses have a large number 

 of these small lights, where the females of the family 

 may enjoy themselves unperceived. 



After entering the canal, wc very soon found 

 ourselves among a motley and strange population. 

 On lauding, the attention is drawn to the vast 

 number of small stalls and shops with which the 

 streets arc lined on each fcide, and to the crowds of 

 people passing to and fro, all intent upon their 

 several occupations. The artisans in Manilla are 

 almost wholly Chinese ; and all trades are local, &o 

 that in each quarter of the IMnondn suburb the 

 privilege of exclusive occupancy is claimed by 

 some particular kinds of shops. *ln passing up the 

 Escolta (which is the longest and main street in 

 this district), the cabinet-makers, seen busily at 

 work in their shops, arc first met with j next to 

 these come the tinkers and blacksmiths ; then the 

 shoemakers, clothiers, fishmongers, haberdashers, 

 &.c. These are flanked by outdoor occupations ; 

 and in each quarter are numerous cooks, frying 

 cakes, stewing, &c, in moveable kitchens ; while 

 here and there are to be seen betel-nut sellers, 

 either moving about to obtain customers, or taking 

 a stand in some great thoroughfare. The moving 

 throng, composed of carriers, waiters, messengera, 

 &c, pass quietly and without any noise : they are 

 generally seen with the Chinese umbrella, painted 

 of many colours, screening themselves from the 

 sun. The whole population wear slippers, and move 

 along with a slip-shod gait. 



The Clum-sc are apparently far more nume- 

 rous than the Malays, and the two races differ us 

 much in character as in appearance : one is all 

 activity, while the ether in disposed to avt.id all 

 exertion. They preserve their distinctive character 

 throughout, mixing but very little with each other, 

 and are removed as far as possible in their civilities; 

 the former, from their industry ami pi reverence, 

 have almost monopolized all the lucrative employ- 

 ments among the lower orders, excepting the wil- 

 ing of fish and betel-nut, and articles manufactured 

 in the provinces. 



On shore, we were kindly received by Mr. 

 Moore, who at once made us feel at home. The 

 change of feeling that takes place in a transfer 

 from shipboard in a hot climate, after a long cruiBe, 

 to spacious and airy apartments, surrounded by 

 every luxury that kind attentions can give, can be 

 scarcely imagined by those who have not expe- 

 rienced it. 



As we needed some repairs and supplies, to at- 

 tend to these was my first occupation. Among the 

 former, wc 1-04111 red a heavy piece of blacksmith- 

 work, to prepare which, we wore obliged to send 

 our armourers on shore. The only thing they could 

 procure was a place for a forge ; but coal, and 

 every thing eke, we had to supply from the ship. 

 1 mention these things to show that those in want 



City government.— Dlicovery of ihe 



PhjHpp[rc«--Mmgelhacna. 310 



of repairs must not calculate upon their being done 

 at Manilla with despatch, if they can be accom- 

 plished at al). 



The city government of Manilla was established 

 on the 24 ill of June, 1571, and the title under 

 which it is designated is, *' The celebrated and for 

 ever royal city of Manilla." 1 11 I Silo, the charter 

 was coufinned by royal authority ; and all the 

 prerogatives possessed by other cities in the king- 

 dom were conferred upon it in W'.IB. The mem- 

 bers of the city cuuncil, by authority of the king, 

 were constituted a council of advisement with the 

 governor and captain -general. The city magistrates 

 were also placed in rank next the judges ; and in 

 ltflHi the jurisdiction of the city was extended over 

 a radius of five leagues. In ItllU, the number of 

 the eouncil were increased and ordered to assume 

 tho title of " excellency." Manilla has been one 

 of ihe moet constantly loyal cities of the Spanish 

 kingdom, and is, in consequence, considered to 

 merit these additional royal favours to its inha- 

 bitants. 



In 1834, the Royal Tribunal of Commerce w'as 

 instituted, to supersede the old consulate, which 

 bad been established since 1""2. The Royal Tri- 

 bunal of Commerce acts under the new commercial 

 code, and possesses the same privileges of arbitra- 

 tion as the old consulate. It consists of a prior, 

 two consuls, and four deputies, elected by the pro- 

 f< s-ion. The three first exercise consular juris- 

 diction, the other four superintend the encourage- 

 ment of commerce. The "Junta de Comerdo" 

 {chamber of commerce) was formed in 1835. This 

 junta consists of the Tribunal of Commerce, with 

 four merchants, who are selected by the govern- 

 ment, two of whom are removed annually. The 

 prior of the Tribunal presides at the Junta, whose 

 meetings are required to be held twice a month, or 

 oftener if necessary, and upon days in which the 

 M hnatl is not in session. The two courts being 

 under the same influences, and having the same 

 officers, little benefit is to be derived from their 

 double action, and great complaints are made of 

 the manner in which business is conducted in 

 them. 



Of all her foreign possession*, the Philippines 

 have cost Spain ihe least blood and labour. The 

 honour of iheir discovery belongs to Magelhaens, 

 whose name is associated with the straits at the 

 southern extremity of the American continent, 

 but which has no memorial in these islands. Now 

 that tho glory which he gained by being the first 

 to penetrate from the Atlantic to the Pacific, has 

 been in some measure obliterated by the disuse of 

 those straits by navigators, it would soem due to 

 his memory that suiue spot among these islands 



should be set apart to commemorate the nan t 



him who made them known to Europe. This 

 would be but common justice to the discoverer of 

 a region which baa been a source of so much 

 honour and profit to the Spanish nation, who 

 opened the vast expanse of the Pacific to the fleet* 

 of Europe, and who died fighting to secure the 

 benefits of his enterprise to his king and country. 



Magelhaens was killed at the island of Mntan, 

 on die 2(iih of April, 1521 ; and Duarte, the second 

 In command, who succeeded him, imprudently 

 accepting an invitation from the chief of Febri to 

 a feast, was, with twenty companions, massacred. 

 Of all the Spaniards present, only one escaped. 



