MAN 
MANIL'LA, or Luzon, the name of the largeffi of the 
Philippine iflands in the Eaft Indies, fubjeft to Spain. It 
had the name of Luzon from a cuftom that prevailed 
among the natives of beating or bruifing their rice in 
wooden mortars, before they either boiled or baked it ; 
luzon, in their language, fignifying a mortar. For a de- 
fcription of the ifland, fee LugoN, vol. xiii. p. 748, 9.— 
Since that article was written, accounts have been re¬ 
ceived of a dreadful fcourge tlrat has vifited a part of this 
ifland, of which we find the following ffatement in the 
Gentleman’s Magazine. “ Thirteen years had elapfed, 
fince the volcano of Albay, called by the natives Mayon, 
had remained in undifturbed lilence; fo that it was con¬ 
templated without thofe feelings which volcanoes gene¬ 
rally raife in the minds of the neighbours. The laft erup¬ 
tion took place in the year 1800, when great quantities of 
fand, ftone, and afhes, were thrown up, and caufed great 
damage to the neighbouring villages. From that period 
nothing occurred to mark a volcano ; fo that the terror 
which it had occafioned began by degrees to evaporate. 
The lofty brow of the mountain was converted into a 
pleafant and beautiful-garden; and was cultivated with 
hemp, cocoa-nuts, and many kinds of fructiferous trees, 
with a great quantity of roots and leguminous plants, 
which, at the fame time that they afforded a delightful 
profpeft for the eye, gave fupport to many induftrious fa¬ 
milies. In this ftate the volcano was on the ill of this 
month (Feb. 1814.) The dangers which it had occa¬ 
fioned were almoft obliterated from the memory ; and the 
mind became fatisfied that the volcanic fire had become 
extinguifhed, and that the fubterraneous conduits by 
which it attracted the combuftible matter in the bowels 
of the earth were clofed. The mountain gave no fign to 
indicate the eruption ; on the former occafions, they were 
preceded by fubterraneous noifes and thick volumes of 
fmoke; but, in the prefent inftance, nothing of the kind 
occurred. It is true, on the laft day of January, feme 
flight ftiocks of earthquakes were felt; but were hardly 
noticed, fimilar (hocks having become very frequent fince 
the dreadful eruption in OCtober 1800. During the night 
the earthquake became more fevere, and at two o’clock in 
the morning was more violent than had at any time been 
known. It was repeated at four o’clock ; and from that 
time continued without intermifiion till the eruption 
commenced. A morning more fair, or an horizon more 
ferene, than attended the approach of the day, had never 
been known. The hills contiguous to the volcano were 
obferved, however, to be covered with miff, which was 
fuppofed to be the fmoke of fome houfe that had been 
burnt during the night. No fooner, however, had the 
clock on that fatal morning (truck eight, than the volcano 
began to emit tremendous quantities of ftone, /and, and 
afhes, which were inftantaneoufly thrown up into the air, 
higher than the eye could reach, and caufed terror and 
confternation among the inhabitants, who faw the fum- 
mit of the mountain affume a molt terrific appearance. 
The eruption was more tremendous than had ever before 
been known, and every one expected inftant death. The 
iirft effort was to offer up prayers to the divine mercy, 
and then fly to feek fhelter in the caves and remote parts 
of the mountains ; but the efforts of many were fruitlefs, 
being overtaken in their flight by fliowers of Hones and 
burning matter, which fpread death among them. The 
mifery of our fituation increafed as the day became dark¬ 
ened, and the fubterraneous noife of the volcano more 
fevere. The eruption continued for ten days , and during 
the firft four was accompanied by almoft total darknefs. 
About noon on the tenth day the r.oife of the volcano 
began to leflen; and at two o’clock the horizon was en¬ 
tirely clear, and enabled us to fee diftinCtly the horrid 
and lamentable deftruCtion which the darknefs had con¬ 
cealed from us. Five populous towns in the province of 
Camarinas, and the principal part of Albay, were de— 
ifroyed ; more than twelve hundred perfons were reckoned 
Vol. XIV. No. 974. 
M A N 285 
among the dead, and many that furvived were dreadfully 
wounded or burnt. The mountain now prefents a me¬ 
lancholy picture. Its brow, which was before fo culti¬ 
vated, and offered a beautiful profpeCt, is now a dry and 
barren defert. The matter thrown out by the volcano, 
covers the ground in fome places from ten to twelve 
yards in depth, and in others it reaches the top of the 
loftieft cocoa-nut trees. Its ravages extend over the 
whole of the beautiful province of Camarinas, where 
fcarcely a tree has been left (landing or uninjured. The 
opening of the mountain, which forms the crater of the 
volcano, has extended itfelf twenty fathoms below the 
level; whilft on the fouthern afpeit of the mountain 
three new apertures have been opened, out of which 
fmoke and allies dill continue to be occafionally thrown. 
The population of the province was calculated at 20,000 
fouls; and all who have furvived the eruption have been 
ruined, or deprived of every thing they poflefled.” Gent. 
Mag. Dec. 1814. 
MANIL'LA, the capital city of the above ifland, and 
of all the Spanilh fettlements in the Philippines, (which 
fee.) It lies on the fouth-eaft fide of the ifland, where a 
large river falls into the fea, and forms a noble bay, thirty 
leagues in compafs, to which the Spaniards have given 
the name of Bahia , becaufe the river runs out of the great 
lake Bahi, which lies at the diftance of fix leagues behind 
it. In compafs it is two miles, in length one-third of a 
mile; the (hape irregular, being narrow at both ends, and 
wide in the middle. On the fouth it is wartied by the 
fea, and on the north and eaft by the river; being aifo 
ftrongly fortified with walls, baftions, forts, and batteries. 
Manilla contains about 30,000 fouls, who are a very mot¬ 
ley race, diltinguifhed by feveral ltrange names, and pro¬ 
duced by the conjunction of Spaniards, Chinefe, Mala- 
bars, Blacks, and others inhabiting the city and iflands 
depending on it. In proportion to the fize of the place, 
the number of churches and religious houfes is very great j 
and the number of its Chriltian inhabitants is com¬ 
puted at 12,000. The fuburbs extend to a confiderable 
diftance beyond the walls. Within a mu(ket-(hot of the 
gate of Parian is the habitation of Chinefe merchants, 
called Sangleys, whofe (hops in feveral ftreets are furnifhed 
for fale with (ilk, porcelain, and other commodities. The 
number of perfons, who, availing themfelves of the indo¬ 
lence of the Spaniards and Indians, profitably employ 
themfelves in this way, is very confiderable. Thefe Sang¬ 
leys are under the government of an alcaide, to whom, as 
well as to other officers, they allow handfome falaries. 
Beyond the bridge adjoining to Parian are fifteen fuburbs 
or hamlets, inhabited by Japanefe, Tagalis, and people of 
other nations, under the government of an alcaide. Their 
houfes, conltruCted of wood, are fituated near the river, 
and erefted on pillars : the roofs are covered with palm- 
tree leaves, and the Tides formed of canes; and they are 
afeended by ladders, as the ground is moift, or fometimes 
overflowed with water. Thecaftle (lands at the weft end 
of the city, having the fea on one fide, and the river on 
the other. 
The river, which flows under the city walls, is the har¬ 
bour for merchant-(hips, and feparates Manilla from the 
town of St. Croix. This latter town is in part equally 
well built with the capital, is populous in Indians and 
Spaniards, and is furrounded by three villages of the na¬ 
tives, which may be regarded as fuburbs. At a ffiort dif¬ 
tance, on the oppofite bank of the river, but on the fame 
fide with Manilla, are feveral confiderable towns alfo 
belonging to the natives. Few merchants, and dill fewer 
mechanics, refide within the walls of Manilla. The great 
feat of their manufactures, as well as the emporium of all 
kinds of merchandife, is the town named Parian, on the 
other fide of the river, which is pretty regularly built, 
and inhabited chiefly by Chinefe. From a final 1 colony, 
the population of thefe people lias increafed fo as now to 
amount to more than 20,000, who, after engroffing the 
4 D whole 
