Of the Restoration of Manila by the English at the Peace,
anno 1763.
On the 23d of July, 1763, an English frigate arrived with the
armistice which had been agreed on by the powers of Spain, France,
and England. In any other part of the world hostilities would have
ceased, and the chiefs of the contending parties would have been
anxious to exchange reciprocal civility and kindness the moment
such intelligence was received; but in the Philippines, such were
the misunderstandings which had arisen, that the armistice which
in Europe had been carried into effect, was here of no avail. The
English commander acknowledged no other governor than the Archbishop,
and to him he communicated, in the usual form, the contents of his
despatches from his court. The Archbishop transmitted them to Senor
Anda, who replied, "That in a matter of such importance and delicacy,
the English commander ought immediately to have made him acquainted
with it, without the intervention of his Excellency." On the 27th of
August, an English vessel arrived with the preliminaries of peace,
and the British council directly handed over the despatches to Senor
Anda, sealed and directed to the Commander in Chief of his Catholic
Majesty's arms; but because the addition of Captain-general of the
Philippines was omitted, he would not receive it, observing, that
being without the corresponding titles, it might be doubted whether
the despatches were intended for him.
The British commander, to establish the authority of it, published a
manifesto on the 19th of September, pointing out the line of conduct
he had observed to Senor Anda, in order to procure a cessation of
hostilities as soon as he received the preliminaries of peace, and
which, he stated, had been forwarded to him by the prime minister,
signed by the British and Spanish ambassadors, and he declared Senor
Anda responsible for the blood which might be spilled in consequence
of the measures he adopted, so contrary to those laws of humanity
which had induced the European powers to sheath the sword. Senor Anda
replied to this manifesto by another, published in Bacolor the 28th of
September, in which he set forth that he had not been made acquainted
with the preliminaries of peace in due form; that as Governor he had
not been treated as such, but in that character he should answer the
English manifesto, by protesting that the continuation of hostilities
could not be imputed to him, but to those who, pursuing a line of
conduct little conformable to the orders of their sovereign, had
indirectly impeded their execution.
From this moment, however, the English allowed greater latitude to the
prisoners in Manila; and Senor Villa Corta, who was considered in that
light, availed himself of the indulgence to conceal himself in the
house of Don Tomas Dorado, from whence he escaped in a coach under
a female dress, and embarked for Pampanga. Senor Anda received him
with great affability; and as a mark of his friendship and affection,
he left him in Bacolor to transact some matters of business for him,
and departed for the camp, in order to transfer it to the town of
Polo from Maycavayan, where he had taken up his quarters since the
battle of Malinta. In his absence the Archbishop being taken ill,
the question was agitated who should be Governor in the event of his
death, and Senor Villa Corta observed, that he thought it fell to him,
as being senior Oidor. This conversation was not so secret but Senor
Anda became acquainted with it, and without waiting to remove his
camp to Polo, he left proper instructions, and returning to Bacolor
he retorted on Villa Corta, who endeavoured to exculpate himself,
by pleading that it was merely conversation, and undeserving serious
notice: his enquiries and solicitude terminated in discovering that
Senor Galban and the royal fiscal were of opinion that Senor Ustariz,
Bishop of New Segovia or Ylocos, ought to succeed to the government,
in case of the death of the Archbishop, conformable to the recent
orders of his Majesty. Senor Anda was anxious to obtain the opinions
of the various parties in the islands, and consulted Senor Matos,
Bishop of Camarines, and the provincial clergy on the subject. Senor
Matos returned him for answer, that the subject was quite foreign to
his profession, and that it was the province of the Royal Audience to
decide the point, and that he, as a good subject, should acquiesce in
that decision. The provincial friars of St. Augustine and St. Domingo
answered him in nearly the same terms; but the provincial of the
Jesuits and the Franciscans told him, that in the then situation of
the islands he alone could preserve the public tranquillity, and on
that account he ought to retain the supreme authority. This diversity
of opinion was not very gratifying to Senor Anda, and although the
troops were in his favour, he was by no means desirous of having
recourse to violence. This induced him to submit so far as to take
the opinion of the British commander, and he accordingly wrote to
him from Bacolor the 2d of November, 1763.
Major Fell, who commanded the English troops, had at this time quitted
his command, with the view of proceeding to London, to complain of
certain proceedings respecting Monsieur Faller, who was ordered for
execution by Admiral Cornish, on account of letters written by him to
the commandant at Batavia, in which he termed the admiral a pirate and
robber. Governor Drake protected him, and kept him in the hall of the
Royal Audience. Fell demanded him, and the Governor refusing to deliver
him up, Fell took with him a file of grenadiers, and repaired to the
palace. Ascending the staircase, he met the Governor coming down, when
an altercation took place, and Fell snatching a fusee from a grenadier,
was in the act of bayoneting the Governor, when one of his own soldiers
prevented him, and took the musket from him. During this disturbance on
the staircase, the grenadiers went to the hall of the Royal Audience,
took Faller, and carried him on board ship. Major Fell, in consequence
of this, embarked for London, in order to complain of the Governor,
and Don Thomas Backhouse took the command. To him it was that Senor
Anda wrote, complaining bitterly of the vexations which the English
soldiers had given to his soldiers, and finished by observing, that if
he meant to write, he must address him by the titles and in the style
due to his rank. Backhouse replied by disclaiming the ground of his
complaints, as they referred to a period when he had not the command;
and in regard to the government of the islands, he pleaded ignorance
of our statutes and laws, but he said he saw, with great grief, strong
symptoms of civil war, which threatened the desolation of Manila as
soon as evacuated by his Britannic Majesty's troops. Senor Anda well
knew that the English would not acknowledge any other Governor than
the Archbishop, and began to spread suspicions that the preliminaries
of peace were forged by the English Governor, who found himself driven
to extremity by the incursions our people made from the camp of Polo,
and which occasioned a scarcity of provisions in Manila.
The English adhering to the resolution of committing no act of
hostility, and keeping on the defensive, only endeavoured to procure
their provisions in the provinces. With this view they sent to the
province of Batan a sloop, with a very few people, to the town of
Orion, and taking refuge in the convent, they purchased what provisions
they wanted. Senor Anda hearing of this, sent troops against them:
the Indians assaulted them through the kitchen, and surprised them, but
they saved themselves in the sloop by the negligence of the officer who
commanded, and who arrived too late with the rest of the people. In the
river Pasig also our people made them abandon two vessels which were
going to the Lake for provisions, and they took a galley from the very
door of the store-houses. In this manner did the two nations continue
their hostilities until the 30th of January, 1764. On this day the
Archbishop died, oppressed in mind by the miseries he saw the people
suffer, and the many inquietudes his employment occasioned him at a
moment of such calamity. His Excellency was guilty of only one material
error during this war, and that was his engagement to pay four millions
to the English, and deliver up the islands to them. It would have been
better to have surrendered at discretion than with conditions so hard,
and out of his power to comply with: it must be remembered, however,
in his justification, that he granted them with the bayonet at his
breast, and that the Spaniards who were with him signed the same terms.
Immediately after the funeral of the Bishop, Senor Anda received
despatches, by way of China, from his Catholic Majesty, communicating
the conclusion of peace with the English, to his Governor at Manila;
he informed the English commandant of it, offering a suspension of
hostilities, and requesting them to take measures for delivering up
the place. The English assented to this, and sent to the town of
Tambobon the chief engineer, Stevenson, accompanied by Don Edward
Vogan as an interpreter, who had been at St. Joseph's College, and
returned to the islands with this expedition as a pilot or guide. On
our side was appointed Don Francisco Salgado, with his interpreter,
Don Geronimo Ramirez. Their respective powers being produced, they
entered on the negociation; but all was reduced to mere squabbling,
Salgado exaggerating our strength, which, he said, was equal to the
capture of Manila, to which the English officer very archly replied,
by asking why they did not take the fort on the Pasig, which was
scarcely in a state of defence? Nine days were thus wasted, and
nothing concluded on. While under these circumstances, an English
vessel arrived, with orders to evacuate the place, and the negociation
ceased. This occurrence served to revive the old disputes relative to
the succession to the government, and receiving the place from the
English. Senor Villa Corta had his supporters, and Senor Ustariz,
who had the greatest right, did not want for partizans. Senor Anda
had in his favour the circumstance of having defended the islands, and
having prevented the English from advancing to the northern provinces;
and, above all, he commanded the troops, who were attached to him, and
this served to check the pretensions of the others. Most fortunately,
at this time, arrived at Marinduque, in the Santa Rosa frigate,
Don Francisco de la Torre, despatched by the Viceroy of Mexico as
the King's Lieutenant. Senor Anda sent him a galley, on board of
which he embarked and came to Bacolor, where Senor Anda, with much
honour and disinterestedness, resigned the government into his hands,
conformable to his Sovereign's orders, on the 17th of March, 1764.
Senor Torre sent to Backhouse and Brereton, his Britannic Majesty's
commanding officers at Manila, the despatches, by which he ordered
the evacuation of Manila, and they replied, that they were ready to
deliver up the place to him in form. He took possession of a house in
Santa Cruz, placed a Spanish guard, with advanced centinels, as far
as the great bridge, where the advanced guard of the English was,
and a friendly communication took place. Governor Drake felt hurt
that he had not been consulted on these proceedings, and ordered the
Spanish Governor to retire, or abide the consequences. Brereton and
Backhouse ordered the troops under arms to arrest the Governor for
sending such a hostile message, as the sincerity of both parties was
unquestionable. Drake heard of it, and escaping from the city with
his suite, embarked on board the frigate and put to sea.
The terms were concluded in an amicable manner, and the day was fixed
for giving possession of the place, for which purpose Senor Anda came
with the troops which he had in Polo; and Senor Torre being indisposed,
he received the town from the English, placed the Spanish guards at
the gates, and hoisted the Spanish flag on the fort of Sant Jago,
in the midst of salutes of artillery.
The English commander, before he quitted Manila, published a manifesto,
in which he desired any person who had cause of complaint against the
late government to apply to him, and he would do him justice. Senor
Villa Corta presented himself, and demanded the repayment of the
three thousand dollars he had paid, to redeem the sentence of death
passed on him. Brereton ordered them to be returned, observing, that
if the sentence was just, it ought to have been put in execution,
and not be commuted for money; and if unjust, the restitution of the
sum was highly proper. The provincial of the Jesuits claimed a sloop
which Governor Drake had requested of him, and which he had given
gratuitously for the service of the King of Great Britain; but the
Governor having appropriated it to his own use, he now requested it
might be returned, or four thousand dollars paid for it, which was
the sum it was valued at. This was immediately paid him: various
other demands were made of less magnitude, which Brereton satisfied
with justice and equity.
At the instance of the English chiefs, our government published
a manifesto, in which a pardon was granted to the Chinese who had
joined their party, although some of the ringleaders, not confiding
in the manifesto, went away with the English, as did also Faller and
Orandain, who were under apprehensions, if they remained in Manila,
that they would be beheaded as traitors. Orandain, in his retreat,
passed over to Tonquin, and having landed, the natives rose on him, in
consequence of some excesses which had been committed by the sailors:
they attacked him, and being unable to gain the boats in consequence
of waiting for his daughter, whom he had married to an Englishman,
and who was on shore with him, both he and his daughter were murdered,
thus atoning for the crimes with which he was charged.
Manila, Cavite, and Pasig, being delivered up, Brereton embarked and
went to Mariveles, where the transport ships were waiting for him;
and having despatched a packet-boat with the King of Jolo to restore
him to his throne, he set sail for India.
The religious orders had co-operated very considerably with Senor Anda,
in enabling him to maintain the Indians of the respective districts
in obedience to his orders, by inspiring a horror of the English as
enemies of the King and their religion, exciting them even to die
in fighting cheerfully against them; likewise offering their houses,
estates, and riches, and finally exposing their own persons to very
imminent risks. All of them exerted themselves uniformly to this end,
for which they jointly and individually were honoured with the thanks
of his Majesty for their distinguished loyalty; but the Augustines
suffered most, for as Senor Anda retired into the provinces of
Bulacan and Pampanga, which these friars governed, they supplied
him with recruits and with provisions. They exhorted the Indians,
and even forced them, to serve against the English, and to be ready,
at all times, to obey orders. The enemy knew that without this resource
Senor Anda could not have acquired the means of resistance; and finding
that the Augustines gave him every aid, they were declared traitors,
eleven were arrested, and carried away to London and India. All were
made prisoners whom they could lay their hands on, and confined in
the dungeons of the fort; and they would have been taken away to
sea if the preliminaries of peace had not arrived. They plundered
a second time their convent; they sold the bells and the library;
and a person was even found to purchase the building; in short,
every thing they had was confiscated. When Manila was delivered up,
in order to repossess themselves of their convent, it was necessary
for the provincial to make a contract to pay ten thousand dollars
for it, in case the courts of Madrid and London should confirm the
confiscation of their property. The British court approved of the
conduct of the English council, and, in virtue of its sentence,
an Englishman went to Madrid to receive the ten thousand dollars;
but our court not consenting to pay this sum, considering it a mere
imposition, the English threatened that another opportunity they
would make up the loss; but this dispute, as also that respecting
the four millions which the Archbishop promised to pay, is buried in
oblivion long ago, and was fully covered by the millions sacrificed
in the treaties respecting Nootka Sound, and the whale fisheries on
the northern coast of America.
All these services of the Augustines to Senor Anda were, however,
thrown away, for some of the individuals of their body in the disputes
which arose on the succession after the death of the Archbishop,
attached themselves to the party of Villa Corta; and consulting their
provincial, they replied to Senor Anda, that it was their opinion
the dispute ought to be decided by the Royal Audience, and that their
decision should be final. So disgusted was he by this determination
of the Augustines, that he not only forgot all the services they had
rendered him, but on his return as Governor, under some frivolous
pretence, he sent soldiers to Pampanga, confiscated their property,
and put the whole of the order in confinement at Manila, substituting
Indian clergy in their room.
His Majesty considered attentively all the services the Augustines
had rendered in Manila, and ordered that all their property should
be restored to them, together with the province of Pampanga; but when
this order arrived, the furniture of the poor monks was already rotten
in the store-houses, and the friars themselves having been driven
into other provinces or dead, were unable to avail themselves of his
Majesty's kindness, and take possession of the province of Pampanga
thus allotted to them by his decision. To all which, if the desolation
caused by the war is added, the friars will be found to have suffered
the most severe losses, and which they have yet scarcely been able
to retrieve.
Senor Torre being recovered of his indisposition, which was probably
only assumed, in order to afford Senor Anda the opportunity of
entering triumphantly into Manila to receive it from the English,
as many suspected was the case, he went to reside at the palace, and
began, by degrees, to restore order, and to repair the various ravages
occasioned by the war. He made arrangements for tranquillizing the
province of Pangasinan, and conducted the government with sufficient
ability until the arrival of his successor, Field-Marshal Don Joseph
Raon; but the occurrences during his and the succeeding government
are of too recent a nature to be committed to the press with that
candour which the fidelity of historical record requires.
EXTRACT
From Monsr. Sonnerat's Voyage aux Indes et a la Chine.
Vol. III. Chap. 10.
OF THE
PHILIPPINES AND MOLUCCAS.
These Archipelagos have been already noticed in my Voyage to New
Guinea; but I have, since that period, had occasion to make some
further observations, equally new as necessary.
I follow M. le Gentil in giving the position, latitude, and seasons
of the principal of these islands. This judicious observer has made
a particular study of the subject, and his work appears to me correct.
The Philippines and Moluccas are commonly divided into two distinct
Archipelagos; but, in my opinion, all these islands in reality form but
one; and if they were all under one Sovereign, they would, doubtless,
be comprehended under one designation.
The Philippines are attached to the crown of Spain, and the Dutch
possess the Moluccas. These last are more deserving of consideration,
and richer than the first. They owe their fertility to the industry
of a nation laborious, commercial, and addicted to cultivation. Every
thing, on the contrary, in the Philippines, indicates the indolence
of a people who direct all their efforts to religion, and whose sole
object seems to be to acquire proselytes.
OF THE PHILIPPINES.
The Philippines extend from the 3d or 4th, to the 19th or 20th degree
of north latitude. They comprehend a great number of islands, which,
for the most part, are very little known. The principal, and those
on which the Spaniards have establishments, are Lucon, Mindoro,
Panay, and Mindanao. Next, in point of extent, are ranked Palawan,
Buglas or Isle of Negroes, Zebu, Leyt or Leita, and Samar. To the
east of Zebu is the little island of Mactan, where Magellan lost his
life. Exclusive of these there is a multitude of small islands.
Lucon lies to the north of all the others: it is likewise the largest,
being not less than 450 miles in length, and about 85 at its least
breadth. The Spaniards have upon this island established Manila, the
capital of their settlements in the Archipelago. Its advantageous
position for the commerce of China, and that of other parts of
India, ought to render this city the richest in the world; but what
Spaniard would occupy his time in the pursuit of transitory riches,
which must be acquired by the assiduities of commercial industry,
and at the expense of his national prejudices?
Manila lies in 40 deg. 30' N. latitude. The climate is nearly the same
as that of Pondicherry and Madras; the town is large and well built;
the houses are handsome, and the streets in straight lines. There are
several superb churches. It is fortified, and is situated upon the
bank of a considerable river, which washes its walls, and communicates
through the island of Lucon in every direction. The country which
surrounds it is fertile, and adapted to every species of cultivation;
but in the hands of the Spaniards it lies an useless waste. They have
neither availed themselves of the position of the town, or of the
fertility of the surrounding soil; they allow it to exhaust itself,
and bear of its own accord crops which they will not be at the trouble
of getting in. Even the law, which ought to lend its aid in support
of the cultivator of the soil, is at Manila inimical to his views,
and the exportation of that abundance which nature holds out to man
is prohibited. The treasures of the earth exceed the wants of the
limited number of inhabitants in this island, and they are allowed to
perish on the soil which gives them birth. The consequence is, that
should it happen in any year that a variable atmosphere, hurricanes,
or a wet or dry season, should substitute scarcity for abundance,
the most dreadful famine would be the lot of a country which ought
never to feel the effects of it.
Such is the general ignorance, such their indolence, their blind
and culpable confidence in Providence, that the extent of their
cultivation, and the collection of their produce, is limited to their
immediate wants. The most horrible misery is often the result of this
perilous security, so much at variance with the benevolent views of
nature. Common animal instinct teaches us to provide for the future,
but the Spaniards cannot boast of even this foresight.
It is computed that there are about 12,000 Christians in Manila. The
population of this city was formerly much more extensive while it was
resorted to by the Chinese. Many of that nation were settled there,
and others were engaged in commercial intercourse; but a bigoted
Governor, under the influence of a wretched policy, absolutely drove
them out of the island. Commerce and the arts immediately declined,
and have never since recovered. Misery and depopulation have been
the fatal consequences of this mal-administration.
Vessels do not anchor abreast of Manila; the mouth of the river is
interrupted by a bar, which is very dangerous in stormy weather. Small
vessels, however, may enter, and their cargoes are discharged at
Privateer harbour. Such vessels as are obliged to winter at Manila
retire to the port of Cavite, situated in the bottom of the bay to
the S. E. and three leagues distant from Manila.
Cavite is provided with a fort, which is not in a state to resist
the attack of an European enemy. It is constructed on a tongue of
low land, which the sea threatens with submersion; its harbour is
not sheltered from the north and N. N. W. winds; and it is infested
with a species of worm which attacks vessels, and soon renders them
unfit to keep the sea. Another great inconvenience is, that water is
procured at a great distance; and for this purpose it is necessary
to employ the flat-bottomed boats of the country, which are alone
capable of penetrating sufficiently far up the river. Three parts of
the town, little considerable in itself, are occupied, like all the
Spanish possessions, by convents; the suburbs are called Fauxbourg
Saint Roch. It consists of a collection of houses, built of bamboo,
and covered with palm leaves; but there are in it, however, the ruins
of a church which appears to have been sufficiently handsome. The
Indians, who joined the English in 1762, destroyed it, and that which
was formerly held in such respect is now become a shelter for cattle.
The Spaniards have many religious establishments in the island of
Lucon. It might be averred, that it never was their intention to plant
colonies, for they have only sent monks, and appear to have had no
other end in view than the propagation of the Catholic faith. The
people, therefore, who have submitted to the Spanish yoke, scarcely
exhibit any traits of a polished nation. Languishing in inactivity,
they are without energy, and appear equally indifferent to virtue as to
vice. Indolence, a dereliction of life and timidity, constitute their
character, and misery is their habitual state; but there are districts
to which the Spaniards have been unable to penetrate. In vain have they
tried to subdue those who have retired thither; in vain applied force,
severity, and punishment, to subjugate and convert them. These people
have escaped from the yoke by removing themselves to defiles where
the Spaniards cannot attack them: they have carried with them into
the retreat they have chosen the recollection of the injuries they
have suffered, and of those with which they have been threatened;
they nourish, in the extremity of their asylum, an implacable hatred
against the strangers, whom they consider as the oppressors of their
native land; they incessantly meditate on, and prepare the means
of revenge. Supported by their courage, animated by their hatred,
they dare approach even the gates of the capital: their progress is
marked with pillage, murder, devastation, and rape; they even live
at the expense of such of their countrymen as have submitted; they
carry off, they tear from them the support of a miserable existence,
which these latter have neither the strength nor the courage to defend.
There is, besides these, in the mountainous parts, a description of
people absolutely in a savage state; they shun the face of man, they
even shun each other; they are solitary wanderers; they stop when night
overtakes them, and take their rest in the hollows of trees; they are
strangers even to domestic life. The invincible propensities of nature
are alone capable of bending their stubborn character, and impelling
the men to satisfy themselves with such females as chance throws
in their way, and towards whom desire is the only attraction. The
inhabitants of the island of Lucon call themselves Tagals, as do
likewise all the inhabitants of the Philippines--they appear to
derive their origin from the Malays, and exhibit features of their
character--their language, though different from that of the Malays,
has its pronunciation and its sweetness. All these islands seem to
be inhabited by the same people, among whom their customs alone have
been subjected to change. In Manila, such has been the intercourse
with the Chinese and other nations, that they have become a mixed race.
The Manilians are of a swarthy complexion, large and well made; their
dress is composed of a shirt of a kind of linen made of the filaments
of the abaca, a species of palm; this shirt is very short, and is
worn over a large and wide pair of drawers: but their greatest luxury
consists in handkerchiefs, with red borders, of the finest quality;
of these they usually wear three, one on the head, one on the neck,
and the third is held in the hand. The English manufacture them at
Madras expressly for their consumption.
The women wear a kind of little shift, which scarcely reaches to
the navel, with a handkerchief loosely covering the neck; a white
linen cloth encircles the body, and is fastened by a button at the
waist: they throw over this a coloured stuff, manufactured by the
inhabitants of Panay. Over all is worn a mantle, for the most part
black, which covers the body from head to foot. Their hair, which
is black and highly beautiful, sometimes reaches to the ground:
they bestow the greatest care on it, anoint it with cocoa-nut oil,
plait it in the Chinese fashion, and, towards the crown of the head,
form it into a knot, fastened with a gold or silver pin. They wear
embroidered slippers, so very small that they only cover the toes.
The houses of the Indians of Manila are constructed of bamboo, covered
with palm leaves. They are erected on pillars of wood, at the height
of from eight to ten feet from the ground, and they ascend to them
by a small ladder, which is drawn up every night. The custom of thus
raising their houses to this elevation, has for its object their
protection from the humidity of the soil; but that of drawing up the
ladders, by which they mount to them, has in view their security
against ferocious animals, and those of their neighbours who live
in a savage state. Their bed is, for the most part, a simple mat,
spread on the floor.
Their food is rice, plain boiled, which they eat either with salted
fish, or by putting into the water in which it is dressed a spice,
which takes off its insipid taste.
There are many lakes in the island of Lucon; the most considerable is
that called by the Spaniards Laguna de Bay. The river, which washes the
walls of Manila, flows out of this lake, and thus a communication,
by means of boats, is open to its surrounding shores. This lake
is about 30 leagues in circumference, and about 120 fathoms in
depth. In the middle of it is an island, which holds out a refuge
to some Indian families. They live by fishing, and preserve their
liberty by prohibiting the approach of strangers to their asylum. This
lake is bounded on the west by high mountains; the level country is
fertile, and is inhabited by a people of gentle manners: they employ
themselves in manufacturing matting, cloth, and different fabrics,
from the abaca. Perhaps the first monks who were sent to convert them
were attracted there by the mildness of their character.
The Spaniards, in supplying them with a religion, have left their laws
unaltered; in fact, their ancient usages are retained, and they are
governed by an Indian of their village, nominated, however, by the
Spaniards, and whose authority they acknowledge.
This people, though of a mild character, treat crimes with severity;
the greatest, in their opinion, is adultery, which is the only one
punished with death.
Eastward of the lake there are immense plains; large and deep rivers
traverse them, and spread to a great distance a natural fertility. This
country might be the residence of a numerous population, which might
live happy in the cultivation of it. Only a few villages, however,
are to be seen scattered here and there; miserable dwellings,
inhabited by men devoid of honesty, without justice, who, in a
constant state of warfare, entertain mutual fear of each other, and
who, instead of laws, of the protection of which they are ignorant,
place their security in their arms; these they never quit, they hold
them in readiness in approaching each other, and the intercourse
they have together less resembles a social act than a state of
perpetual warfare. Even the rights of blood afford no security:
parents, brothers, wife and husband, live in constant distrust of
each other, and, consequently, in a state of reciprocal hatred. The
origin of manners, so far removed from the mild character of their
neighbours, may be found in the mode adopted for their subjection,
and the recollection of those punishments they have been exposed to
by the priests, in compelling them to adore the cross.
There are many volcanos in the island of Lucon, which, it is most
probable, is the cause of the frequent earthquakes to which it is
subject; not a year passes without two, three, or four. The Spaniards
of Manila construct their houses accordingly; the whole is of wood,
and raised on wooden pillars; but to guard against such visitations
they are provided with a small apartment made of bamboo, placed in
the court or garden. There the whole family sleeps, when the state
of the atmosphere seems to indicate an earthquake.
It has been well observed by M. Gentil, that the earthquakes appear
to occur more frequently at the end of the year, and most commonly
in the night-time. I witnessed two in the month of December, 1770:
the first was violent, and threw down many houses; it was announced at
nine o'clock at night by a strong southerly wind, which considerably
agitated the sea; the atmosphere became charged with a reddish vapour,
and in two hours time I felt three successive shocks, which produced
in me a kind of sea sickness. The vessels in the road were sensible
of the motion, and thought they had struck. The Spaniards employed
themselves in chaunting the rosary.
From the volcanos proceed springs of warm water, which are in
great abundance in the island of Lucon; to some are attributed even
marvellous properties, particularly to those of Bailly, situated
on the borders of the lake of Bay. The King has had an hospital and
public baths constructed here.
The trade of Manila might be very considerable, and this city become
one of the richest and most commercial in all Asia. The Spaniards
themselves might proceed to China, Cochin-china, India, Bengal,
Surat, and even to the Isle of France, from whence might be drawn the
commodities they stand in need of either for their own consumption,
or for carrying on the commerce to Mexico; they might take with them,
in exchange, the produce of the islands: but the Spaniard, naturally
slothful, is more disposed to enjoy his indolence, which he denominates
tranquillity, than export the productions of his country; a species
of traffic necessarily accompanied with some degree of fatigue.
The government has prohibited the admission of any foreign vessels
into their harbours. All the French navigators, who have been desirous
of establishing an intercourse, and who have touched at Manila for
commercial purposes, have been always received very ungraciously; and
privateers, from an ill-judged combination against them, have uniformly
sustained great losses there on their prizes. The difficulties which
have been thrown in the way of the unloading and loading of vessels,
have thoroughly disgusted the merchants of the Isle of France; a
commerce, nevertheless, which might be rendered equally advantageous
to both nations.
The only vessels admitted at Manila are those of the Chinese and
Indians, on the pretence that these people may thug be made converts;
these are the vessels which import into Manila the articles of absolute
necessity and of luxury, and take in exchange the piastres brought
by the galleon from Acapulco.
The commodities which might be drawn from Manila are cordage, pitch and
tar, linen cloth, rushes, rotin, indigo, rocon, achiote, and rice. The
cotton is of the finest quality, and might be made an important article
of exportation to China, where many cargoes of that commodity are
sent from Surat, on which the gain is sometimes an hundred per cent.
The sugar cane thrives well here, and yields a sugar superior to
that produced at Batavia. There is likewise found here the bark
of a tree, which answers as a substitute for cinnamon, but to the
taste of cinnamon it adds a little tartness: its bark is thick and
porous, and the tree deemed a bastard cinnamon. The Spaniards barter
it with the Chinese, but they set very little value on it, as the
same species is found in Hainam, in Tonquin, and in Cochin China,
from whence they import it. Another production is the wild nutmeg,
but having no flavour, it is on that account not merchantable. It is
small, and the tree which bears it has leaves a foot long; the same
species is found at Madagascar.
Tobacco succeeds well here; the chiroutes of Manila are in high
repute all over India for their agreeable flavour; even the ladies
smoke them all day long.
The cocoa of Manila is considered as superior to that of America;
it is the only tree whose cultivation is attended to in all the
Philippines, because so much use is made of chocolate. It is the
general beverage, and is presented as refreshment on visits: cocoa,
as well as tobacco, are not indigenous in the Philippines; they were
imported from New Spain.
Wax might likewise be procured from Manila, the mountains swarming
with bees which produce it.
There is a great deal of gold found in all the rivers, a sufficient
proof that there are mines of that metal; the Indians will earn
fifteen pence a day by washing the sands for it.
Iron is found in its native state, but mixed with some other metal,
which renders it softer than ours. They work it exactly as it is
found. There is likewise abundance of loadstone, and considerable
quarries of marble from whence that is procured, with which the
churches are decorated.
The Spaniards have but a few insignificant establishments on
Mindoro. All travellers have asserted that the inhabitants of this
island have tails, but this idea rests on no other ground than that
of the Coccix being a little elongated.
The principal establishments of the Spaniards, in the island of Panay,
are Ilo-Ilo and Antigue; there is no good anchorage on the island of
Panay but in this latter place.
Antigue is in 6 deg. 42' N. latitude; the anchorage is six fathom, at a
good distance from the land. Vessels cannot take the benefit of this
anchorage in November, December, and January, but with great risk,
as, during that period, the south-west and west winds blow right
on the coast, and render the sea tempestuous. Water for shipping is
procured at a small rivulet, situated to the north; there is a much
more considerable river, which serves as a ditch to the fort, and
along which boats may proceed a great way; but its water is brackish
even at neap tides. The inhabitants of this island, more industrious
than those of Lucon, manufacture handkerchiefs and cloths from cotton,
and the fibres of a plant which the country supplies; the coarsest
description is used for clothing, and with the finer they trade with
the neighbouring islands.
In other respects Antigue resembles the rest of the
Philippines. Indulgent Nature is prodigal of her gifts, of which the
inhabitants make no attempt to avail themselves, for the government
uses no means of protection against the ravages and cupidity of the
Moors, who incessantly harass and carry off even the fishing-boats
from the bay: this is only protected by a wooden fort, garrisoned by
about twenty Christian natives.
This island produces a great deal of grain, but little fruit;
cocoa and plantains, of a bad quality, are alone sought after by the
inhabitants. There is a great number of stags, wild boars, and wild
hogs; buffaloes, horned cattle, and horses, are so common, that no
attention is paid either to their safety or to their propagation;
the horses wander about at their pleasure; they are public property,
having no particular owner: when a horse is wanted, the first that
appears is seized, and he is turned loose again when he has performed
the requisite service.
The air of the whole island is unwholesome, from the want of
cultivation, and the frequency of marshes. It is supposed to contain
many very rich gold mines.
The Spaniards have many factories on the coasts of Mindanao, which
support a precarious existence only by a constant state of warfare
with the innumerable Kings reigning in the island, not one of which
will acknowledge the Spanish dominion.
Sambouanga forms the chief establishment of the Spaniards on this
island; it is situated on the southern coast of it. According to
our observation, it lies in 120 deg. 13' long. and 6 deg. 54' lat. differing
considerably from the observation of Mr. Gentil, who places it in 7 deg.
20' lat. apparently after some bad Spanish charts.
The Spaniards have constructed a considerable fort, with stone and
brick, and capable of the defence of the bay. The inhabitants are
placed within a palisade, abutting on one side to the fort, and on
the other to a small wooden battery of 14 guns, which commands the
environs of the town.
Sambouanga costs the King of Spain a great deal, and makes no
return. This post was established for the purpose of checking
the incursions of the Moors of Jolo on the neighbouring islands;
notwithstanding which these latter are not a whit less frequent
in their visits to the bay of Antigue and that of Manila, carrying
off not only the fishing-boats which fall in their way, but vessels
richly laden. They are even daring enough to attack the inhabitants of
Sambouanga; they land out of the range of the guns, and harass them
close to the palisade; these unhappy beings are thus prevented from
quitting their houses; they cultivate the land under the protection
of cannon, of which they are compelled to avail themselves of several
pieces in such fields as they are desirous of tilling.
The soil is fertile, and requires little culture; it produces rice
abundantly. The cattle are very numerous, and of little value. The
King having turned some loose upon an immense plain which adjoins
the settlement, they have multiplied to such a degree, that when
I was there they were estimated at six thousand. A wooden fort,
of eight guns, has been constructed in the middle of the plain to
check the Moors. Upon another plain, separated from this by a chain
of mountains, the Spaniards have turned horses and cattle, which have
likewise increased prodigiously; both plains are bordered by a thin
wood, full of stags and wild hogs. The rivers, as is the case in the
island of Lucon, produce a great deal of gold.
A particular species of cocoa is found at Sambouanga; the tree
which produces it differs in no respect from that with which we are
acquainted; its fruit has the same form, but is a little less in size;
the husk is not of a fibrous consistence like that of common cocoa,
the flesh of it is analogous to the artichoke; it has its flavour,
and, perhaps, we assigned a greater degree of delicacy to it, because
we had not the means of comparing them: if this fruit is allowed to
grow old on the tree, it changes its nature, and becomes stringy;
in this state its taste is tart, and the cocoa is no longer fit for
eating. I carried six to the Isle of France, but they did not succeed.
There is a volcano on the south side of Mindanao which burns
incessantly, and serves as a landmark to vessels frequenting this
navigation.
The island of Jolo, or Sooloo, seems to be the point of demarkation
between the Philippines and the Moluccas. The Dutch pretend that it is
a dependency on the Moluccas; and the Spaniards are so much persuaded
it is one of the Philippines, that they have repeatedly attempted an
establishment there; and not having succeeded by mild measures, they
have endeavoured to render themselves masters of it by force. Every
attempt has failed: the Jolois have never been induced to acknowledge
but their own sovereign.
The English have had a factory on a small island to the east of Jolo,
but they have been obliged to abandon it.
The French have attempted to form an establishment there. The King of
the island, as a proof of his friendly intentions towards the nation,
had even desired the French flag. I believe, however, there was
good reason for not persevering in the attempt, as, sooner or later,
the adventurers would have been the victims of the inhabitants, who
are naturally warlike and fierce, though under the government of a
good prince.
It was under the administration of M. Poivre, at the Isle of France,
that a kind of alliance was formed between the French government and
the Sultan of Jolo. M. Poivre had had some intercourse with this
Prince, the most powerful of all the sovereigns in the Philippine
Archipelago; and he had availed himself of it, to direct to that
island the first expedition in search of the spice plants, under the
command of M. de Tremigon. The Frenchmen attached to this expedition
were hospitably received at Jolo. Alymudin, the Sultan, not only
offered them his aid in the conquest, but a considerable territory
in his dominions.
Jolo is only a small island of 30 to 40 leagues in circumference:
it notwithstanding merits the attention of the European powers, on
account of its being so well adapted for the cultivation of spices,
and generally for commerce.
It produces a great many elephants; amber is found there, and
there is a pearl fishery. Its harbour is a retreat for the Moors,
who piratically infest these seas, distress the navigation of the
Spaniards, and carry off in their incursions the colonists, of whom
they make slaves; the coast is furnished with fish sufficient for the
daily food of the inhabitants; here likewise are gathered the birds'
nests so highly esteemed by the Chinese.
Statement of the Productions of the Philippines, transmitted to the
French Minister in 1776.
Gold is found every where, but more abundantly at Gapan, in the
province of Pampanga. The provinces of Pangasinan and Cagayan produce
Lead.
Copper.
Iron.
Sulphur.
Excellent Sugar.
Indigo.
The Achiote, a tree, the seed of which is used for dying.
Cotton, of the best quality.
Oil of Cocoa, in abundance.
Wood Oil, equally abundant.
Oil of Louban, a species of fruit.
Oil of Aonpoly, an agricultural production.
Ginger.
Camphor.
Areka Nut, in abundance.
Cocoa, in abundance; from this is made a beverage, the consumption
of which is very great.
La Nipe, in abundance, of which likewise a beverage is made.
The Barro Oyesca, a species of the amadon, or tinder made of the
large fungus which grows on trees.
Pitch and Tar, in abundance.
Cocoa Nuts, ditto.
Pepper.
Betel.
The Cinnamon of Sambouanga, very good.
Cowries.
Tortoiseshell.
Mother of Pearl and Pearls, often of a very fine quality.
Deer Skins, Ox and Buffalo Hides.
La Balate, both white and black, first, second, and third sorts,
which forms a considerable branch of trade to China.
Dried Prawns, likewise a considerable article of trade.
Birds' Nests.
Wax, in abundance.
Honey, in abundance.
Musk, or Algalia.
Deer and Ox Sinews, for the commerce with China.
Fine Goimon, dried in the sun for ditto.
Woods and Timber.
The Cocoa Tree, which produces the St. Ignatius' bean, or bean
of Cathalonga.
Red Campechy Wood, first and second sorts.
Eagle Wood.
Ebony.
The Narra, or red veined ebony.
The Tindato, entirely red.
Sandal Wood, not much scented.
Fir Trees, in the mountains of Pangasinan.
The Molaven, not subject to decay.
The Quijo,
The Banava, for building.
The Calantas, or Cedar.
The Laguan, or red and white apple-tree.
The Palo Maria, for small spars.
The Mangue Chapuy, for lower masts.
There is besides these an infinite variety of different kinds of
woods, which we pass over in silence.
Lompotes, a kind of gauze manufactured at Zebu, and which is in
general use in the Philippines and in New Spain.
Sail Cloth of cotton, manufactured in Ylocos.
Testingues, a kind of checked dimity, much worn.
The Abaca, a species of hemp, of which cordage is made.
The Black Gamuty, used for the same purpose.
The Banote, or Coyar, applicable in the same way, and of which is
likewise made oakum for caulking.
The Tobacco is excellent.
The Corn in the provinces of Ylocos and Bay excellent.
Rice excellent, and in great abundance.
There is likewise a trade carried on with the Chinese in the flesh
of deer, oxen, buffaloes, and horses, dried in the sun (called jerk
in South America), as likewise in the tallow of all these animals.
OF THE MOLUCCAS.
The Moluccas form a considerable archipelago, which extends in
longitude from Java to New Guinea. On the coasts of Papua, and
adjoining islands, are formed colonies of the inhabitants of New
Guinea, and which are dependencies on the Moluccas. The Dutch have
factories in all the islands of this archipelago, but at Amboyna
and Banda they have forts, and considerable establishments [1]. In
order to preserve the spice trade exclusively, they even went so far
as to set fire to the adjacent islands which produced these shrubs;
but such precautions are useless, for the whole of the Moluccas,
with the coasts of Papua, and even all New Guinea, produce, and will
continue to produce, them, while they exist. When the French were
in the habit of procuring these productions, they did not go either
to Banda or Amboyna in search of them, but to Guebi and Moar. Their
vessels resorted to the port of Guebi, unquestionably the finest
harbour in the Moluccas, and to which the Dutch were strangers, as the
French found it uninhabited. They there established themselves during
the time that the King of Maba and Patanie, and the Sultan of Tidor,
went in search of the precious trees which furnished the spices: they
took them to the Isle of France, where they succeeded remarkably well
(as we have seen in the Chapter on the Isle of France), as well as
at Cayenne, to which they were transported soon afterwards.
The inhabitants of the Moluccas are in general of a swarthy complexion,
approaching to black, with a yellow stain: they partake much of the
Malay character, and seem to derive their origin from that nation;
they have their language, their manners, and, like them, with little
personal strength, are nevertheless cruel and ferocious: perhaps the
harshness of their manners may be traced to the wandering and solitary
life they lead in the woods, to avoid becoming the slaves of the Dutch.
The islands they inhabit are fertile, but they do not practise any
cultivation, and live on sago, which grows wild in great quantities
in this archipelago.
The religion of the inhabitants of the Moluccas is a corruption
of Mahometanism.
The only persons who go clothed are the women and the priests; the
men only cover the head with a hat, painted in different colours,
made of the leaves of the latanier; the rest of the body is naked,
with the exception of a bit of narrow cloth, for the sake of decency.
The dress of the women consists of a long robe, without any folds,
fastened in front: they wear hats of an enormous size, not less than
seven or eight feet in circumference; these hats are flat on the
upper surface, and loaded with ornaments of shell work and mother
of pearl. On the under side, a circle of three inches in depth forms
the crown, and retains it on the head. The women never go out; they
are always confined to the house.
The priests, like the women, are clothed in a long robe, but they
are recognized by their caps, which are pointed.
Both sexes wear on their arms rings of shell work, of a kind of
porcelain, which they cut in this shape by rubbing on a stone.
Their arms are the bow and arrow, quiver and shield; the bow is
constructed of a very light, fibrous, and elastic wood, ornamented with
rings made of the rotin, which likewise, when prepared for the purpose,
answers for the string. The arrows are made of a light elastic reed,
and the point of wood jagged and very hard; sometimes this point
is formed of the longest dorsal fin bone of a large fish, and which
is prickly or barbed. The quiver is made of the bark of a tree, the
shield of a black wood, very hard: they are covered with sketches in
relief, executed with small shell work of a very beautiful white. These
shields are long, and narrower in the middle than at both ends.
Their boats are of an ingenious and singular construction; they are
not less than seventy to eighty feet in length; the two ends are
extremely elevated, and rise even to twenty feet above the water;
the rudder is nothing but a long oar, supported on a scaffold; the
hull of the boat consists of planks, which are neither jointed or
nailed, but simply put together, and retained by rope, made of the
rotin. To the sides are fixed two horizonal wings, which serve to
support it in stormy weather. Ten men, seated sideways on these wings,
by means of paddles, give incredible velocity to it; the dexterity
of the rowers consists in striking the water all at the same moment,
and with perfect regularity. It is, doubtless, for this reason that
during the time they row they excite each other by songs, or relieve
their labour by the noise of a kind of tam tam, to the sound of which
their movements keep time. The sails are made of several mats, of an
oblong form, and are placed crossways on the masts.
The Papuans who inhabit New Guinea, and the islands on its coasts,
are the immediate neighbours of the inhabitants of the Moluccas,
yet have neither their manners, or possess one trait of the character
of the latter: they approach nearer, and bear a closer analogy to the
natives of Guinea, on the coast of Africa, and which has been the cause
of the country they inhabit acquiring the name of New Guinea. They are
little known, and their coasts seldom visited. They are of a robust
make, and great stature, and though of a shining black, their skin is
nevertheless rough and hard; their eyes are large, the nose flattened,
and the mouth excessively wide; the lips, particularly the upper, very
thick; the hair crisped, and of a brilliant black. The character of
these savages corresponds with their exterior; they are fond of war,
and to bravery they join cruelty to their enemies.
In the interior of the large island of Papua, or New Guinea, there
exists a race of men called Haraforas, who live in trees, to which
they mount by means of a notched piece of wood, which they draw after
them, by way of guarding against surprize.
The principal commerce of the Papuans is with the Chinese, of whom
they purchase their different instruments and utensils. They give in
exchange ambergris, sea snails, tortoiseshell, small pearls, birds
of Paradise, lories, and other birds, which they stuff with great
dexterity. The women appear to be industrious; they fabricate mats
and earthen pots, and handle the hatchet well.
The shores of Papua are bold, and covered with cocoa trees; the
mountains of the interior adorned with wood; the nutmeg and clove tree
flourish there, and nature has made it one of the finest countries
on the surface of the globe. (Sonnini.)
The Moluccas, like the Philippines, contain many volcanos, which are,
probably, only different mouths of the same furnace. That of Siao is
one of the most considerable; in its most active eruptions it covers
all the neighbouring islands with cinders.
NOTES TO VOLUME II.
Note I.--Page 14.
It is here stated, that in 1709 the Chinese were expelled the
Philippines, and the reason assigned for that expulsion is their
application to commerce in lieu of agriculture, with a view to
which latter their residence was originally countenanced. Whatever
employment, in any community, offers the most productive results
with the least labour will naturally be resorted to by those whose
residence, like that of the Chinese, is merely temporary. They are
acknowledged to be a submissive and industrious people, and we must
conclude that the profits of agriculture were so much less secure
or less productive than those of commerce, that the latter was
preferred; and their habits of industry being far superior to those
of the indolent Spaniard, and the more indolent native, we cannot
wonder at their retreat, with their acquisitions, from a country the
government of which, so far from encouraging them with a permanency
of establishment, drew from them, in the person of the Governor,
a large revenue, as a tax on their temporary residence. Sonnerat
says, that the expulsion of the Chinese was the cause of the
decline of arts and commerce, and that they have never since
recovered. "Misery and depopulation have been the fatal consequences
of this mal-administration." It is evident, however, that since that
period, either the fallacy of the policy which dictated the measure
has been discovered, and the prohibition been removed, or, which is
more likely, the interest of the respective Governors has produced a
relaxation in favour of these industrious foreigners; for Mr. Guise,
who resided there several years, assures the translator, that when he
quitted Manila, about fifteen years ago, there were on the island from
fifteen to twenty thousand Chinese permitted to remain as residents,
and engaged in agriculture and commerce.
A Chinese Captain seems to be appointed by the Governor, who is
responsible for their conduct, and through whom applications for
residence are negociated with the government. The intercourse with
the Chinese port of Amoy, and with the north-eastern ports of China,
employs seven or eight junks, which bring with them annually from three
hundred to five hundred new adventurers, who work their passage over,
bringing each his packet of goods, with which, it may be presumed, he
forms his capital for trade during his residence there, and for which
residence, it may be equally presumed, he contributes annually to the
Governor: these junks likewise furnish to those who have acquired a
competency the means of revisiting their native country with their
riches. It must be concluded, therefore, that the Chinese, by their
residence in Luzon, contribute by their industry to the comforts of
life, and hold out an example which neither the Spaniard or native seem
disposed to follow; at the same time that the former characterizes
the indulgence shown to them as highly impolitic, and a wanton waste
of the riches and wealth of the colony.
Note II.--Page 60.
No stronger proof can be adduced of the unsettled state of the
maritime insurance law in the Spanish colonies than the instance in
the text. Can we entertain the favourable supposition that in the
mother-country this subject is equally well understood as by every
other European nation, and that a concurrence of circumstances have
conspired to introduce and perpetuate a vicious practice in this
colony? We fear in the sequel the reader will not be justified in
this conclusion.
Note III.--Page 65.
This is another instance of the disposition of the Spaniards to
extend what they ridiculously enough term their conquests, rather
than to consolidate their power, and establish their influence in the
Philippines. The attempt seems to have met with the fate it merited;
but although it proved abortive, we cannot help holding up to due
praise the perseverance with which, in perfect contempt of all personal
danger, the Catholic missionaries pursue their object of proselytism.
Note IV.--Page 72.
The value of this trade is here pretty clearly detailed and
comprehensively stated; we are left to conclude that the profits are
from one hundred to two hundred per cent. The translator is informed
by Mr. Guise that this trade was thus carried on:
The ship, having a Captain appointed by the Governor of Manila,
was furnished by the King, by whom likewise all the expenses of
the voyage were defrayed, and for whose reimbursement a duty of
thirty-three per cent. was levied at Acapulco on the value of the
cargo there. The persons who had the privilege of loading the ship
were the Captain, to a certain extent; the pious establishments;
the widows of officers, counsellors, &c. members of government,
and merchants: the portions of each from a quarter of a ton upwards,
the Captain having from forty to fifty tons. Exclusive of the right
which the pious establishments thus enjoyed of occupying tonnage,
they lent their money to the adventurers on a respondentia interest,
as will be mentioned in a future note.
This trade may most probably, at this period, be conducted upon a
different principle, and partake of that relaxation which it has
been found necessary to countenance through the whole of the Spanish
settlements, in consequence of recent political events.
Note V.--Page 78.
It is not possible to produce a stronger proof of the inefficiency of
the Spanish colonial system, than the treatment of this disinterested
and honest servant of the crown exhibits.
Note VI.--Page 83.
The determination of this question by the Royal Audience in favour
of the pious establishments, was unquestionably conformable to the
admitted principle of respondentia; and the reversal of it by the
council of the Indies is a sufficient proof of the unsettled state of
mercantile law in Spain, on a point which seems elsewhere generally
and definitively adjusted.
The liability of the respondentia lenders seems to be so ill defined,
that even in case of nearly total loss, their full demand is awarded
them, the loss thus falling on the borrower, instead (on the received
respondentia principle) of the lenders being entitled only to the
proportion of what is saved; for the premium of twenty-five per
cent. which they receive, may be presumed adequate to the interest
and insurance on such a voyage.
It ought not, under these circumstances, to create wonder that the
merchant adventurers borrowing from these establishments should, with
a view to their own protection, take due care that a partial shall,
by one means or other, be converted into a total loss.
There is one peculiarity in the principle of these loans which forms
a feature in the transaction distinct from common respondentia,
inasmuch as that the latter is limited to that bottom on which the
adventure began, while in the former the lender follows the goods
until they are sold and returned, though by some other bottom; but his
liability and forbearance of his principal and premium is limited to
three years. In respect to this limitation, it is even conformable
to our terms of respondentia, which allow a monthly per centage in
proportion to the first period of twenty months on which the premium
is calculated, but which per centage can only be demanded to the
extent in all of thirty-six months, including the original twenty,
provided the voyage should be prolonged so much; the common interest
of five per cent. only upon the aggregate amount afterwards attaching,
and all marine risk ceasing.
THE END.
T. DAVISON, Lombard-street,
Whitefriars, London.
NOTE
[1] The English Admiral, Rainier, in 1796, took possession of
the islands of Amboyna and Banda. The census made at that time of
the first of these islands, and its dependencies, made the number
of inhabitants 45,252, of whom 17,813 were Protestants, the rest
Mahomedans, with the exception of an inconsiderable number of Chinese
and Aborigines. (Sonnini.)