MANILA.

The Old City.

Manila, the capital of the Philippines, is situated on the island of

Luzon, at the mouth, and on the left bank, of the river Pasig. It

is in N. lat. 14° 36', by E. long., 20° 57'. The city was founded

in 1571. The present fortifications and the walls and battlements

of the old city were built by Chinese labor in 1590, in the time of

Governor-General Gomez Perez Dasmariñas. The walls are 2-1/4 miles

long and are mounted with old and useless cannon. These, however, were

quite formidable in the early days of the colony, and did great service

against the successive invaders that threatened its peace and safety.

The old city is almost surrounded by water. On the north is the Pasig;

on the west the sea; while moats flank the other two sides. These

moats are connected with the river by sluices; but they are sadly

in need of repair, and are filled with stagnant water and putrid

matter,--a continual menace to the health of the city.

Until 1852 the drawbridge, connecting the old city with the new, was

raised at night and the city closed, presenting the curious fact of

a feudal Spanish city in the heart of the tropics. In the citadel are

the Government offices; also the Post, Telegraph, and Custom offices,

various convents and colleges, an Artillery depot, the Cathedral, and

eleven other churches. This part of the city presents a dilapidated

and mediæval appearance. The dull, narrow streets have a sombre,

monastic aspect; and one, therefore, is not surprised to find that the

gloomy superstitions of the 15th century hold Cimmerian sway here,

undisturbed by the dawn of Science. It seems the fit capital of a

despotism, a suitable home for tyranny and priestcraft.

Manila Bay is thirty miles from north to south, and about twenty-five

miles wide. On each side the entrance are steep volcanic mountains. Ten

miles from Manila, near the entrance of the bay, lies Cavité, which

contains about 5,000 people. Here also is the arsenal, a patent

slip, and a garrison of 500 men. In the channel lies the island of

Corregidor, 640 feet high, and just beyond, the island of Caballo, 420

feet high, both fortified. On each island stands a lighthouse. Other

fortified points are San José and Tibonis.

Manila, however, is, like Batavia and Calcutta, a great

trade-centre. But I must leave the old city to find any signs of life

and progress.

Binondo and the Suburbs.

Binondo, on the northern shore of the Pasig, and opposite the old

city, is the business quarter. Here are the large tobacco factories,

which employ about 10,000 men, women, and children. One factory alone,

indeed, employs 2,000. The Manila wrappers and Manila cheroots and

cigars are famed the world over. The employees in these factories earn

on an average about 15 cents a day. With this they are able to live

very well; for food is cheap, and rent is even cheaper. Most of the

boys and men in these factories wear only a thin pair of trousers,

being naked from the waist up. The girls also have but a slight

covering. In the midst of every group of girls sits an old woman,

who acts as a kind of combined overseer and chaperon.

The main street of Binondo is the Escolta, and here are situated the

commercial warehouses, the bazaars, and the European shops. In the

Rosario are the Chinese shops. These are very small, and a dozen or

more are usually grouped together. In each, on the little counter,

sits a Chinaman, casting accounts with the ancient abacus. Another

stands behind the counter and acts as salesman; a third is in front

drumming up customers, very much after the manner of Moses Cohn, Baxter

street, New York. These Chinese traders are exceedingly shrewd, and it

is almost useless for the buyer to attempt to secure a reduction in

price; they have a uniform scale, agreed upon by themselves. Many of

these Chinese merchants are fabulously rich; and all are prosperous

and progressive, the natives and the Europeans not being able to

compete against them.

In the Escolta are many fine shops owned by Spaniards, mestizos,

Germans, English, and Americans. The Escolta, in the daytime, presents

an animated appearance: about ten thousand carriages pass here daily,

and a great volume of business is transacted. The commerce is yearly

increasing, too. The principal articles of export are honey, tobacco,

cigars, sugar, coffee, and indigo.

The laboring class live in Tondo, another suburb. Their dwellings are

covered with roofs of nipa thatch. The drainage around these huts

is very bad, and under them are pools of stagnant water, the cause

of great mortality among the natives. The endemic diseases of the

islands are swamp-fever, diarrhoea, beri-beri, and typhoid.

The traffic on the river along the Binondo shore is considerable. The

river is not navigable by the large ocean-liners; only by boats of

light draught.

The streets of Manila, for the most part, are badly paved and still

more badly lighted, though some of the public gardens have been

recently much improved in this respect.

Beyond Binondo lies the aristocratic suburb, San Miguel, where live the

wealthy European merchants and many of the Government officials. Here

are many elegant and imposing residences.

It is a unique sight to pass these white bungalows at night, and

hear the merry chatter or the sweet music of the happy people on

the wide, cool verandas; men and women, boys and girls, all smoking

cigarillos. For everybody smokes--from the Spanish grandee down to

his native postilion.

A more contented people than the Filipinos surely do not

exist. Naturally averse to exertion, and possessing few wants,

they accept the dispensations of Providence with a philosophic

acquiescence not far removed from indifference. One day differs

little from another. Upon rising, early in the morning, they take a

cup of chocolate or coffee. At eight o'clock they partake of a light

breakfast, consisting of two or three dishes and a dessert. The

head of the family then goes to his work, the women, meanwhile,

attending to their household duties. From twelve to one is tiffin--a

heavy lunch, consisting of soup, fish, meat, dessert, and coffee,

including rice and curry. From one to four all enjoy the luxury of a

siesta, after which, from four to five, they have chocolate and cakes

served, exchange visits, go out riding, or take some other kind of

recreation. Dinner is at eight. This is usually an elaborate meal,

consisting of meats, fruits, and various native delicacies. After

dinner, different diversions, such as music and dancing, make the

evening an agreeable one. About eleven o'clock, the entire family

goes to bed.

"Bed" consists of a fine mat, and one narrow and one long pillow. There

are no sheets. Both men and women sleep in their stockings and

pajamas. Mosquito curtains are, of course, a necessity.

All this, of course, applies to the better class of natives, whose

residences are often fine and commodious. Very few houses are more

than one story above the ground floor. If so, the extra story is

uninhabited or serves as a sleeping-place for the servants, or as a

coach-house. The roofs are usually of tin or iron, which makes them

extremely hot in summer. For this reason many houses are also covered

with a thin layer of nipa-palm, which is cooler. The ground-story is

usually of stone or brick; the upper of wood, with sliding windows

of opaque sea-shells. The bath-house is really the greatest personal

necessity in Manila. For a daily bath is almost indispensable to

health and comfort.

Educational and Charitable Institutions.

Most of the educational institutions of the colony are in Manila,

where the Department of Education has its headquarters. Many of the

native graduates of the various colleges go into the professions;

many of the poorer kind into teaching. The village schoolmaster

receives, on an average, about 180 dollars a year, and out of even

this miserable stipend he has to pay his own expenses to and from the

city once every month, to receive his salary. Thus, it can readily be

surmised that the cause of public education is not in as prosperous a

condition as it might be. The children of the wealthy are sometimes

sent abroad--to Spain, France, or England--to be educated. I myself

went to St. John's College, London, and, afterward, to Pension Roulet,

Neûchatel, Switzerland.

The Royal and Pontifical University of St. Thomas, in Manila, is

maintained by the Dominicans. It has schools of theology and church

law, jurisprudence, notarial law, medicine, and pharmacy. In the

undergraduate department are 40 free scholarships for Spanish boys.

The college of San José gives instruction in medicine and pharmacy. The

Dominican college of San Juan de Letran is justly celebrated for its

excellent equipment, and for its fine museums of history and of the

arts. It is attended exclusively by the sons of the natives.

The Cambobong Orphan Asylum, under the care of the Augustinians,

furnishes elementary instruction, and is a preparatory school for

the University. It also teaches book-keeping, and provides a good

business education.

The Mandaloya Asylum, of the same order and of the same grade, is

for girls, and teaches the proper performance of household duties

and the various feminine accomplishments.

Poor and demented children find shelter in the St. Joseph's Home;

while the Hospital of San Juan de Dios, founded in 1595, is open

to all. This institution has two chaplains, one head nurse, six

physicians, eight resident medical students, one pharmaceutist,

and a corps of trained nurses.

The Hospital of San Lazaro is for lepers. It was founded in 1578

by the Franciscans, under rather peculiar and not uninteresting

circumstances. The Emperor of Japan, full of resentment at the attempts

of the Spaniards to convert his subjects to Christianity, sent the

infant colony a ship-load of lepers with his compliments, saying,

sarcastically, that he had no doubt but that the good brethren to whose

care he felt called upon to send these useless subjects of his kingdom,

would, in their exceeding love for souls, receive them most gratefully.

The Spaniards, however, needless to say, were by no means delighted,

and were at first inclined to send the lepers back. Pity and Christian

feeling, however, at last prevailed, and this hospital was built to

receive them.

One of the most important organizations is the Chamber of

Commerce. There are also several good banks and a savings bank. Under

the Department of Charity and Health are several subordinate boards,

all conducive to public improvement.

The Royal Polytechnic Society has for its object the promotion of

the arts and the sciences. The Musical Society, the Spanish Casino,

the Manila Club, the German Casino, the Gun, Jockey, Lawn-tennis and

Bicycle clubs are highly successful social organizations. At Santa

Mesa, on the outskirts of the city, is a race-course, which in the

spring is very popular.

The mint is only for the striking of subsidiary coins. It has been

in operation but a few years.

There are six daily papers: El Diario de Manila, and La Oceania

Española, both issued in the morning. The evening papers are: El

Comercio, La Voz de España, El Español, and El Noticero.

Tramways of a very primitive kind run in the principal streets. There

are also electric lights in the public parks, along the Luneta, and

in the finest business houses. A telephone system extends throughout

the city, and there is a railway--the only one in the province--to

Dagupan. It is a single track, and is 123 miles long. It was opened to

traffic November 23, 1892. An Englishman has secured the contract, and

English engines are used, whose speed is 45 miles an hour. This road

has paid more than ten per cent. to the shareholders. There is also a

steam road to Dagupan. Another branch railroad is under construction

by the Government. Manila being on low peat-ground,--considerably

lower in fact than the lake of Laguna, whose overflow forms the Pasig

river,--in the wet season it seems an Oriental Venice; for the numerous

creeks and canals that intersect the city and its suburbs are then

flooded with water and thronged with native boats. Drinking-water

is carried to the city through pipes from Santolan, on the river

Pasig. Fountains are also distributed at convenient places throughout

the city, to which the poorer people have access.

A new harbor is now under construction. For the payment of it special

dues have from time to time been imposed upon the trade of the port:

2 per cent. on imports, 1 per cent. on exports, a tonnage tax, and

a duty on fishing-boats.

There are several theatres in Manila, but they are very inferior. The

opera is very popular, and is well supported. Foreign celebrities

sometimes visit Manila, when the audiences are most enthusiastic

and whole scenes are encored. In the theatre every one smokes, from

the fashionable ladies and gentlemen in full dress, to the half-naked

gallery-gods in the loft. Between the acts pretty mestiza flower-girls

pass to and fro offering their fragrant wares to the onlookers. A

theatre-night in Manila is one of unrestrained gayety--and the

fun-loving Filipinos rarely miss an opportunity to attend a show. In

the Palacio Square is a statue of Charles IV., and in front of the

Variedades is one of Queen Isabella.

The Cathedral and the Governor-General's Palace.

The churches are well worthy of a visit, being picturesque and

interesting. The Cathedral was founded in 1570, and has several

times been destroyed by earthquakes. The new Cathedral, on the site

of the old, which was destroyed by the earthquake of 1880, cost a

half-million dollars. It is an immense structure of brick and stone

and is the most imposing building in the colony. It is in old Manila,

and is celebrated for the splendor of its interior decorations and

its gorgeous altars. Here start and end most of the great religious

processions for which Manila is so noted. The cost of maintaining

the Cathedral, including the salaries of the officiating priests,

is not far from $60,000 per annum.

The Church of San Francisco--also in old Manila--is the oldest church

in Manila. It is under the patronage of the Franciscans and is very

wealthy. The magnificence of its interior is unrivalled.

The Governor-General's Palace is in Malacanan, a suburb of new

Manila. It is a low massive structure and occupies an immense area. It

is in the midst of a large garden--a veritable Paradise. It is on

the bank of the river Pasig, in a healthful locality, and commands

a fine view of the city and the river. The garden is famed for

its luxuriance. Here grow, in rich profusion, cocoanuts, bananas,

lemons, mangoes, and a wealth of flowers: the white champaca, the

yellow ilang-ilang with its exquisite perfume, gigantic orchids,

and a thousand other blooms. Among the trees and shrubbery of this

gorgeous Eden, wind broad garden paths paved with sea-shells.

Facing the river is a large balcony from which the Governor views the

yearly boat-race that takes place on the birthday of the King. This

boat-race is one of the great events of the year and is usually rowed

by native champions.

The interior of the Palace is of unusual splendor, and there is

evidence on every hand of great pomp and ceremony. A host of liveried

servants and numerous guards in showy uniforms are everywhere

apparent. There is an excellent library and a spacious ball-room,

where receptions are held, to which, several times a year, the élite

of the city and distinguished visitors are invited.

The Governor rides in a carriage drawn by four horses, with

several outriders, who, by means of a shrill whistle, announce his

approach. All streets are instantly cleared and traffic suddenly

ceases, every one standing still to make respectful obeisance. On,

on, they come, the dashing four, with the postilions in scarlet

jackets. The Governor, dressed in civilian's dress, sits within--the

picture of dignity. He bows right and left, in that perfunctory

way characteristic of public dignitaries the world over, and the

carriage passes on, while the citizens resume their wonted demeanor

and avocations.

The Jesuits support and manage a fine observatory. And there is

a large botanical garden, now neglected; but it could easily be

made the finest in the world. The English Club, in the suburbs, is

noted for its hospitality and for the delightful personality of its

members. Most of the hotels are bad, with poor accommodations. The

Hotel de Oriente, however, is a noteworthy exception.

The police of the city are natives, and are under military

discipline. The department of police is known as the Municipal

Guard. From 10 o'clock at night until 5 o'clock in the morning

night-watchmen patrol the city.

One is struck by the number of carriages in the thoroughfares, drawn

by pretty ponies of mixed Chinese and Andalusian breed. There are

also many hacks to hire. The drivers, too, are as civil in address as

they are moderate in their charges. There are three days in the year

when the ponies are given absolute rest. These are Holy Wednesday,

Thursday, and Good Friday,--when no traffic is permitted, only the

Archbishop and the doctors being allowed to ride in carriages. On

these days the church-bells are muffled, and the people, dressed in

sombre black, walk solemnly in the various religious processions. A

vast concourse assembles in the several squares to await the toll that

shall announce the end of the fast and of this enforced abstinence

from labor and worldly care. As soon as the first stroke is given,

there is a mighty rush in every direction, a thousand ponies are

trotted through the streets, ten thousand natives renew their daily

traffic with clamorous zeal, which shows how feeble was the bond that

kept them under restraint.

On the streets of the city are many wayside native restaurants. Here

the employees of the huge tobacco factories come at noon for their

"quick lunch" or for a refreshing drink. Most of these establishments

are very primitive, and little more than rice, fruit, or meat is for

sale. The charges are the merest pittance. For two cents a sumptuous

meal can be had. It may, therefore, be understood that few people in

Manila go hungry.

The water-girls or the peddlers of milk or cocoa are also worthy of

mention; inasmuch as they, with their rude jars, have a most Oriental

look. One, too, is likely, almost any time, to encounter a religious

procession, such as The Feast of the Twelve Apostles, or The Feast

of Corpus Christi, when the companies of friars, in their long robes

of black, blue, white, or brown, alternate with long lines of solemn

natives dressed in their sombre clothes. There are, in fact, forty

holidays in the year, and, as each of these is distinguished by some

feast or religious ceremonial, it can readily be seen how large an

influence the Church has upon the people. The Archbishop is a greater

man than the Governor-General, and as he passes through the streets

in his carriage drawn by four white horses, every head is bared. There

are 4,000 priests in Manila alone.

An execution in Manila is an interesting, though a gruesome,

sight. The populace always flock to see one, and the condemned,

with the stoicism natural to their race, as a rule seem perfectly

indifferent to their fate. The garrote is the instrument usually

employed. There is the pomp and ceremony incident to all Spanish

functions of State: a procession of soldiers, a solemn death-cart,

draped in mourning, on which sits the culprit apparently enjoying

his last ride, two or three priests chanting a dolorous refrain, and

the executioner,--all slowly approach the place of execution. Here

is a raised platform, on which is a rude seat; against the back

of it is an upright post. To this the condemned is firmly bound,

and the deadly brass collar--the garrote--that is attached thereto,

closes with a click around his neck. The executioner now takes his

place behind, the priests elevate the crucifix and continue their

chant, while the victim, half-bewildered, smiles a last farewell or

mumbles a hasty prayer. The commanding officer gives the signal; the

executioner gives a twist to the screw, that just touches the base of

the prisoner's brain; there is a convulsive shiver and a groan, and all

is over. And the spectators, laughing and chattering, turn homeward.

But no street scene is more interesting than a native

funeral. The hearse is a rude wagon, drawn by white horses. A most

melancholy-looking person is the driver, who, clad in black and a high

beaver hat, sits aloft in mournful dignity. In front is a brass band,

playing a lively march, while a long line of carriages follow slowly

behind. On account of the heat, the burial is nearly always on the same

day as the death. The bodies of the well-to-do are usually deposited

in a vault in the church as long as the relatives of the deceased

pay the priests well for the privilege. When this tribute ceases,

the remains are dumped without ceremony into a huge pit at the back

of the church, where perhaps are the bones of a thousand others. The

pit, it is safe to say, is the ultimate destiny of all.

Bull-fights have never made the headway in the Philippines that they

have in Cuba. In the suburb of Paco is a bull-ring; but it is not

attended by the better classes, and it offers but a sorry spectacle.

The Beautiful Luneta: the Sea-boulevard.

There are many drives and promenades in the city of Manila. The

principal one, and the most celebrated, is the Luneta, which is by

the old sea-wall. Here in the cool summer evening is stationed the

Governor's fine military band, and all Manila comes out to see and to

be seen. Thousands of people, natives and foreigners, pair in careless

promenade. Here comes a group of English Jack Tars, from some British

Man-of-War in the harbor. The sailors are flirting vigorously with a

number of bewitching mestiza-girls, just behind. These olive-cheeked

damsels, whose long raven hair, red lips, and pearly teeth are

cunningly displayed in daring coquetry, are all laughing merrily,

smoking betimes a dainty cigarette. Here comes a whole native-family,

trooping along with almost stolid demeanor, yet listening keenly to

the stirring music. And then follow Chinamen, in their national dress,

Englishmen in white drill, and Spaniards in European costume,--all

walking with the leisurely manner of the tropics, as if to the climate

born. And so thousands pass by, bowing and smiling, with never one

careworn face in the vast throng.

Here, too, were enacted some of the most horrible tragedies in the

recent rebellion. Hundreds of native prisoners were here executed. And

such an execution was made occasion of great rejoicing. The fashionable

Spanish element, men and women, was not wanting to witness it; and

while the band discoursed a lively air, the poor fellows were made

to stand on the sea-wall, facing the sea; at a given signal the

firing-squad discharged a volley, and they fell dead or mortally

wounded, while the onlookers cheered for tyranny and Spain.

Though Manila lies very low, it is by no means unhealthy. It is a

pleasant city to live in, but not nearly so pleasant as it might

be made to be. The climate is thus described by an old Spanish

proverb: "Six months of dust; six months of mud; six months of

everything." The spring months are December, January, and February;

the climate then is most agreeable. In March, April, and May the heat

is very oppressive. In June, July, August, and September occur heavy

rains. October and November are either wet or dry. The population

of Manila is not far from 300,000, of which 70 per cent. are pure

natives, 15 per cent. Chinese, 14 per cent. mestizo Chinos, and one

per cent. Europeans and Creoles.