Christmas and the New Year in Macào--Removal of remains of Da
Cunha--The Dead give place to the Quick--Chinese manner of
Fishing--A new principle in Hydraulics--Inspection of Macào
Militia--An ancient Cemetery--Arrival of the new Governor,
Cardoza--Under way for Manilla--Fetch up at Hong-Kong--Another
Start--Island of Luconia--Bay of Manilla--Earthquake--Discovery
and Settlement of the Philippines--Description of Manilla--The
Calzada--A puppet-show.
Christmas was passed by me a valetudinarian at Macào, the ship having
left me there, in hospital, on her passage from Hong-Kong to Whampoa.
On Christmas eve I visited the different churches, all Roman Catholic of
course. They were brilliantly illuminated, and filled principally with
females, who knelt upon the bare floors whilst services, suitable for
the occasion, were performed. All the churches were opened, and in that
of San Augustinho heard some pretty good singing by boys. The old year
was allowed to pass out and the new year come in without much _eclât_ at
Macào, indeed they are a dull set--the Macànese, and if the Chinese had
any courage they could soon dislodge them.
Upon the 2d of January the removal of the remains of ex-Governor Da
Cunha, from the government house to the church of San Francisco, took
place. The corpse was accompanied by the troops and clergy; and the
dead Governor vacated in favor of a living one soon expected from
Lisbon.
In my walks outside of the town, along the beach, I noticed some
Chinamen fishing: their net was very extensive and staked down on the
beach, to its sides were attached ropes which led to a temporary shed
upon a rock, where they were fastened to an axle having treadles, which
a Chinaman, by applying his feet, made revolve, and by this means
elevated and depressed the net at pleasure. Saw also a new principle in
hydraulics, the object to which it was applied being to fill a sluice to
irrigate a vegetable garden from a reservoir, and the _modus operandi_
was this: two Chinamen, standing _vis-à-vis_, held the ends of two
ropes, each fastened to the upper and lower parts of a bucket, by
slackening which they dipped the bucket into a well, and then by hauling
in tautened it, and communicating a swinging motion to the bucket by the
same process, discharged its contents into the drain.
Witnessed an inspection drill of the Macào Militia. They were out in
considerable numbers, and were clothed in a neat dark green uniform, but
did not appear very perfect in the manual. It struck me that these
youths did not take much pride in their position as privates, especially
when several of the garrison troops were looking on, and when they were
dismissed, those who had no servants to carry their muskets, used them
as walking-sticks on returning home.
Strolling about one afternoon, I came upon an old graveyard on the top
of a barren hill, off from the Governor's road, about two miles from the
Campo gate. The stones were all flat and weather-worn; the inscriptions
of many were indistinct, and would have baffled the skill of Old
Mortality to decipher. Upon one I found the date 1767. None as late as
the present century; some were in German, others had the English text.
This burial-place did not appear to have ever been inclosed, nor had it
been used for the purpose of sepulture for nearly one century. That
quaint ditty came into my head, and I naturally used its words as I
looked upon these tombs:
"Oh where are those who lived and talked
A hundred years ago?"
And where will be those who breathe and walk one hundred years hence?
After three days hard work, the ship was got out of the Typa, and on the
29th of January (the anniversary of our departure from the United
States,) got under way with the intention of steering for Manilla, but
adverse winds and strong tides forced us to put into Hong-Kong, where we
found it convenient to lay in additional stores.
Before we left Macào, the Portuguese corvette Don Joao Primero, had
landed the new Governor, Cordoza.
On the morning of the 1st of February got under way, and stood out of
the harbor of Hong-Kong--destination, Manilla.
In this month commences the Chinese new year, and our departure deprived
us of an opportunity of witnessing its celebration, which is curious and
worth seeing. It is perhaps the only general holiday the Chinese have:
they devote it to feasting and hilarity, drinking sam-chu, and
gambling; and as the fourth commandment is not considered in their
religion, it is the only period when a cessation from labor occurs among
them, and they appear to make the most of it, for they dispose of any
thing at a low rate for a coin, previous to its advent, and the Coolies
will appropriate every thing they can lay their hands on to promote its
gratification.
Made the Island of Luconia, the principal of the Philippine group, on
the 5th of February, in the morning watch, and employed that day in
running down its coast. Stood off and on the entrance of the Bay of
Manilla that night, and early the next morning passed El Corregidor, and
stood up the bay with a fair wind, coming to anchor off the town about
six bells, eleven o'clock, P. M.
The Bay of Manilla is magnificent in its proportions, but there are no
striking objects surrounding it as at Rio. The water is generally bold
and its navigation easy, yet there is a bar, or shallow spit projecting
into it about twenty miles from its mouth, upon which a brig, which had
been ahead of us, struck as we came up, thus proving that there are
_striking_ objects _in_ the bay, at least.
Upon the morning after our arrival, a "tremblor," or shock from an
earthquake, was felt on shore. They said it was the most severe one
sustained for many years. No damage was done that I could learn, and
they do not appear to dread them much, having an outlet for these
sulphureous quakers in an extensive volcano.
"The celebrated and ever loyal city of Manilla," as it is called in the
most grandiliquose of languages, is one of the oldest European
settlements in the East, and it has well deserved its name. It is the
capital of Luconia, or Luzon, and is situated in about lat. 14° 30' N.
and 121° E. long.
Luconia, as I have before stated, being the principal island of the
Philippines, gives this singular group a character throughout the world.
These islands were first discovered by that celebrated, but unfortunate
navigator, Magellan,[7] in whose honor a column is erected in Manilla,
who did not survive long enough to enjoy the fruits of his skill and
perseverance, having been killed at the island of Matan in 1521.
After the death of Magellan, and the defeat of his expedition, two more
attempts were made, which also failed. A fourth expedition, under
command of Villalobos, sent by Mendoza, then Governor of New Spain, in
1542, succeeded in reaching the islands, when was given to them the name
of Philippines, in honor of Philip the Second, Prince of Asturias; but
Villalobos dying, it was broken up, and the few Spaniards that survived,
returned home disheartened.
It remained to Segaspi to establish permanently the Spanish power upon
these islands, and in 1565 he planted successfully that flag upon
Luconia, and became its first Governor. By a judicious policy the good
will of its inhabitants was secured, and the successful attempts of
priests in converting the credulous natives to Catholicism, cemented a
conquest for Spain, the least stained of any in her sanguinary history.
In 1571 Manilla was formed into a city with a municipal government, but
it was not until 1795 that its charter received the royal seal, and only
in 1638 that it obtained the privileges of the other royal cities of
Spain.
"The ever loyal city" is supposed to be that portion inclosed by walls,
but the suburbs are most interesting to a stranger.
The semi-circular space called "Manilla," contains the dwellings of the
full-fed drowsy officials, whilst surrounding it is a busy, active
buzzing hive. The change from the bustle of the Binondo quarter to the
dull torpor _intra murales_, strikes you at once.
Leaving the ship in one of her boats, we were pulled up the Pasig, a
river which runs through the town, and connects Laguna de Bay with the
Bay of Manilla, and is here between two and three hundred yards wide,
protected by an extensive Mole, which projects some distance into the
Bay, upon the extremity of which is a light-house.
A short distance from its entrance was the Hotel of San Fernando,
situated upon its left bank, which we reached about noon, and finding
the heat oppressive, gladly availed ourselves of the protection of its
roof, and the refreshment of a shower bath, which no one can appreciate
more than a person who has been confined on board a man of war, with
"one wide water all around" him, and but few chances to use it.
Took dinner at the hotel, and having thus refreshed and fortified the
inner man, hired a "piscante" (a carriage to contain two persons), and
drove, through the suburbs, out to the Calçada, to reach which, had to
cross a magnificent, but ancient bridge over the Pasig.
The Calçada is the fashionable drive, and the meaning of the word is a
causeway, or raised road; it extends along the walls of the city, and
its centre, as well as each of its sides, is planted with fine flowering
trees. A space is left between the double row of trees in the centre, in
which are placed mounted guards, in showy uniforms, and mounted on
splendid horses, to preserve order, and prevent collision of carriages,
which are not permitted to pass out of a line, but must enter the passeo
from the city at the left, and are obliged to follow each other at a
slow pace and return upon the opposite side in the same order; the duty
of the patrol being to see that no carriage leaves its place in the
line.
This part of the road forms the chord of a semi-circle, whilst a
continuation, not planted, is the segment, which turning round the walls
of the city extends along the beach of the bay, giving a fine view of
the shipping in the roads.
From the Calçada branch roads, leading to different points on this
beautiful island, and these drives are truly magnificent. The roads
are natural, and smooth as the most carefully kept lawn, your carriage
rolls along them with so even a motion, and the scenery through which
you drive is of such an oriental character, and the produce so
luxuriant and rare, its fragrance so sweet, that one leans back in his
easy-going piscante, totally forgetful of every thing but the present
enjoyment, and almost realizing the ideas of fairy land which fancy
wove
"In Life's young day."
On the evening of our first day in Manilla, after returning from our
drive, directed the "cochero" to take us to the theatre; he accordingly
drove us to the Carillo quarter, and to the theatre of that name. Were
admitted on the payment of two reals each, and seated ourselves,
patiently awaiting the withdrawing of a curtain, upon which was
delineated an uncouth figure and accompaniment, supposed to represent
the "divine Apollo" and his lyre.
The building was of bamboo, and, covered with leaves from the same tree,
was cool and well ventilated.
About fifty persons composed the audience, and these were principally
civilized Indians of the Tagalo tribe, a fine-looking race. They were
remarkably well behaved, and listened with much attention and apparent
pleasure, to some most execrable music, elicited by scraping "the
hair of the horse over the entrails of a cat," to wit: fiddling!
which, ceasing at last, at a given signal, up rose the curtain,
and with it Apollo took flight, and ascended to the clouds. The
performance commenced, and lo! we found we had been beguiled into a
puppet-show!--the actors being of pasteboard, and, although managed
very well, we soon tired of them, and retracing our road to the hotel,
took a shower bath, and turned in.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 7: Fernando Magelhaens, generally called as in the text, was
the first who attempted the circumnavigation of the globe. He was a
Portuguese by birth, and sailed from the port of St. Lucar, in Spain,
with an expedition of five vessels, under the auspices of Charles V., on
the 20th of September, 1519. But one of his vessels effected its object,
the Vitoria, under Sebastian del Cano, which reached St. Lucar, the 6th
of September, 1522, with but eighteen survivors, who made a pilgrimage
barefooted to the Saints for their safe return. He gave his name to
those Straits, through which he reached the East, a few years after his
fellow-countryman, De Gama, had passed around the Cape of Good Hope.]