FIRST VISIT ON SHORE.

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to take a first glance of the city. The landing is by the river, a narrow and rapid stream, with a lighthouse, small, and of imperfect service, at its mouth on the suburb side. A long mole of granite, with a circular battery at the end, lines the river on the same side with the city; immediately on passing which we perceived a greater stir of business than is seen from the bay, the river being lined on the side adjoining the suburbs, with numbers of vessels of various burdens, and covered with boats, plying rapidly in different directions. The walls of the city rise from the water, and extend more than half a mile up the stream to a fine stone bridge, affording the only communication by carriages with the suburb. Besides Mr. Hubbell, we found at the consulate Mr. King, a young gentleman of intelligence and piety, attached to the establishment, and captains Chever and Benjamin, the commanders of two American merchantment, at present in port.

The support of an equipage here is attended comparatively with so little expense, that it is not customary to walk, either on business or for pleasure; and after dinner, at five o'clock, four carriages were in readiness for the whole party, with the addition of Mr. Stribling, from the ship, to take an evening airing. The usual vehicle is a light, low phaton, handsomely finished, drawn by two small, but fleet horses, under the management of a postillion mounted on one of them. The rides in the vicinity of the city are varied, and of a degree of beauty almost unrivalled; but that most resorted to in the evening is a broad road lined with a double row of trees, commencing

302

DRIVE ON THE CALZADA.

at the bridge and following the course of the moat and glacis surrounding the city wall to the beach, and extending along it in front of the city, with an open view of the bay and shipping. Here all the rank and fashion of the place assemble for an hour or more every evening, presenting an animated and truly beautiful spectacle, as equipage after equipage rolls along in a double line-one passing in one direction and the other in another-affording a full view, from the open carriages, of all the dress and beauty of the first circles of society. The ladies wear neither hats nor mantles; but, according to the Spanish custom on such occasions, appear in full evening costume.

This drive is called the Calzada. It is open entirely to the country on one side, and leads past the public parade ground, near the bay. The standing forces of the government consist of 12,000 troops, all natives of the islands, commanded by Spanish officers. Five thousand of these are quartered in the city, and the remainder in various parts of the group. There is a regular evening drill; and about two thousand were now under arms. They made a fine appearance are well dressed, well paid, and it is said, are loyal and firm in their attachment to the Spanish authority. Two full bands were performing, and I have no where heard finer martial musicthough all the musicians, like the soldiers, are native indians of the country.

The airing and' the drill usually terminate together; the carriages, when the troops begin to move, changing the rapid rate at which, for the hour pre

NATIVE TROOPS AND MUSIC.

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vious, they are whirled from one end of the Calzada to the other, to a walk, accompany them in long and slow procession, for the enjoyment of the music to which they march, till dispersed at the barracks near the bridge.

Two evenings in each week the military bands perform for an hour, in the palace square within the city, in front of the residence of His Catholic Majesty's representative, the Captain General and Governor of the Philippine Islands, at present the Senor Rocafuerté. This was one of the evenings; and we drove into the city to share in the entertainment. It is a well built, neat, and quiet town, containing a population of twenty thousand, principally Spanish, or of Spanish extraction; officers of government, and of the military department; priests, soldiers, &c. The streets are regular, and well kept, and the whole style of building that which I have described as prevailing in Lima-the Moorish quadrangle of two stories, with covered balconies from the second story over the street, and corridors within. Here the balconies, instead of lattice work of dark wood, consist of large sashes, to be thrown open at pleasure, set, in place of glass, with the inner shell of a large muscle, which, prepared for the purpose, is translucent, transmitting the glare of a tropical sun, in a mellowness of light equal to that passing through ground glass.

The houses of the foreign residents, and of the more wealthy inhabitants of the suburbs, are in the same style of architecture; the first story being ap

propriated to storehouses, kitchens, offices, stables, &c., while the second is occupied by spacious and lofty saloons, and sleeping and dressing apart

ments.

LETTER II.

EVENING SCENES AT A CATHOLIC FESTIVAL, AND CALL UPON A NATIVE FAMILY.

Manilla, January 31st, 1829.

AFTER tea this evening a large party took carriages for a short drive to a parish in the eastern part of the suburbs, where, we were informed, a festival in honor of the patron saint was in celebration.

The native islanders at Manilla, as well as the Spanish inhabitants, are Roman Catholics by profession; and holidays of this kind, with processions, illuminations, and fireworks, in honor of them, are a chief source of amusement to the people. All the streets within the boundaries of the parish we now visited, were more or less illuminated, and those in the vicinity of the church, and through which the procession passed, as brilliantly lighted as a walk in Vauxhall; while all the houses were ornamented with gay hanging, wreaths of flowers, and evergreen, and various tawdry decorations of colored paper and tinsel.

INDIAN COTTAGES.

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The buildings here are all in the native stylecottages of greater or less dimensions, erected upon piles at various heights from the ground, and constructed of bamboo and reeds. They are usually square, with high roofs, running to a point in the centre; and are furnished so abundantly with large windows of lattice work, that when thrown open, the interior is as much exposed to view, as that of an ordinary summer-house in the grounds of a gentleman in our own country. This was the case on the present occasion; and, as we rode along the streets, we had as full a sight of the apartments, and of the families in gala dress, and in all the hilarity of festival times, as if we had been their guests.

Lofty arches of light wood, covered with colored paper and gilding, and blazing with lamps, were thrown across the streets; while, in other places, obelisks of the same materials reared their illuminated summits high in the darkness of the night; both having a tasteful and pretty effect.

The principal procession had closed before we arrived, but fireworks were setting off; and the image of the patron saint, a female martyr, as appeared from the exhibition, was borne past us. In the immediate vicinity of the church, the streets were so thronged with pedestrians of all ranks, from those apparently of gentility and affluence, to the lowest orders, that we were obliged to alight near a half mile from it, and walk the remaining distance. In the crowd there was quite as great a number of fernales, as of the other sex, and some evidently of the VOL. II. 27