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:

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

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.