M. DE GUIGNES* OBSERVATIONS ON

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At one of the extremities of the city, and in front of the bay, the Spaniards haveerected Fort St. James. This fort defends the entrance of the river, and protects twojetties which advance into the fea at a 'diftance from each other of nearly four hundredfathoms : they are cafed with ftone and kept in good condition ; but, to render themof greater utility, they require to be prolonged, efpecially that on the fouthern fide;indeed it might be well to continue them to the bar, as in that cafe it would be aneafy matter to deepen the channel, and render it fafe of palfage for (hips as well asthe country coafters, which at prefent run a rifk of grounding, and are fearful ofattempting to pafs it when the wind is 1 anywife high. The fea is generally rough onthe bar, on which even at height of tide there is fcarcely twelve feet, water.

Manila has fix gates, thofe of Los Almacenes, Santo Domingo, Parian, Sta. Lucia,La Puerte Reale, and a poftern.

The city is handfome, and airy ; the ftreets moftly ftraight: the governor has caufedthem to be paved with granite from China , and to be lighted with lamps, fo thatpafiengers may walk them in fafety by night as well as by day.

The houfes confift of but one ftory above the ground-floor. The lower part isbuilt of ftone and vaulted ; the walls of great thicknefs. The upper part is of woodcovered with plaifter. The roof is fupported by thick ports, placed upright, andrefting on the inferior walls, in which they are inferted. Thefe pofts are connectedby the beams which fuftain the roof, and the whole is ftrongly joined together withpegs, fo that when earthquakes happen they play without disjoining : but as theapartments are not cieled, the fight of the fkeleton'of the building has a very difagree-able effect.

The rooms are fpacious and but llightly furnifhed ; they do not receive the lightdireftly from without, but communicate by doors with galleries of wood which fur-round the houfe, and have large windows formed of tranfparent (hells, the fafhesof which Hide one, over the other. This contrivance is excellent for introducing acoolnefs into the apartments, but externally offends the eye.

The public edifices and churches are folidly conftrucfed ; the belfrys in particularare very maftive. The cathedral is of great fize ; attached to it is an archbifhopand twelve canons. Manila was erected into a biftiop’s fee in 1581, and was afterwardsin 1595 raifed to the dignity of an archbifhopric. The] fuffragans of the metropolitanare the three bifhops of Zebu , Nueva Cazeris and Nueva Segovia.

The government-houfe is large, but prefents nothing extraordinary. The fquarein front is fpacious and regular; the governor has planted it with trees and furnifhedit with lamps. The embellifhment has certainly a fine effedt, though a morefit appropriation of the fquare would certainly have been to have made it a paradefor troops.

by the conciliating meafures of the general, and the perfuafions of the miffionaries; and after finding thefirft town in the iflatid of Zebu , which from his own name he called San Miguel Legafpi, in June 1565fent back the commodore’s {hip with Father Urbaneta, as previoufly concerted, with the viceroy.Urbaneta happily arrived at Acapulco, after a voyage of four months, and on his arrival produced a verycircumftantial account of his courfe, together with a much efteemed and very exadf journal, whichafterwards formed an excellent guide for the navigation between Acapulco and Manila .

It was not until after he had fubdued and pacified the chief illand, that of Luzon , that Legafpifounded Manila , made numerous wife regulations for the divifion of property, and adminiftration ofjuftice, and declared the city to be the metropolis of New Cailile, the name he gave to this region.EJiablicimienlos Ultra-marinas de las Naciones Europeanas, per Edvardo Malo de Laque. Toma v.pag. 197.feq. Madrid , 1790.—Translator.

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