hi. i)£ GftlGNES 7 OBSERVATIONS ON
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is more elevated and dry, the atmofphere is much more pure. The tempers andrain during the monfoons from the weft, the fouth-weft, and the fouth, are violent andheavy: thefe winds reign throughout the months of June, July, and Auguft ; themeadows are then flooded, and intercourfe is maintained only by means of boats. InOctober the wind begins to blow from the north and nortlneaft ; in December it veersto the eaft and fouth-eaft, and in thefe quarters remains until May ; this is the finefeafon or furnmer of the year. The mixture of heat and moifture experienced atManila difagrees with foreigners, but the Indians, habituated to the ; climate, live to agreat age ; moreover their dwellings being raifed much above the waters, they are inmeafure fheltered from the effect of their vapour, and as the air circulates withoutobftruftion it ferves to refrefh them, and make the natural warmth of the climatemore tolerable.
Earthquakes.
The Philippines are fubject to earthquakes : that which took place in 1645 over-threw a part of Manila . I experienced the fliocks of one myfelf during my ftay, fo'violent that many Spaniards who had been at Lima, affured me they had known of fewmore fo. It began at two o’clock in the afternoon ; at firft I thought fome one wasdrawing my chair ; all the houfes cracked, many walls were thrown down, many key-ftones of vaults were difplaced, and the water was thrown out of the gutters and wells.In the houfe I inhabited three inches of water were ejected from a large ciftern whichhappened to be full; the lamps ofcillated, and a carriage under the gateway moved as inpalling over a ftreet half unpaved ; on my going down into the court the earth trembledunder my feet, the houfe leaned now in one and now in an oppofite direction, and atevery inftant I reckoned upon its falling : when the Ihocks ceafed I was perfectly ftupi-fied, and experienced pains in my knees. On returning into the houfe, I found thatthe chief pillar which fupported the roof was fplit in twain. The veffels at anchor inthe port felt nothing of the Ihock, but an Englilli Ihip at fea, eleven leagues from Manila ,was affected by it: every part of it cracked, the main-maft was driven upwards out of theftep or focket, and required to be fupported with broken mails. The concuflions of thisearthquake lafted three minutes and fourteen feconds, and were renewed at intervalsfor feveral fucceeding days, fometimes with violence. On the firft day, there reigneda calm, the Iky was grey and cloudy, the atmofphere heated and heavy; occafionallygufts of wind were experienced, and at intervals gentle Ihowers of rain : fuch are theprognoltics by which earthquakes are anticipated here.
On thefe occafions, of elfe general confternation, the Indians are free from alarm ;their houfes ply in every direction with the Ihock, and vibrate with the ofcillations ofthe earthquake; their only dread are hurricanes, which to them are of deftructiveconfequence, and fometimes fweep away the houfes with thofe they wont to Ihelter :meantime in turn the Spaniards reft in peace, confident in their dwellings, whofe foli-dity braves the ftorm. Thus it is with man: he even fees with indifference theadverfity of another, and feels but for his own fecurity. Actuated by this fentiment,and in order to implore of Heaven exemption from future accidents, the clergy andall the inhabitants of .Manila affemble in proceflions, and parade with great fumptu-ofity the image of a faint, whofe mediation is commonly invoked on fimilar occurrences.
The governor is the abfolute mailer and prefident of the council, which is compofedof four auditors, and a procurator-fifcal.
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