THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS , AND THE ISLE OF FRANCE. 85

The King’s lieutenant and the officers of the crown are held in high eftimation.

The governor difpofes of all offices, and nominates the alcaldes and the captain 0the galeon. His fituation, which is held for eight years, is reckoned to be wortannually from thirteen to fourteen thoufand dollars *. When the governor is luper-feded it, is cuftomary for him to undergo an examination, which lafts three months .within this fpace all who have fubject of complaint againft him prefer their charges; thismeafure, the inftitution of which was equitable, is not exactly enforced: in fome cafesit might prove fatal to the ex-governor ; its effectuation is therefore commonly pre-vented by a prefent to the new governor: inftances are faid to have occurred wherethe bribe on fuch an occalion has amounted to a hundred thoufand piaftres.

Commerce of the Spaniards '.

The Spaniffi commerce of Manila , which might be very confiderable, is limited tothat carried on with Acapulco by the galeon, and with China by coafters ; of the latterthe number has much diminilhed fince the Philippine Company has been accuftomedto difpatch its own veffels to Canton, and retain factors at that city.

The Acapulco trade is not open to every one ; the right of freightage of the galeonis divided into fifteen hundred portions, of which a large number is referved for theconvents, and the reft is allotted to individuals, either as rewards or bounties.

Thefe portions are fold by the poffeffors to fuch merchants as are inclined to Ihip.The value of the cargo is fixed at fix hundred thoufand dollars, but commonly it istwice as much. It confifts of mufiins, India cloths, raw filk, fluffs, and ftockings ofChina filk, of the laft article about fifty thoufand pair ; the remainder of the cargo iscompofed of gold and filver plate, wrought either at Canton or at Manila by the Chi-nefe; jewellery, fpices, gold duft, and different mercery. Great pains are taken inflowing the cargo, and not a foot of vacant fpace is left. The value of the galeontaken by Anfon was a million three hundred and thirteen thoufand dollars, exclufiveof thirty-five thoufand fix hundred and eighty-two ounces of pure filver, of cochineal,and of other valuable articles. .

The cargo of the galeon at Acapulco yields a profit of cent, per cent., paid for partlyin filver, and partly in cochineal, mercury, jewels, cloth, and Spanifh wine. I he totalvalue of the return cargo may amount to from two to three millions of dollars, of whichfrom two hundred and fifty to three hundred thoufand on the account of the King.

Commonly but one galeon is difpatched in the year, but fometimes there are two :this veffel, after receiving the bleffing of the Virgin from the ramparts, leaves Manila m the middle of July, paffes the ftrait of San Bernardino , but oftentimes not till amonth or fix weeks after its departure, and directs its courfe afterwards to the northas high as thirty degrees to fall in with wefterly winds : it then fleers eaftward to thecoaft of California, and arrives at Acapulco in December or January commonly, butat Jateft in February. The fale of the cargo is quickly completed, and the galeonhoifts fail in return about the middle of March : it defcends to the latitude of fourteenor thirteen degrees, and thence bears to the eaft till in fight of Guamf, one of the

Marian

tl _ Under the following head of “ Commerce of Manila,” De Guignes fays, which is perhaps nearer

truth, twenty thoufand dollars.

t rour hundred leagues eafl of the Philippines lie the Mariana iflands, which form a chain extendingT? m to twenty-two degrees of latitude north, through a fpace of one hundred and fifty leagues.

e chief of thefe, called Guajam, or Guam , (pronounced Hhooan,) is fituate in latitude thirteen degreestwenty-one minutes eighteen feconds, one hundred and fifty degrees fifty-fix minutes thirty fecondsealtot the obfervatoryot Cadiz , according to obfervations of Seignor Malafpina, made in the bay of

Humata