THE PHILIPPINE ' ISLANDS AND' THE ISLE OF FRANCE.- $7
be fo venturefome as to undertake a long voyage without a due ftore of water, and withthe foie dependence for fupply on what may fall from the clouds ? Yet this is the fa£t.The Spaniards avail themfelves of everv vacancy in the veflel to flow their goods in Jand inftead, like us, of carrying out ftore-cafks of water, they merely carry out jarswhich are iufpended from the rigging to catch the rain when it falls.
After the commerce of Acapulco, comes that carried on by mailers of coafters and.different individuals of Manila. Thefe difpatch fmall veffels laden with rice to Macao ,which they exchange for various merchandize of China . The Spaniard here israrely himfelf an adventurer ; either he lends his money to the Indians who put it toprofit, or lays it out in the purchafe of raw fugars to fell again.
The rich perfons of Manila do not carry on trade even with Acapulco with theirown money, but borrow funds for the purpofe of the convents, which they returnwith intereft on the return of the galeon. In this cafe the net profit of the lhipper iseftimated at from twenty-five to thirty per cent.
Commerce of Foreigners.
At times the port of Manila has been open to all friendly nations, but, moft com-monly, trade with foreigners * has been prohibited. When I was there, it was free.
T he Englifh trafficked thither under the Swedilh and Danilh flag, Armenians like-wife from the Indian coaft, the Portuguefe, and the French . The Chinefe at alltimes trade thither in junks.
Importation.
The import trade corififts of various articles from Europe , to wit:: anchors, fheet,fquared, and bar iron, and iron wire, grapplings, anvils, German fteel,nails from one to-ten inches long, cabinet makers 5 and carpenters’ tools, fheet-copper and. copper faften-ings, tin in plates, brafswire, fail cloth, thread, needles, knitting-needles, cables, cordage,lead in ffieets and in pigs, fand hour-glaffes, window-glafs, drinkmg-glaffes, European cloth, wines, brandy, liquors and fweet wines, effences, eau de Cologne , ats, 1
ftockings, glafs lamps, pearl and coral for rofaries, rofe-diamonds, and brilliants u e ,lace, and Brittany linen. . .
The articles imported from India are cambayas, handkerchiefs, malmoles, plain,embroidered, and worked with gold and filver, cambricks, elefantas, cotton cloths fromthe north, percalas, bordered petticoats, bafquinas, handkerchiefs with devices, bafetas,
garras, and Mafulipatam handkerchiefs without glofs, with fome handkerchiefs and.cambayas from Anticour, &c.
I he merchandize brought from China is, different filk fluffs, filk ftockings, nan-keens, gold and filver plate, porcelain, &c.
Exportation.
The fhipments outwards are compofed chiefly of fugar, indigo, tobacco, leather,,fellow, honey, wax, rice, chocolate, corn, bifcuit, cattle, wax. candles, dying woods,.e ony, birds’-nefts, pearls, mother of pearl,, and rattans*..
Un: