Category: Travel Writing
Three hundred and forty years ago, the Portuguese navigator Fernando de Magalhães, more generally known by his Spanish designation Magellanes, proposed to Carlos I. an expedition of discovery in the Eastern seas. The conditions of the contract were signed at Zaragoza, and, wit...
Of the three ports lately opened to foreign commerce, Iloilo is the most promising. The province of Iloilo is one of the most populous of the Philippines. It contains more than...
6. CHAPTER VI.In the last generation a wonderful sensation was produced by the propagation of the great Malthusian discovery--the irresistible, indisputable, inexorable truth--that the produc...
15. CHAPTER XV.The money value of the tobacco grown in the Philippines is estimated at from 4,000,000 to 5,000,000 of dollars, say 1,000,000l. sterling. Of this nearly one half is consumed in...
20. CHAPTER XX.To foreign nations--to our own especially--the particular interest felt in the state of the Philippines is naturally more of a commercial than of a political character. They mus...
1. CHAPTER I.Three hundred and forty years ago, the Portuguese navigator Fernando de Magalhães, more generally known by his Spanish designation Magellanes, proposed to Carlos I. an expeditio...
3. CHAPTER III.A few sketches of the personal history of some of the captains-general of Manila will be an apt illustration of the general character of the government, which, with some remarka...
8. CHAPTER VIII.Though the far greater number of the pagan Indians, as they are called by the Spaniards, belong to the same races as those who inhabit the towns, there are many exceptional case...
7. CHAPTER VII.Far more than the fair portion of domestic and social cares falls upon the Indian female, and she has far less than her becoming share of enjoyments. Barbarous practices are fre...
26. CHAPTER XXVI.The province of Pangasinan consists principally of an extensive plain, or, rather, of a very gradual descent from the mountains where the Igorrote Indians dwell, and extending t...
13. CHAPTER XIII.The Tagál and Bisayan are the most widely spread of the languages of the Philippines, but each has such a variety of idioms that the inhabitants of different islands and distric...
5. CHAPTER V.The Administration of the Philippine Archipelago has for its head and chief a captain and governor-general, who resides in Manila, the capital of the islands, and who is not per...
4. CHAPTER IV.The generally accepted theory as to the formation of the Philippines is, that they all formed part of a vast primitive continent, which was broken up by some great convulsion of...
2. CHAPTER II.Having arranged for a visit to the Laguna and the surrounding hills, whose beautiful scenery has given to the island of Luzon a widely-spread celebrity, we started accompanied b...
12. CHAPTER XII.There are in the Philippines one archiepiscopal and three episcopal sees. The metropolitan archbishopric of Manila was founded by Clement VII. in 1595, and endowed by Philip II....
24. CHAPTER XXIV.We steamed away from Manila on the 20th December. It was our first purpose to visit Labuan, which had become of some interest to me as Governor of Hong Kong, having been made of...
23. CHAPTER XXIII.The opening of the ports of Sual, Iloilo and Zamboanga to foreign trade, was of course intended to give development to the local interests of the northern, central and southern...
14. CHAPTER XIV.The Leyes de Indias emphatically recognize the wrongs and injuries of which the Indians are constantly the victims, and seek to furnish remedies against them: they annul dishone...
19. CHAPTER XIX.The following collection of proverbs will be found curious and characteristic. They will serve to throw light upon the genius of the people, and are appropriate specimens of the...
21. CHAPTER XXI.Contributions and Grace and Justice 679,519·11 taxes 1,928,607·92 War 2,216,669·44 Custom-houses 600,000·00 Finance (Hacienda) 5,367,829·83 Monopolies 7,199,950·59 Marine 904,33...
17. CHAPTER XVII.The Mining Laws, Reglamento de Minas, are of a liberal character and allow concessions to be made to any person, Spaniard, Indian, mestizo, naturalized or established foreigner,...
11. CHAPTER XI.In the University of St. Thomas there are about a thousand students. The professorships are of theology, the canon and civil law, metaphysics and grammar; but no attention is gi...
16. CHAPTER XVI.The buffalo is, perhaps, the most useful of Philippine quadrupeds. Immense herds of wild buffaloes are found in the interior, but the tamed animal is employed in the labours of...
22. CHAPTER XXII.Down to the year 1784 so unproductive were the Philippines to the Spanish revenues, that the treasury deficit was supplied by an annual grant of 250,000 dollars provided by the...
9. CHAPTER IX.The supreme court of justice in the Philippines is the Audiencia established in Manila, which is the tribunal of appeal from the subordinate jurisdiction, and the consultative c...
18. CHAPTER XVIII.The art of weaving, or that of crossing threads so as to produce a wearable tissue, is one of the evidences of a transition from savage towards civilized life. In cold countries...
10. CHAPTER X.The army of the Philippines, with the exception of two brigades of artillery and a corps of engineers which are furnished by Spain, is recruited from the Indians, and presents a...