Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines Part 1

Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines.

by Robert Mac Micking.

INTRODUCTION.

The Philippines, in many respects situated most advantageously for trade, having long been governed by a people whose notions of government and political economy have never produced the happiest results in any of their once numerous and important colonies, appear at last to be slowly reaping the benefit of the new commercial maxims now in course of operation, in Spain, and show symptoms of progressing with increased speed in the march of civilization, encouraged by commerce. As such a state is always interesting, more especially to my countrymen, whose commercial and manufacturing welfare is closely bound up with the rate at which civilization advances in every part of the world, I have attempted to give some idea of the actual state and prospects of this valuable colony, as they appeared to me during a residence there of the three years 1848-9-50, with the double object of directing more attention to these islands than has. .h.i.therto been paid to them by our merchants and manufacturers, and of deriving some employment in doing so, during a tedious voyage from Singapore to Hongkong, when, being in a great measure debarred from personal activity, an interesting occupation was felt to be more than usually necessary to engage the mind.

There are many imperfections in the execution of my task; but for these the critical reader is requested to make some allowance, and entreated not to forget the inconveniences all landsmen are subjected to at sea.

September, 1851.

CHAPTER I.

About the time the Spanish arms under Hernan Cortez, Pizarro, and Almagro, were meeting with their most splendid successes in America, the thought occurred to Hernando Magallanes, a Portuguese gentleman in the service of King Charles the Fifth of Spain, that if by sailing south he could pa.s.s the new Western World, it would be possible to reach the famous Spice Islands of the East, which he supposed to contain untold-of wealth in their bosoms. This vast, and, in the state of their knowledge at the time, apparently hardy and even rash idea, met with approval by the King, who honoured Magallanes with the distinguished military order of Santiago, and appointed him to the command of a squadron which he immediately set about fitting out to accomplish the project, with the view of conquering and annexing these islands to his crown.

At length, when all the preparations were completed, on the 10th of August, 1519, six ships, no one of which exceeded 130 tons, and some of them being less than half that size, sailed from the port of San Lucan de Barrameda on this bold and perilous enterprise.

In the prosecution of their voyage, many obstacles were encountered; but everything disappeared before the ardour of their chief, who, discovering, pa.s.sed through the Straits of Magellan, which alone immortalize his name, and spreading his sails to the gale, stood boldly with his squadron, now reduced to three crazy vessels, into the unknown and vast ocean which lay open before him, with all the hardihood characteristic of his time, traversing in its utmost breadth the Pacific, without, however, chancing to meet with any of the numerous islands now scattered throughout its extent. At last, the Mariana or Ladrone Islands were descried on the 16th of August, 1521, and a few days afterwards a cape on the east coast of Mindanao was seen.

Coasting along the sh.o.r.es of Caraga, the ships anch.o.r.ed off Limasna, where Magallanes was well received by the natives of the place; from thence steering towards Cebu, he managed to establish a good understanding with the country people, although upwards of two thousand of them had a.s.sembled, armed with spears and javelins, to oppose his landing.

Having constructed a house at this place, in order that ma.s.s might be decently said, he landed to hear it, accompanied by his crews.

The royal family of Cebu, curious to observe the manners of their strange visitors, attended its celebration, and, as the story goes, were so much edified by the sight, that they were baptized Christians, and an oath of allegiance and va.s.salage to the King of Spain administered to them; and their example being followed to a great extent by the n.o.bles and people of Cebu, the Christian forms of faith and the symbolic cross were planted by the Spaniards in the country of the antipodes.

Some time afterwards, Magallanes met the end which best becomes a brave and good soldier, by dying in the battle-field in the cause of his new friends and allies.

But without his master-mind to direct them, things no longer went on so smoothly between the Spaniards and the natives; and under his successor, the hostile feelings then given birth to, soon found a tragical vent, which resulted in a number of the white men being cruelly ma.s.sacred by their Indian hosts, and in the flight of their companions, who, fearful of their own safety, made all sail on their ships, and bore away, leaving their unfortunate countrymen to their fate, without attempting and even refusing to ransom such of them whose lives were spared, from having been less obnoxious to the Indians than the others. This fatal accident left the surviving crews so much weakened in numerical strength, that not having men enough left to work all the ships, the "Concepcion" was set fire to, and the survivors steered towards the Moluccas.

It were tedious to follow them through all their adventures; suffice it to say, that Juan Sebastian de El Cano was the only captain who succeeded in taking his ship home again round the Cape of Good Hope. After many anxieties and vicissitudes he entered the same port of San Lucar from which he had sailed about three years before; and as a memento of his skill and of his being the first navigator who had made the circuit of the world, the king granted him for an armorial bearing, a globe, with the legend, "Primus circ.u.mdedit me,"

which he had thus so honourably gained.

At intervals of about four years between each other, three separate expeditions were fitted out from Spain and America for these islands, which were named "_Las Felipinas_" by Villalobos, commander of the last of these squadrons, in honour of the then Prince of Asturias, afterwards better known as King Philip the Second of Spain.

In the meantime the Portuguese, jealous of the vicinity of such powerful neighbours as the Spaniards, to their empire of the East which Vasco de Gama and Albuquerque had so brilliantly founded for their country, took advantage of the financial distress of the Spanish king, who was then arming against France and Germany, and for an inconsiderable amount purchased his right of conquest over all the Philippines.

But they did not long retain them; for on Prince Philip of the Asturias becoming King of Spain he regained the islands by breaking through the treaty which confirmed their sale. Having, in 1564, appointed Don Miguel Lopez de Legaspi commander of an expedition fitted out for the purpose of reacquiring them, and having made him Governor and Adelantado of all the countries he could conquer,--which now-a-days appears to be rather a vague commission, but was then a custom of that venturous time,--that dignitary reached the Philippines, which had been altogether neglected by the Portuguese, and without difficulty re-established Spanish supremacy over the group, of which he may be considered as the first governor.

Their favorable reception by the natives rendered the acquisition altogether, or nearly, a bloodless one, for the warriors who gained them over to Spain were not their steel-clad chivalry, but the soldiers of the cross:--the priests, who, going out among a simple but somewhat pa.s.sionate people, astonished and kindled them by their enthusiasm in the cause of Christ; while the novel doctrines they taught so enthusiastically, aided by the usual splendid accompaniments of that religion, captivated their senses, and took possession of their imaginations.

Manilla was founded on the island of Luzon, the most important of all the islands in the group; and the situation of the new capital on the sh.o.r.e of a long bay, into which flow numerous rivers, bringing down from the interior of a fertile country through which they run, its varied and valuable produce, has secured for it prosperity and commercial importance. A trade with China sprang up, and its commencement was soon followed by many emigrants from that densely-peopled country, whose habits of industry and prudence very soon began to increase and develope the natural fertility of the soil, and whose numerous descendants have mingled with the native character some of those useful virtues which it seems scarcely probable they would possess but for this slight mixture of blood.

Alas, that priestly ambition and the desire of domination should in time usurp the place of those laborious, enthusiastic, and pious missionaries who, so happily for the natives, had managed to revolutionize their minds, and so spared their country those scenes of blood which blot with a fearful stain the history of Spanish power in America. But the influence of churchmen, as usual, in the Philippines, was not always to be well directed; for the merciless Inquisition having established itself at Manilla, commenced its terrible career. No one was safe, none were exempt from its powers; its emissaries penetrated even into the palace of the Governor. Moderation in religion, or remissness in its strictest observances, became crimes, punishable by the severest discipline of that fearful and cruel establishment. All attempts, even when aided or directed by the authority and influence of the highest officials, to lessen its power, proved unsuccessful; and frequently a _Bishop_ was chosen to occupy the Governor-general's place, to perform his civil and military duties! Everything was in the hands of the churchmen, the subsequent effects of which were demonstrated to the world by the easy success of the British expedition of 1762, which they permitted to enter the bay without opposition, having pa.s.sed the fortified island of Corregidor at its entrance without a shot being fired to prevent them. And the same effects caused but a feeble resistance to be opposed to their arms, and the speedy surrender of Manilla by its priest-ridden and effeminate defenders.

CHAPTER II.

The Government of Spain has, ever since the period of their acquisition, shown itself ignorant or neglectful of the commercial importance of these islands, the commerce of which has long been subjected to regulations and restrictions as injurious in their tendency as can well be imagined,--they being framed, apparently at least, more for the purpose of smothering it in its earliest existence than with any kindly or paternal views of nourishing and increasing it.

But a change having at length once begun, a new era may be said to have commenced with regard to them, and it is to be hoped that increasing wisdom and liberality of ideas may clear away some of the remaining obstacles which for so long enc.u.mbered, and even yet impede and circ.u.mscribe within a very narrow circle, the natural course of their commerce. For the Spanish Government are far from following a similar policy to that of the great Henry the Fourth of France, who, as an encouragement to the manufacturing industry of the country, rewarded those silk manufacturers who had carried on business for twelve years, with patents of n.o.bility, as men who by doing so not only benefited themselves, but deserved well of their country for their enterprise and commercial spirit. Don Simon Anda was about the first person who showed any desire to augment the trade of the islands; and his election to the highest offices of the colony, after its restoration by the English, was a most fortunate event for Manilla. Although, unluckily, many of the steps he took with the best intentions, notwithstanding being infinitely in advance of those of his predecessors in office, were not always in the right direction, and consequently unattended by the highest degree of success which he aimed at, partial good results were obtained by them, and a beneficial change began to regulate affairs.

The expulsion of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1768, by throwing their immense estates out of cultivation, and also the wars and disturbances subsequent to the French Revolution, being felt even in this remote part of the world, were attended with the worst effects to the trade and agriculture of the islands. On the peace of 1814, the condition of the country was truly deplorable, as, during a long period of isolation and inactivity, abuses had multiplied to an alarming extent, and the minds of the Indian population especially had become divided between superst.i.tion and sedition, from each of which a sanguinary catastrophe resulted. Public opinion at the time fastened on the priests the guilt of the ma.s.sacre of the Protestant foreigners at Manilla in 1820, and the growing discontent of the people blew into open rebellion in 1823, under a Creole leader, who then rose and attempted to shake off the Spanish authority.

To give the reader some idea of the commercial regulations then existing, which helped, no doubt, to bring about these disorders, it may be mentioned that among many other things, even after the port of Manilla was thrown open to ships of all nations, the vessels belonging to that port itself were not allowed to trade with Europe, or to proceed beyond the Cape of Good Hope; and Government yet further limited their intercourse with the only ports of China and India which were open to them, by issuing pa.s.ses to all colonial ships, the conditions of which were perfectly incompatible with the usual course of commerce, as they were required to return home directly from the port to which they were destined from Manilla, and were not at liberty to touch at, or have any intercourse with, other places than those specified in their pa.s.sport.

These absurd restrictions of course prevented a ship from profiting by any freight she might be offered at the port of her destination from Manilla, because the terms of her pa.s.s made it compulsory for her to return there before she could accept any new engagement such as might be offered her, and of course, in such a case, frequently forced them to decline most profitable business; consequently, the colonial shipowners found that they had to sail their vessels at a great disadvantage with all others who were free from such interference.

Neither was the trade with Spain open to them, for the Trading Company numbered among their many other privileges, that of having the sole right of placing ships on the berth for the Peninsula.

This state of things actually remained in force till 1820, when a royal order confirmed a decree of the Cortes exempting from all duties whatever any products of the Philippines which might be imported into Spain during the ensuing ten years; and this step may be considered as the first evidence of a desire shown by that Government to give an impulse to their colonial agriculture or to the manufactures and commerce of these splendid islands.

This good work, having once begun, was followed up by the enlightened and benevolent government of Don Pascual Enrile, who was Captain-General of the Philippines from 1831 to 1835, and whose entire administration has left behind it the happiest results for the people he governed.

Commencing his reform of the laws relating to navigation by giving pa.s.ses to ships, for the period of two years, without requiring them to declare to what place or places they were bound, or might touch at during their absence from the port to which they belonged, he had an opportunity of satisfying himself of the good results ensuing from non-interference; and some time afterwards entirely loosed the fetters which burdened them, by giving colonial ships liberty to sail wherever they chose without restrictions as to time or place: and certainly, his doing so was an honour for the national flag, which then waved on every sea. These concessions proved alike wise and beneficent; and since the time of their being granted, the tonnage and commerce of Manilla has increased in an amazing degree, and still goes on prosperously augmenting Her Most Catholic Majesty's treasury, besides improving the condition of the people and the agriculture of the country.

But this was far from being the only wise act of Governor Enrile, for under his administration a boon of even greater importance was secured to the country and the people of the colony, by the opening of internal communications throughout the Philippines. He established a comprehensive system of roads, and organised posts throughout the islands. Although most of the roads are now kept in most wretched order, yet being nearly always pa.s.sable by horses, they are found to be of the utmost importance to the well-being of the country, even as they now exist.

But should a time come when more attention will be bestowed upon them than now is, and new ones judiciously constructed in districts where they have not yet been, the agriculture of the islands will improve to a great degree, and corresponding advantages will follow in its train to be reaped by the Government that is enlightened enough to undertake them, and which is sensible enough to know what is most for its true interests. May that day soon come, for it will be a happy one to the Philippines and all belonging to them.

CHAPTER III.

On approaching Manilla from the bay in one of the bancas--or canoes having a cover as a protection against the sun--which generally go off to all ships after their anchor has been let go, and the port-captain's boat has boarded the new arrival, the spires, towers of churches, and lofty red-tiled roofs of houses or convents are all that can be seen over the walls, so that the first impressions of a stranger are not in general very vivid or interesting.

On reaching the murallon, your banca enters the waters of the Pasig river, prolonged by two piers into the bay, on the extreme point of one of which is situated a small fort garrisoned by a company of soldiers, and on the other the lighthouse, a most insignificant and nearly useless building. Pa.s.sing these, the boatmen pull up the river to the garrita, a small round house, where the banca is vised by the people of the gun-boats, at all times stationed there for that purpose, and should there be any packages or baggage in it, the port-captain's deputy, or aide-de-camp, puts a guard on board, who conducts you to the custom-house for the purpose of having it inspected there; but the examination is generally not a very minute one, and personal effects are for the most part pa.s.sed merely by opening the boxes and showing the tops of their contents, although you may be asked whether it contains either pocket-pistols or a bible, both of which are prohibited and seizable.

The city of Manilla, ever since its foundation, which took place at a very early period of the Spanish power in Luzon, from the natural advantages combined in its situation--so judiciously chosen by them--continued to be the capital of the Philippines, whose history ever since may be said to have centered in the transactions which at various times have taken place under the shadow of its walls.

It is built at the mouth of the river Pasig, on the low-lying and sandy point formed by its junctions with the waters of the bay, between which and the ditch that surrounds the walls on the seaward side, a level sward stretches along the beach.

An Englishman, on arriving, perceives a marked difference between the place and people and any of his country's Indian possessions; the air he breathes, and the habits he gradually falls into from seeing them the customary ones of other people, are not the same as those of his countrymen in British India. Should he be fortunate enough to have arrived towards the end of the year, in addition to the greater coolness of the weather then usually prevalent, and so delightful in the tropics, he will most probably not want opportunities for enjoying himself; as, after suffering a penitential confinement to the house during the long rainy season, for some time before Christmas, the cool nights and other circ.u.mstances induce the residents to break out into greater gaiety than is prevalent at other seasons of the year; and amus.e.m.e.nt, about that time, generally appears to be the order of the day.

The city is not unworthy of a curiosity seeker's visit. The town, within the fortifications, although not of great size, is for the most part well planned, the streets being straight, regular, and some of them kept clean and in good order, although many of the smaller ones are allowed to fall into great disrepair. They are too narrow, moreover, for the heat of the climate, as the confined air and stench frequently existing in them, are princ.i.p.ally generated by their closeness, and more especially during the cool of the evening and early morning, are far from conducing to the health of the population.

The lat.i.tude of the citadel, or Fuerza de Santiago, is 14 36' N., longitude 127 15' E. of Cadiz, or in lat.i.tude 14 36' 8'' N., and longitude 120 53 1/2' E. of Greenwich.

The fortifications surrounding the town are regular, and apparently strong, defences; but although the walls and ditch look formidable enough in themselves, the want of sufficient good artillery to protect them would probably be felt in the event of an a.s.sault, and might render the place not a very difficult prize to a large attacking force. But no invader need now-a-days expect to meet with such very easy success as attended our expedition last century, at a time when weak and priestly notions not only ruled the church, but governed the people and the camp.