THE PHILIPPINES.
MANILA.
Manila, the Capital of Luçonia, the largest of the Philippine Islands, and the principal settlement of the Spaniards in the East, is in lat. 14 deg. 36 min. 8 sec. N., and long. 120 deg. 531 min. Ē. It is built on the shore of a spacious bay of the same name, at the mouth of a river navigable for small vessels a considerable way into the interior. The arsenal is at Cavite; which is defended by Fort St. Philippe, the strongest fortress on the islands. The city is surrounded by a wall and towers, and some of the bastions are well furnished with artillery.
Though situated within the tropics, the climate of the Philippines is sufficiently temperate; the only considerable disadvantage under which they labour in this respect being that the principal part of the group come within the range of the typhoons. The soil is of very different qualities, but for the most part singularly fertile. The islands are rich in mineral, vegetable, and animal productions.
The trade of the Philippines has increased of late years. The imports principally consist of cotton stuffs and yarn, iron and hardware, woollens and worsteds, machinery, wines and spirits, furniture, arms and ammunition, apparel, slops, &c. By far the largest portion of the imports is supplied by the United Kingdom; but owing to the high discriminating duties in favour of goods imported on Spanish bottoms, a large proportion of the British goods are brought in Spanish ships from Singapore. Manila has also an extensive trade with China, Singapore, Java, Australia, India, &c.
The Philippine Islands contain an area of 52,647 English square miles, with a population, in 1873, of 4,319,269 souls. The islands, more than 500 in number, are divided into 27 provinces, 13 of which are on the Isle of Luzon, 4 on the Isle of Negros, 3 on Panáy, and 3 on the Isle of Mindamao.
The chief articles of produce of the Philippine Islands are sugar, hemp, and tobacco. The total exports to Great Britain in 1873 were of the value of £1,420,000, and the imports of British produce of £428,145. The chief article of exports to Great Britain in 1873 was unrefined sugar, of the value of £653,583. Of the British imports in 1873 the value of £229,959, or considerably more thau one-half, was represented by cotton manufactures. The commercial intercourse between the Philippine Islands, as well as the rest of the Colonial Possessions of Spain, and the United Kingdom, has been steadily declining for a number of years.
Port Dues.-English, American, North German, French and other vessels belong- ing to nations which allow the Spanish flag equal privileges to their own:-
Discharging and taking in cargo..
Entering in ballast and taking in cargo....
64 cents per Spanish Ton.
Entering with cargo and leaving in ballast, or enter-411 cents per Spanish Ton.
ing and leaving without discharging cargo......
Entering and leaving in ballast..
3 cents per Spanish Ton.