C i t y o r
M a n i l l a .
A c a p u l c o
S h ip s .
Manilla, by being the mere repofitory of the goods o f other
nations, grew into, a moft flouriihing c ity ; the ftreets regular,
the churches- and -publick buildings fuperb. A fplendid luxury
pervades every part, in the appearance o f drefs, and equipage,
and infide of the houfes of-the proud and lazy co'lonifts.
■ T h e port of Manilla- is at Cavite, three leagues diftanti and is
fubjcct to many inconveniences!; being greatly-infefted with the
worm, the teredo nava/is, which in. a little time would render .the
galleons,, and the veffels which ittade to Manilla,1.
incapable Of
keeping the fea; neither is it fecure from the north, and north-
wsft winds; befides, fhips lying-thefe': are .'obliged to fend'far
for water, and'to employ -for that purpofe the Hat boats o f the
country...:. \ ' - , | | ;>-fi [vjw/f- - h m
T h e c i t y o f Manilla is fo r t i f i e d , w e l l b u i l t ; a n d t h e f t r e e t s v e r y
- r e g u l a r , b l i t t h e t h i r d p a r t is o c c u p i e d b y c o n v e n t s - ; t h e n u m b
e r o f c h r i f t ia n s is c o m p u t e d a t a b o u t tw e l v e t h o u f a n d . Gomez
Peres de las Marignas fu r r o u n d e d i t w i t h w a l l s in 1590. .
I t is from hence the great commerce between Manilla and
Acapulco, on the coaft o f Mexico, is carried on, in one and forne-
times in twoiliips, fent annually, fitted out at the expence o f the
king, but freighted by the merchants. They are o f an enormous
fize, heavy and-unwieldy, as big as a firft rate man o f war, and
having a complement of twelve hundred men.; the leffer-is above
twelve hundred tons burden, has from three hundred and fifty
to f ix hundred hands, paffengers included, and carries-fifty guns,
but often mounts only thirty-fix. It leaves Manilla the middle
o f July, but does not reach Acapulco till the middle o f January,
One miracle of this voyage is, that notwithftanding they put on
board
Board all the Water they can flow, confiftent with the full cargo,
they depend for a fupply from the heavens, between Lat. 30* and
40", and hazard thejmoft dreadful o f deaths, Ihould their expectations
be difappointed when they arrive in thefe latitudes,
they prepare their mats, which they fpread to direft the deluge
o f rain into various veffels, and, wonderful to fay, there is not an
inftance in which their hopes have failed.
Manilla is the great magazine o f all the goods of India,
China, and Europe, which are laid up here annually to be conveyed
acrofs the Pacific ocean, to fupply the wants or luxuries of
the new world, “ There aye,’’ as the editor of lord Anfon'i voyage
informs us, at p. -137., “ fpices, all forts of Chifie/e filks and ma-
“ nufadtures, particularly filk ftockings, of which I have heard
<‘ that no lefs than fifty thoufand pair were the ufual number
“ fhipped on board the annual ihip; vaft quantities of Indian
“ fluffs, as callicoes and chintz, which are much worn in Ame-
“ rica, together with minuter articles, as goldfmiths work, 8cc.
“ which is principally done at the city o f Manilla itfelf by the
M Chineje -, fbr- it is faid there are at leaft twenty thoufand
“ Chinefe who conftantly reficle there; either as fervants, manu-
“ failurers, or brokers all thefe different commodities are col-
V leCted at Manilla, thence to be tranfported annually, in one
“ or more fhips, to the port o f Acapulco in the kingdom of
“ Mexico.” ’
T h e return from the new world is only in filver, either in
fpecie or virgin metal ; the author o f Lord Atifotfs voyage, .con-
feffes to only 1,313,843 pieces o f eight, and 35,68a ounces of
virgin filver, or £,400,000 o f our money, having been found in
6 the