the Manilla ihip, out o f which the family have realized their vaft
eftate. Even when the ihip arrives fafe, the treafure is of
little advantage to the Spaniards; it is inftsntly difperfed over
half the world, to pay for the merchandize of its outward
voyage.
T h e city o f Manilla was beiieged and taken by the Fnglijh in
1762. Our little fquadron, under vice admiral Cornijh, appeared
before it on September 23d, our land forces were under colonel
Draper; after a lhort retiftance the city was taken by ftorm, with,
as little daughter as the nature o f circumftances would admit.
The illand of Luconia, and every ifland dependent on it, furren-
dered-toour arms-; a large fum was accepted to fave the place
from plunder, 'hoftages given for the payment, and bills drawn
by the arehbilhop or viceroy, which in part were never accepted,
and our foldiers and fleamen deprived o f the reward due
to their valor.
T h i s a r c h ip e la g o c o n f i i t s o f a b o u t tw e lv e o r t h i r t e e n g r e a t e r
i f l a n d s , w i t h fm a l l o n e s in n u m e r a b l e , d iv id e d f r o m e a c h o t h e r b y
n a r r o w c h a n n e ls o f v e r y d i f f i c u l t n a v i g a t io n , a l l o f t h e m m o u n -
t a n o u s , a n d m a n y o f t h em v o lc a n ic ,. Manilla, t h e la r g e f t a n d
m o f t n o r th e r n , - i s a h u n d r e d a n d f i f t e e n French l e a g u e s in l e n g t h ,
n o t r e c k o n in g t h e p e n i n f u l a o f Camarines, w h i c h ju t s i r r e g u l a r l y
f r o m t h e m a in ¡b o d y , a n d e x t e n d s f a r to t h e f o u t h ; Raynal r e -
p r e f e n t s a l l t h e i l la n d s as t e r r ib l y m a je f f i c . T h e y a r e c o v e r e d
w i t h bafaltes, w i t h lava, w i t h fcori/e, w i t h b l a c k g la f s , w i t h
m e l t e d iro n ,' w i t h g r e y a n d f r ia b l e H o n e s f i l le d w i t h t h e w r e c k s
o f t h e a n im a l a n d v e g e t a b l e k in g d o m s , w i t h f u lp h u r k e p t in a
f t a t e o f fu f io n b y t h e c o n t in u a l a ¿ l io n o f fu b t e r r a n e o u s fir e s , a n d
with
with burning waters which communicate with hidden flames.
All tliefe great accidents o f nature, are the effeil o f extinguiihed
volcanoes, o f fome that are ftill burning, and of others that are
forming in thefe deep cavities, where combuflible materials are
perpetually in agitation.
E a r t h q u a k e s are frequent and fometimes tremendous. Mr. E a r t h q u a k e s .
Pye, in the Philofophical Tranfadlions *, gives-an account o f one
o f uncommon horror in 1750, which lafted for three months,
with almoft continual tremblings, and at lafi broke out in an
eruption, from a fmall ifland, in the middle o f a lake, round
which the bottom is unfathomable. The third day after the commencement
o f the eruption, there arofe four more fmall iflands
all burning ; and about a mile diilance from one there is-a continual
fire which iffues from the water, where there is no ground
for upwards of an hundred fathoms deep.
I t is generally fuppofed that before the arrival of the Furo-
jbeans,, the Chtnefe'hiA poflefled themfelves o f the fea-cbafts of
thefe iflands. The Japanese alfa boaft of having been once
lords of the Philippines, and the' vicinity to both thofe empires
■may make -it probable.
T h e Chine/e w e r e f o n u m e r o u s in Manilla a b o u t t h e : y e a r
t :6o o , a s t o e x c i t e i n t h e Spaniards t-he g r e á t e f i : f e a r o f t h e d a n g e r
a r i f i n g f r o m a n y p lo t s t h e y m i g h t e n t e r in t o a g a i n f t t h e o o l o n i i t s .
'The Spaniards, affifted by the Japanefe and other foreigners,
took the ufual method .of preventing them, by putting no left
than twenty-five thouiand to the fword; the maífácre o f thefe
people was far greater than that of Batavia, ¡The Spaniards
* Vol. xlix. p. 458. “ I
V ol. IV. K «fort