ed by their intermixture, they are more
industrious and cleanly than the Spaniards, possess more intelligence
and polish than the Indians and are less malicious and revengeful than
either. The men are employed mostly as writers, brokers, agents and
overseers; many of them hold lucrative offices under government, and
they not unfrequently arrive at wealth and consideration. The women
are also industrious, and capable of great intellectual improvement;
they have a natural grace and ease in their manner, and make excellent
wives and mothers. This character must not, however, be taken in an
unlimited sense, for we cannot expect this rule to be without its
exceptions, and it is true that some of these females do degenerate,
and copy after the manners of the creoles, or white natives; but
this is only the case when, by their intercourse with the whites,
their Indian blood is merged and lost in the European. That part
of the population in which is blended the blood of the Chinese and
Tagalogs is named the Chinese mestizos.

The natives are not unapt in acquiring knowledge, neither do they
want industry, when efforts are made, and inducements displayed
to call their powers into action. They are excellent mechanics and
artisans, and, as horticulturists, their superiority over many of the
Asiatics is acknowledged. They are polite and affable to strangers,
but irascible, and when excited are very sanguinary; their natural
bias to this revengeful and cruel character, is strengthened and
rendered more intense by the ... doctrines of the Roman catholic
religion as dictated to them by the designing and interested priests
who reside among them. The culprit always finds a sanctuary in the
nearest church, till by the payment of some pecuniary mulct, he
satisfies the demands of the priests, obtains absolution, appeases
the resentment of the relations of the deceased, and eludes the arm
of justice; he grows hardened by impunity, repeats his offences,
and again escapes as before."

[A Filipino foundry.] "* * * All the necessary works for a garrisoned
city are within its walls; extensive magazines were erected in 1686,
besides which are a hall of arms, or armory, a repository for powder,
with bomb-proof vaults, and commodious quarters and barracks for the
garrison. There is also a furnace and foundry here, which, although
their operations were suppressed in 1805, is the most ancient in
the Spanish monarchy; this establishment was founded i