The Project Gutenberg EBook of Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines, by
Robert Mac Micking

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Title: Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines
During 1848, 1849 and 1850

Author: Robert Mac Micking

Release Date: December 26, 2006 [EBook #20189]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

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RECOLLECTIONS

OF

MANILLA AND THE PHILIPPINES,

DURING 1848, 1849, AND 1850.

BY

ROBERT MAC MICKING, ESQ.

LONDON:
RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET,
Publisher in Ordinary to Her Majesty.

1851.

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 hitherto 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