Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines

R >> Robert Mac Micking >> Recollections of Manilla and the Philippines

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Here let me record my regret at the manner in which this old companion
and friend met his untimely fate, which is not the less regretted
because it proceeded from his own strong sense of duty and habitual
gallantry of spirit--for this poor fellow was a true Spaniard in all
his best qualities. Having been ordered into the provinces with a
detachment on the very disagreeable service of hunting up a band of
_tulisanes_, or robbers, the necessary exposure to the sun on such an
expedition operated so severely on his constitution as to produce a
very high fever; yet even in this state he would not succumb to it, but
persisted in marching for several days at the head of his men, although
they, on perceiving his condition, had several times endeavoured to
persuade him to make use of a litter which they had framed for the
purpose, and wished to carry him in. But he would not remain in it
even when they almost forced him to use it, and would take no repose
until after having accomplished his duty. In this he was successful,
as he surprised and destroyed the robber band,--but the effort cost
him his life, for he died solely from the effects of the unnatural
exertion which he had undergone while the fever was raging within him.

Your many amiable and good qualities yet live, Francisco, in the fond
memories of former friends, although you are no longer among them; and
your heroic death, while it chastens grief, has added another memento,
and a laurel leaf to the wreath your brave Castilian ancestors left
behind them, bequeathed to the care of one who knew so well how to
value and protect it, and to add to its honour.

CHAPTER XII.

The Church is under the regulation of an Archbishop and four
Bishops. The present Archbishop of Manilla, whose reputation for piety
and good feeling towards all men stands very high, is an old soldier,
who, after serving his king when a young man as lieutenant of cavalry
for several years, changed his master, and assuming the habit of a
priest, devoted himself to religion for the remainder of his life.

There are about 500 parochial curacies throughout the islands under
him in the four bishoprics, 167 of the curacies being situated in his
own see; and several literary, charitable, and pious institutions at
Manilla look up to him as their patron and head; among others may be
mentioned the University of Santo Tomas, having chairs for students of
Latin, logic, metaphysics, moral philosophy, canon law, theology, &c.

As a body, the ministers of religion in the Philippines are not
apparently so well educated a class as those of Great Britain,
even in the education of the schools, and are possessed of less
general information, of course, from the want of any periodical
literature equal to that which we have, from whose sources much of
the information, and some of the apparent learning of my countrymen
are derived, at little cost of time or expense.

However, many of the Spanish _padres_ are men of general and varied
attainments, such as would adorn any church or station in life; but
the greater number of them can scarcely claim so much, as, although
they are all respectably educated, their attention for many years
of their life has been directed chiefly to the prosecution of such
studies as would influence their advancement in the Church, such as
the canon law, church history, theology, &c., on a knowledge of which
their consideration for accomplishments among themselves principally
depends, I believe.

Most of the priests I have been in contact with, appeared to be
thoroughly convinced of, and faithful to their religion in its purity;
and as a body, appear to be about as sincere and pious a class as
clergymen at home.

Occasionally, however, you meet with startling exceptions to this
rule, which astonish any one accustomed to see the high regard to
outward decency observed by the same cloth at home; for instance,
it would be considered most reprehensible at home, for any clergyman
to keep a mistress; and if the fact became known, would occasion his
instant dismissal from his cure, and his expulsion from the Church.

This is not so, however, in the Philippines, and may be seen at
any time, especially among the Mestizo and native Indian priests,
whose education is worse, and their ideas of religion much more
vague, incorrect, and superstitious than those of the Spaniards;
and sometimes, in the country parishes, an Indian or Mestizo _padre_
is found openly living in the _convento_ or parsonage-house with his
mistress and natural children. But frequently, in cases where a sense
of decency prevents them doing this openly, one occasionally meets
in their houses young half-caste children, who pass for the family
of some brother or sister, although these had never any existence,
and there is in reality little or no doubt as to the priest himself
being their father.

This state of things, however, is not the general state of the Church,
although it may but too frequently be met with; and is not considered
nearly so reprehensible as it would be, were they at liberty to marry,
as Protestant clergymen are. In many cases its existence can scarcely
fail to be known to their bishops, by whom however it appears to be
winked at; and is not considered by the laity as being particularly
scandalous, their notions on the subject being somewhat indefinite.

Within a very short distance of Manilla, I have been in a convento
where the priest, his mistress, and family all lived together, the
padre being a Mestizo. On the village feast-day, one of the party
with whom I was in the country, hired some jugglers who had come down
from Bengal to act their wonderful tricks in the theatre at Manilla,
and sent them out to Mariquina on the feast-day, there to amuse the
people, and to please the padre, as he knew it would do, he being an
old acquaintance of his. Accordingly, in the afternoon they exhibited
to an immense crowd of natives, just before the open church-door. A
platform had been quickly erected for their accommodation, from which
they were exhibiting their tricks to the intense astonishment of the
Indians, most of whom had never seen anything of the sort before;
and in the evening, the padre having asked leave for the jugglers
to come to the convento, gave a great party to all the Spaniards,
or white men, who were then in the pueblo, in order to watch their
tricks more closely than could be done at a public exhibition.

Several Spanish ladies were present, and among them, quite as a matter
of course, was the mistress of the priest. One or two of the ladies
present were wives of high officials at Manilla, and all of them were
persons of the best character and standing, yet they did not appear in
the least discomposed by her presence, although none of them paid her
any attention, or noticed her as the lady of the house; in fact, she
appeared to be regarded by them as a sort of privileged housekeeper
more than in any other light, although they were perfectly aware
of the irregularity of her life. This may give some idea of their
modes of thinking of such affairs, for all of them present perfectly
understood the relation in which the spiritual adviser of so large
a population as that of Mariquina stood to her.

Both the priest and she were elderly people, and their intercourse
has, I understood, been of long standing; and during the course of it
several children have been born. But the most wonderful thing appears
to be, how such a man could direct the worship of his parishioners,
or lay before them the scripture tenets of his and their faith,
while openly violating it before their eyes. But the same thing has
taken place in Europe not unfrequently, and quite as openly, without
exciting excessive scandal in many places.

There is an immense deal more of immorality among the clergy of
all denominations and countries than would be believed. Alas, for
human nature!

CHAPTER XIII.

The site of Manilla is low-lying and level, and as the country in
the vicinity of the capital is of the same nature, being covered by
far stretching paddy fields, it presents few picturesque attractions,
in order to enjoy which, and the verdure, freshness, and variety of
an undulating landscape, excursions are frequently made to various
places at some short distance from the town, and during some period
of each year, most of the foreign merchants have latterly got into
the plan of renting houses within driving distance, and of spending
most of the dry season in them, going and returning frequently, or
generally daily, to their counting-houses, so long as the roads are
passable. The village of Mariquina, about seven miles from Manilla,
is the most favourite place of resort, although the road to it is
very bad, but it presents the attractions of very good pure air and
water, and a bright landscape. Those persons who are not fond of horse
exercise, make use of American light spider-carriages, drawn by a pair
of ponies, as that sort of vehicle is found to be the only conveyance
capable of standing the ruts and jolting over these country paths,
which would to a certainty break the springs of any other description
of carriage I have ever seen.

Owing to their great lightness and strength, these spider-carriages
are favourite conveyances here, and these qualities render them by
much the most suitable description for the country.

In the neighbourhood of Mariquina, the country is in many respects
picturesque and fine; a more lovely _coup d'oeil_ is seldom seen,
than that which may be witnessed from the road at the top of the hill
just before beginning the descent leading past the old Jesuit Convent,
a partly ruinous building, now known by the name of the Hacienda;
from that point, looking down on the valleys which burst on the view
at once, especially at the season when they are waving with the ripe
and yellow grain, or clothed in a beautiful coat of green,--on the
fine river, peacefully winding through them, on the splendid old trees
covered with green and luxuriant foliage, which are interspersed and
dot the scene, across to the distant hills, clothed in all the glories
of a tropical sunset or sunrise, and varied by the many tints of light
and shade of brilliant colours, it often is a sight truly worthy of
being witnessed for its glowing beauty.

At Mariquina, there is a well, the water of which has the reputation
of curing many sorts of disease, more especially those of the skin,
and many are the sufferers who visit it in the hope that bathing in
the trough into which the spring drops, may cure their ailments. The
water is slightly tepid and not disagreeable to drink, being tasteless,
and is recommended for diseases of the kidneys and stomach, by the
Manilla doctors.

Some miles beyond Mariquina, there is a most curious cave, of great
extent, at the village of San Mateo, which is well worthy of a visit
by the curious. Shortly after entering it, the height of the cavern
rises to about fifty feet, although it varies continually,--so much
so, that at some places there is scarcely height enough for a man
to sit upright. The formations within are of a singular character,
resembling sometimes immense icicles pendant from the roof to within
a few feet of the floor, or in some places rising from the ground
like ever-growing pyramids, as from the dropping water they are
continually increasing. These pillars of stalactite are extremely hard
and difficult to splinter, even after repeated blows with a hammer,
some of them being beautifully milk white, while others appear rather
discoloured from some cause. Several of the columns hanging from the
roof may measure about a yard or more in circumference, their forms
being sometimes most curious and fantastic, one stalk expanding as
it descended, looked not unlike a gigantic leaf springing from its
slender arm.

From the main cave there are several openings diverging and leading
to chambers similar to the main room, by some openings at the sides
of which the dropping water is drained off.

The temperature within the cavern was 77 deg., and without 86 deg., being a
very considerable change, even in the cool of the evening, on coming
out of it, just after sunset. I am afraid to give an estimate as to
the extent of this immense cave, it requires, however, five or six
hours to partially see its curiosities, and of course would take far
more time to investigate it properly. The only living creatures met
within it, appear to be bats, which are not very numerous. Should a
sportsman visit the place for several days, his gun will generally
procure him some venison and wild pig to feast upon, or to present
to the village priest, or to forward to his Mariquina or Manilla
acquaintances. At Boroboso, also, some distance from Mariquina, he
is sure of finding similar game, and in greater quantity than at San
Mateo, where it is too much poached.

The great want he will experience is that of trained dogs, those
used by the Indians being nearly useless, as after alarming the game
by their noise, they can't hunt it with any thing like spirit. Some
few Kangaroo dogs, however, brought from Sydney, have been eagerly
purchased by the Indian sportsmen, and are said to be an immense
improvement on those of the country, although I have never seen their
performances in the field; from their speed and strength, however,
they appear more than a match for the deer of the islands, which are
small-sized and greatly inferior in strength to those of the Highlands
of Scotland.

The race of dogs formerly known as Manilla bloodhounds has become quite
extinct, although some descendants of a half-bred progeny still remain,
being a cross between them and the street curs. Although they possess
some of the fierce and savage qualities of the old hound, it is in
a much inferior degree to that of the genuine breed, whose size and
appearance was very much finer than any of the mongrels now to be seen.

The old breed were so fierce as to be absolutely unsafe when at
liberty, and always required to be chained up. Several years ago two
fine dogs of the old breed were procured with considerable trouble,
and at some expense sent to England, to a gentleman fond of dogs.

He gave orders to keep them at all times on the chain, during which
they behaved so well, that a groom, going out to air a horse one
morning, unloosed the chain of one of them, and took him along
with him.

The dog remained quiet enough till happening to meet another man,
also airing a pair of skittish horses,--the capering of the horses,
or something else, roused the brute's savage nature, and he sprang
on one of them like a tiger, fastening on his flank, and sucking
his blood so greedily that all the two men could do did not make the
savage beast quit his hold, till gorged with the blood of the victim.

The horse was spoiled for ever, or, I believe, died from the
hemorrhage, and as he chanced to be a valuable one, which, of course,
the owner of the dog had to pay for, he was so disgusted at having to
do so, that he made both of them be shot at once, in order to prevent
any possibility of the recurrence of such an accident.

The only other dog at Manilla besides the worthless street cur, is a
sort of ladies' poodle, with long and silky white hairs; their fine
coats only making them favorites, as they are good for nothing else
than women's pets.

The smaller these are, when full grown, the more they are esteemed;
their white hair should be entirely free from any spots of black or
brown, these being generally the mark of a mongrel breed.

They are so delicate, that few of them can stand a sea-voyage,
and all those I have ever sent away from Manilla, to any distance,
have died before reaching their destination. A well-bred dog of this
breed of middling size, is about as large as a full grown tom-cat,
or a little bigger.

It has always appeared to me a most curious and inexplicable fact,
that when good dogs are sent out from home to a hot climate such as
this, they invariably are found to deteriorate to an uncommon extent,
the heat causing them to lose their spirit, and also their scent. But,
in fact, the animal in perfection, or, as he has been truly called
at home, "the most intelligent of beasts, and the companion of man,"
is only found in some places of Europe to be such.

In all tropical countries he is no longer so, becoming, even should
a good breed be introduced there from Europe, very much inferior in a
few generations in all respects to what we have him in Great Britain,
where they appear to be found in the greatest perfection.

In hot climates the dog has not the same strength or swiftness, nor
is he of equal courage, sincerity, and gentleness of character which
peculiarly distinguish him from all other animals at home. Among
orientals he is no longer treated in the same manner as he is in
Europe, nor in fact does his character, as it exists among them,
deserve equal kindness to that usually shown this faithful animal
in Britain; but in Asia he is driven from their households by the
Mohammedans and Hindoos alike, being regarded by them all as useless,
and a pest.

In China, he is fattened for the table, and the flesh of dogs is
as much liked by them as mutton is by us, being exposed for sale by
their butchers and in their cook-shops.

At Canton, I have seen the hind quarters of dogs hanging up in the
most prominent parts of their shops exposed for sale.

They are considered in China as a most dainty food, and are consumed
by both the rich and the poor.

The breeds common in that country are apparently peculiar to itself,
and they are apparently objects of more attention to their owners
than elsewhere in Asia, the Celestials perhaps having an eye to their
tender haunches, which bad treatment would toughen and spoil. They do
not appear to be of greater sagacity than the other tropical breeds,
although more bulky and stronger-looking than most of the other sorts
I have seen.

CHAPTER XIV.

All strangers coming to Manilla should endeavour to make an excursion
to the great inland lake, or Laguna de Bay, as it is likely well to
repay the inconvenience one has to stand in such an excursion from
exposure to the sun, &c. The lake is of very considerable extent,
measuring, I think, about twenty-eight miles at its greatest length,
by about twenty-two at its extreme breadth; it is formed by an
amphitheatre of mountains, the various streams from which feed it;
and its opening or outlet forms the origin of the river Pasig, which,
bathing the walls of the fortress of Santiago and the capital of the
Philippines, flows into the arm of the sea called Manilla Bay.

About Christmastide there are many visitors to the lake, as from the
then cooler season the necessary exposure to the heat of a midday sun
in a slightly-covered boat is comparatively innocuous, and much less
disagreeable than it would prove at any other time of the year.

Several foreigners are in the habit of making an annual excursion
there from Manilla to spend these holidays, during which there is no
other amusement in town than church-going and procession-staring.

Having made arrangements to visit the lake either by starting from
Manilla in a large Pasig banca or prow, which although more tedious
than driving to the village of Guadaloupe, near Pasig, and then taking
the water, is, I think, the better plan of the two, as the river
scenery is well worth seeing, and there are no inconveniences such
as are inseparable from that of changing conveyances at Guadaloupe,
&c. When I started, my companion, who luckily happened to be an
experienced man in such affairs, having at different times of his
life roamed through the backwoods of Canada, and over the plains of
Australia, recommended the water conveyance for the whole distance,
as we were not pushed for time; and the excursion turned out to be one
of the pleasantest I have ever been engaged in, from the satisfactory
nature of his arrangements and his own hilarity and good-natured
usefulness; for of course he had not knocked about so much without
acquiring some _savoir faire_, so desirable in a companion during
such an excursion.

On Christmas eve we went together to a large dancing party or ball,
given by an old and rich Mestizo, at whose house we kept up dancing
and enjoying ourselves till about midnight; shortly before which all
the men started, in company with the ladies, to the parish church of
San Sebastian, there to hear a midnight mass, and welcome in the sacred
anniversary by saying our prayers. The spectacle was rather a fine one;
and on looking at the devout up-turned features of my fair companion,
when kneeling at her devotions, I could scarcely believe that she was
the good-natured, lively Mestiza girl I had been flirting with not
five minutes before; but after half an hour's worship, which, to do
them justice, was apparently of the most sincere and heartfelt kind,
the fair penitents returned to the supper room with a number of the
heretics, and afterwards, notwithstanding all their prayers, danced
with us, being quite as lively and as full of flirting as before their
visit to church. We stopped till about three o'clock in the morning,
when, being thoroughly tired of the heated rooms, my companion and I
resolved to enter the boat which had been engaged for the occasion,
and in which clothes, provender, &c., had previously been embarked,
and left under charge of a servant, Fernando, at a landing-place
from the river, near the house where we had been invited to pass the
evening. Taking the precaution to eat a hearty supper, to keep out
the night air, on arriving at the boat, and wrapping ourselves up in
our blankets, we both very speedily began to enjoy the rest necessary
for next day's exertions; and having previously secured our crew of
five picked men to pull, we were rapidly approaching the Laguna when
we awoke, and daylight had just rested on their oars next morning;
after breakfast, and a bath in the cool and delicious water of the
river above Pasig, we quickly passed by the pateros or villages for
breeding ducks, situated among the swamps at the outlets of the lake,
and the beginning of the river.

Several of these duck villages can scarcely be said to be situated on
_terra firma_, as many of the _nipa_ or attap-houses are founded on
the supporting trunks of trees growing out of the sedgy swamp. The
houses have a small lower platform of bamboo on two sides, for a
cooking-place and for landing from a boat, below and around being trees
or bamboos growing out of the water. Many of these clumps of bamboo,
some of which attain a great height, occasionally, perhaps, as much as
150 feet, are from their numbers a peculiar feature in the landscape
of the Philippines, and form some of the most beautiful objects of
luxuriant vegetation that can be imagined for a landscape. They are
found growing wild, very grand and fresh-looking in all parts of
the country, and are of many varieties, some of which any one may be
acquainted with who takes the trouble to consult the good old Padre
Blanco's book on the _flora de Filipinas_.

At the pateros, near the entrance to the Laguna, the people breed large
flocks of ducks to supply the Manilla market, to the exclusion of all
other employment except, perhaps, catching and drying enough fish to
season their rice, which most of them purchase, and very few of them
grow. These Indians, although few in number, are to a considerable
extent isolated from the people of the country, from what cause I
know not, but they very rarely associate or intermarry except with
each other. The ducks they breed for the market are well trained,
being perfectly obedient to the call of their different masters,
and on hearing his signal come quickly sailing back, should they have
gone too far away. They get fat on the fish and tender sedgy grass,
and when placed on the dinner-table are very good eating.

After entering the lake, which is studded with wooded islets, the
largest of which is named Talim, the gun is called into requisition,
as the immense flocks of wild duck breeding here afford a constant
sport, and the advantages of their acquisition are not likely to be
overlooked either by the _gourmand_ or the hungry tourist. They are,
however, rather wild, and the best mode of shooting them appears
to be to dress in a blue cotton shirt and trousers like an Indian,
and paddle off as near the flock as they will permit; and then for a
chance among them. If there is more than one person in the grass-boat,
which is a very small and unhooded banca, which the natives use for
carrying small quantities of grass for horses, &c., the ducks are
apt to take the alarm, although I have sometimes been successful in
getting near them with an Indian paddling the boat.

Besides the ducks there are several other kinds of wild fowl,
and on coasting round the shores of Talim, an alligator basking
in the sun, frequently offers a mark for a ball, which, however,
seldom proves fatal. I struck one on the scales without producing
any apparent damage, the distance being probably about thirty yards,
and he merely shook himself a little and tumbled into the water from
off the rock he had been sleeping on, without seeming much startled
or to be in the least wounded. They are said to reach an immense age,
and the most incredible stories are told, and apparently believed,
by the natives themselves of their traditional longevity.

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