MANILA, the capital of Luton and the Spanish Indies, one of the largest in the Philippine Islands, and the scat of the Spanish Government in the east, situated in lat. 14° 36' N., and long. 120° 57' 20" E. Manila is on the right bank of the river. It was founded in 1581, and in 1851 contained a popu lation of 150,000. In 1762, Boya surrendered, and transferred the island to the British. It. is a large city and convenient for trade, the adjacent country producing excellent indigo, sugar, tobacco, and hemp for cordage. Manila Bay is a large inlet in the S.W. coast of Luton, about 22 miles in extent each way ; the city of Manila stands on its eastern shore, about 25 miles from the entrance. The Spanish Indians are passionately fond of dress and personal decoration, and are given to pleasure. To it certain point they will work, but they are improvident and devoid of ambition, taking no thought for the morrow. There is much sympathy between the Indians and the Spaniards, and inter course between the two races by no means entails the social degradation of the children which it does in India. The Mestizos of the Philippines are a more fortunate product than the Indian half-castes, for they usually combine the best points, physically speaking, of both parents. The true aborigines of the Philippines, in the moun tains and the less habitable parts of the islands, are several tribes of savages who have not been brought within the government of the priests. Tim Negritos are woolly-headed people of the true African type. They are harmless and docile. The Iggrotos, a straight-haired tribe, fierce and untameable, inhabiting still more remote parts of the jungle, are very little known to the Spaniards. In the Philippines earthquakes are not .only fre quent but severe. A very important one occurred in 1880.
Cock-fighting is carried to a passion unknown elsewhere. Every Manila Indian has a game cock upon his shoulder, or tucked under his arm, or occasionally perched on his head ; and when two men meet they will speak a few words, squat down, and allow their respective birds, who have ineanwhilebeen bristling up with warlike ardour, to take a few quiet pecks at each other, and without further comment each will go on his way, and each cock resume a peaceful attitude. Yet, as there is a tax on cock-fighting, it is unlawful to allow the cocks come to a regular pitched battle, excepting at the proper certified cock-pits; the same with gambling out of the licensed houses ; and half the convicts that are seen working on the roads in chains are doing sofor the grave offence of fighting their cocks or playing monte ' in un licensed places, by the roadside, or anywhere but at one of the Government establishments. The principal saints' days and Sunday afternooni are the favourite cock-fighting times. The cocks are with bright pieces of steel, about 3 inches long, and as sharp as the best razor,—generally -made out of old razors ; and frequently both birds lie dead at the same moment. Sometimes an accidental blow from the inferior bird settles the question, for the 'spurs are deadly, and do not need much repetition to become effective. In general, the handsomer bird is the vanquished, and the lesser and meaner-looking the hero and victor. The Indians often pluck a beaten cock alive in revenge at his having lost, though the poor brute has been the petted and constant com panion of his master for months before, and has learnt all the ways which domestic animals do learn when in hourly contact with man.—Literary Gazette.