These islands, with all their fertility and natural capa bilities, remain still in a comparatively desolate state. The natives are indolent and inactive, and prefer living on the simplest and coarsest productions, rather than submit to exertion to improve their condition, or enlarge their comforts ; and the Chinese, who were remarkable for in dustry, they always regarded with jealousy, and at length expelled. The insecurity of property, and the hurricanes with which the islands are so often visited, may also, in some measure, be regarded as the cause of this indolence arid want of enterprise.
These islands, as already mentioned, were discovered by Magellan, and were afterwards made a conquest of by a Spanish fleet sent thither from Mexico. The islands arc so numerous and so extensive, that in one expedition, or even in one age, it would not be possible to conquer them ; and accordingly the Spaniards became possessed of them slowly, island by island ; nor are they yet masters of the whole group. Zebu was the first which they at tacked and subdued ; and a few years afterwards they effected a settlement at the mouth of the Manilla river, and constituted the town of Manilla, (the metropolis of the island of the same name,) the capital of the Spanish pos sessions in the Philippines. The Spaniards, in the mean time, continued to extend their conquest in this immense group ; but they did not on every attempt experience suc cess. The island of Gooloo, for example, repulsed the assailants with great slaughter ; and the inhabitants of this island, in defiance of every attempt to crush them, have for nearly three centuries been the piratical scourges of that quarter of the world, and have proved most de structive to its commercial and social interests. Nor have the Spaniards merely been unsuccessful in their en deavours to obtain possession of all these islands. The possession even of those they have conquered they have not been allowed to enjoy in tranquillity or in safety. The colony of Manilla was attacked by Chinese pirates in 1574, who were indeed repulsed, but not without the loss of much blood on both sides. When the Dutch established themselves in India, a war commenced between therm and the Spaniards, which was not terminated for nearly half a century. Natives of China had, in the meantime, emi grated thither to such an extent, that in 1639 their number amounted to 30,000, most of whom had settled in Calamba and Binan. Though these emigrants were remarkable
for industry and inoffensiveness, the Spaniards had long entertained a deep-rooted dislike to them ; and, at the pe riod last mentioned, made an attack upon them, and effected so dreadful a havoc of them, that in a short time they were reduced to 7000, who surrendered at discretion. This dislike, however, still continued ; and in 1757, the Viceroy of the Philippine Islands dispatched all the Chinese to their own country ; and, in order to prevent their return, be ap propriated a certain place for the reception of such Chi nese as should come in a commercial capacity ; and no natives of China have since been permitted to establish themselves in these islands, except such as were converted to the Christian religion.
A war having in 1761 broken out between this country and Spain, forces were sent the following year from the East Indies, under the command of General Draper and Admiral Cornish, to attack the Spanish settlements on the Philippine Islands. They arrived in the bay of Manilla, where, their visit being unexpected, the Spaniards were unprepared, and, after a siege of twelve days, the city sur rendered at discretion. The inhabitants were admitted as prisoners of war upon their parole of honour ; but all the native Indians, to conciliate their affections, were dis missed in safety. Manilla, with the port of Cavite, re mained in the hand of the English till 1764, when, peace having been concluded between the two nations, these conquests were restored to the Spanish. Since this pe riod, these colonies have not been disturbed by any Euro pean enemies, though they have been much infested by the piratical forces of those islands not subject to the Spa nish government, Sooloo, Mindanao, &c. ; and such is the illiberal policy of the government, that, though from these cruizers extensive damage is sustained, their ships cap tured, their coast plundered, their people massacred or carried into slavery, they will not allow the native Indians to carry arms. The Spaniards are not at present, nor ever have been, possessed of one-half of these islands. Those of them that remain unconquered have each its own sove reign and its own laws ; but the aboriginal inhabitants of the whole arc of the same race, and.are still distinguished by similar manners, customs, and institutions.