The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-05-05
MANILA is A BEAUTIFUL CITY.
Commercial Location Said to Be the Best in
the World.

New York, May 4.-Spanish reports last
week asserted that the entry to Manila bay
was guarded by fifty to sixty heavy guns
and it would be impossible for the Ameri-
can fleet to enter the bay without the CO.
operation of a strong land force. They did
not know what was possible to an armed
American fleet. Now they know more
about it, Manila is a very busting port,
with a very beautiful bay. The town,
which is the capital of the Philippines, is
a city of 100000 inhabitants. according to
the census of 1880. The large bay on the
shores of which it lies is oval in form, and
at least 100 miles in periphery. Into 1T the
river Pasig empties.
The city proper-that is, the fortified
portion of it's on the left bank of the
Pasig, a spot selected in 1871 by Lopez de
Legaspi as the future center of Spanish
power in the islands. The Spanish and
Creole portion of the population consti-
tutes about one-tenth of the whole, the
others being natives and Chinese. Most
of the Chinese are engaged in commerce.
The city is group of forts, converts, and
administrative buildings. 1t is surrounded
by lofty walls and connected with the COM
mercial part of the community on the right
bank of the Pasig by two fine bridges.
AS a center of trade 1t is admirably sit
uated at the mouth of a navigable river
and of an interior sea, which insures 1t the
products of whole province. Upon the
waters of the bay rides in times of peace
a commercial fleet. representing the ma
lions of the whole world A canal connects
Manila with the seaport towns on the other
side of the isand-the eastern side.
In the narrows at the entrance of the
bay is the volcanic island of Corregidor.
During the southwest monsoon, when the
tides are highest, ships of 500 tons can an
Choir in the mouth of the Pasig under cover
enter the cove of Cavite, nine miles fur
Their down. This cove, protected from the
high tides by along, sandy promontory, is
called the Hook.
Manila is very favorably situated for
genral commerce. 1t commands all the
routes of navigation between the Strait
of Londe and the mouth of the Yagis Use
Yang. Laperause said of the city that its
commercial location was the best in the
world. Up to 1911 1t was the connecting
point of Spain's trade with her American
colonies ~
Various reports have been printed about
the present defense at Manila and s the
chances of their withstanding a Smelling
by Deweys fleet. Some old resident of the
Philippines recently arrived in this caun-
try say that the forts are antiquated.
There are three or four Krupp guns
mounted, they say. but most of the arma-
ment is of ancient model, and utterly
unable to cope with the guns of modern
warships Spain, these persons say, .has
never prepared for an attack on Manila
from without, and not only Manila, but
all the harbors of the Philippines, are al
most entirely without adequate means of
defense -
The Hong Kong correspondent of the
London Daily Mail says lately of the Man
lila Notifications. "The defenses are in a
wretched state" and speaking of the re-
ported bombardment, he said, MANILA
must soon succumb." The principal ex-
ports of Manila are hemp, cigrs. coffee and
sugar. The leading manufacture is cigars,
which is a government monopoly, employ
ing 1000 workers of both sexes.
Manila was founded by the Spaniards in
1911, on the site of a Malay town. defended
by stockades. Miguel Lopez de Legaspi,
conqueror of the Philippines and founder
of the city, was indefatigable in promot-
ing its growth. He founded the cathedral,
which is the metropolitan church of all
Catholic Oceanica. He also established a
municipal organization. which was con-
frmed BY Philip III. of Spain, and contin-
ues to be the form of municipal govern
ment today.