St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1899-02-22

sleep of Manila does not mean that the
city is as lazy as it was under Spanish
rule, when it slept nearly all of the
day Under the present regime early
in the morning and in the evening the
city is astir. The shops at eventide are
ablaze with brilliant lights, the Escolta
is crowded with pedestrians and the
Cascade, the Metelle and the Lunetta are
filled with gay equipages. Our soldiers
are falling into the ways of the midday
siesta, and our officials have come to
realize that our hustling methods, as
practiced in temperate climes, will not
go in this land, where the sun con-
tinuously pours its rays straight down.
Like all slow going Asiatic towns,
Manila is today very much the same as
it has been for centuries, though the
coming of the Americans has infused
some new life and vigor into the sleepy
old place. The original town, founded
by Legaspi, is known as Old Manila,
and IL located between the Pasig river
and the bay. This is the famous walled
city whose Notifications were begun
early in its history and have been con-
tinued down to the present day. New
Manila, commercial Manila, lies on the
opposite side of the Pasig and on very
low ground, being only foot or so
above the tide. Binondo, Santa Cruz
and San Miguel are the districts lying
along the Pasig, with San Sebastian
Sampolia and other districts back from
the river Binondo is the center of Ma
nila's commerce.
The Notifications are among the most
interesting features of Old Manila.
Running along bay and river, the two
walls of the old city form an acute an
gle. These walls are connected by 9TH
ers on the land side which by half a
dozen angles cover the mile and a half
between bay and river On the bay side
the Notifications extend over mile,
and on the Pasig half that distance
Within the main city are inclosed prob
ably three square miles of territory
The walls are pierced by eight gates
On the bay side are Puerto Santa Lucia
and Puerto Portigo on the land side
fronting the Notifications, are Puerto
Real and Puerto Del Parian; on the land
side, overlooking the river, are Puerto
Isabel and Puerto Santo Domingo, and
IN the Pasig side looking toward the
point are Puerto Adriana and Puerto
Almaune. All of these thrice century old
gates have their drawbridges, lookouts
and other medieval arrangements, and
while none has been closed for some
years, the old machinery remains in
perfect condition. Surrounding the
whole Notifications is a system of great
meats, flooded by the tide.
There are many interesting public
buildings, churches and private dwell
ings in Old Manila The capitol, or the
ancentimento, as the Spanish call it,
is located here, and where Augustin
formerly ruled our government officials
now direct affairs on these islands The
cathedral of Old Manila was built in
1913, and, although it has endured sew
eral earthquakes, which have shattered
its towers, it still stands.
Old Manila is fronted on the bay side
by the Metelle, fashionable drive
way and promenade, where Spanish So
ciety formerly disported itself, but
which is now thronged by American
soldiery and Spanish prisoners. Be-
yond the Metelle along the bay is the
famous La Lunetta, where the Spanish
army formerly held its drills and pa
rades. Here it was formerly the custom
for the wealth and beauty of the Phil
ippine capital to enjoy the cool evening
breezes, when the Lunetta was contin.
ually thronged with carriages and pc,
destrians. The Spanish military bands
furnished music on such occasions, and
there were indeed merry scenes. 1t wal