The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 51]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 5i

the laborers being comfortable, arranged in regular
streets, protected as far as possible from the danger
of fire, and shaded by trees of useful sorts; and from
these should be well isolated the proprietor's dwelling, sheds, machinery, and other property. Gardens,
orchards, fishponds, etc., should be formed; and all
appliances should be furnished which are desirable
for improving the quantity and quality of the products of the estate, and for providing a safe and
abundant supply of food, and of the luxuries which
are dear to the heart of the Indian. Careful directions are given for the selection of land, the supply
of water, cattle-raising, making of plantations, protection against storms, etc. An interesting account
is given of the Chinese in Filipinas, their trade, relations with the Spaniards, the abuses in these, the
hatred felt toward them by the Tagalos (resulting
mainly from the illicit relations of the Chinese with
the Indian women), their mode of life, etc.; they
should be compelled to devote themselves only to
agriculture and the useful arts, and to abandon commerce and business entirely. They have been very
injurious to the interests of the islands, and ought to
be expelled from Filipinas, save as they are engaged
in handicrafts or the tillage of the soil. The Spaniards ought thus to follow the example of the Dutch
in Java and other islands, where the Chinese have
made excellent agriculturists and manufacturers of
agricultural products, and have enriched both themselves and the Dutch; if they had been thus treated
in Filipinas, that country would now be as prosperous and wealthy as are the Dutch colonies, and its
trade would be as rich and extensive as that of the
Dutch. As it is, enormous sums of money have been