There was a village festival at Sampaloc (the Indian name for tamarinds), to which we were invited. Bright illuminations adorned the houses, triumphal arches the streets; everywhere music and gaiety and bright faces. There were several balls at the houses of the more opulent mestizos or Indians, and we joined the joyous assemblies. The rooms were crowded with Indian youths and maidens. Parisian fashions have not invaded these villages—there were no crinolines—these are confined to the capital; but in their native garments there was no small variety—the many-coloured gowns of home manufacture—the richly embroidered kerchiefs of piña—earrings and necklaces, and other adornings; and then a vivacity strongly contrasted with the characteristic indolence of the Indian races. Tables were covered with refreshments—coffee, tea, wines, fruits, cakes and sweetmeats; and there seemed just as much of flirting and coquetry as ever marked the scenes of higher civilization. To the Europeans great attentions were paid, and their presence was deemed a great honour. Our young midshipmen were among the busiest and liveliest of the throng, and even made their way, without the aid of language, to the good graces of the Zagalas. Sampaloc, inhabited principally by Indians employed as washermen and women, is sometimes called the Pueblo de los Lavanderos. The festivities continued to the matinal hours.
LAVANDEROS OR WASHERWOMEN
In 1855 the Captain-General (Crespo) caused sundry statistical returns to be published, which throw much light upon the social condition of the Philippine Islands, and afford such valuable materials for comparison with the official data of other countries, that I shall extract from them various results which appear worthy of attention.
The city of Manila contains 11 churches, with 3 convents, 363 private houses; and the other edifices, amounting in all to 88, consist of public buildings and premises appropriated to various objects. Of the private houses, 57 are occupied by their owners, and 189 are let to private tenants, while 117 are rented for corporate or public purposes. The population of the city in 1855 was 8,618 souls, as follows:—
| —— | Males. | Females. | Total. |
| European Spaniards | 503 | 87 | 590 |
| Native ditto | 575 | 798 | 1,373 |
| Indians and Mestizos | 3,830 | 2,493 | 6,323 |
| Chinese | 525 | 7[4] | 532 |
| Total | 5,433 | 3,385 | 8,818 |
Far different are the proportions in another part of the capital, the Binondo district, on the other side of the river:—
| —— | Males. | Females. | Total. |
| European Spaniards | 67 | 52 | 219 |
| Native ditto | 569 | 608 | 1,177 |
| Foreigners | 85 | 11 | 96 |
| Indians and Mestizos | 10,317 | 10,685 | 21,002 |
| Chinese | 5,055 | 8[5] | 5,063 |
| Total | 16,193 | 11,364 | 27,557 |
Of these, one male and two females (Indian) were more than 100 years old.
The proportion of births and deaths in Manila is thus given:—