As a literary production, the original has probably little claim to merit, the author conveying his matter in a style more monastic than flowing; at the same time that he seems to be generally under the influence of that bias, which an early seclusion from life entails upon the mind, and upon which even his official opportunities of intercourse with the best society in Manila seem to have had a very limited effect. The translator has found him too often occupying his pages with contentions between the respective religious orders, insignificant in their nature even to a Spaniard, and so much more so to the English reader, that he has taken the liberty of altogether omitting them in the translation, except where connected with the political affairs of the settlement; and although by these means several of the chapters are reduced to almost nominal importance; yet considering the division of the subject in this form as adopted on fair grounds by the author, he hopes he will be deemed justifiable in retaining it even with the sacrifice of something of appearance. Having said as much as he hopes can be urged against the original production, the translator willingly advocates Zuniga's cause in respect to its intrinsic value, as giving to the public the only correct view of this interesting settlement, purporting to be brought down to the peace of 1763; but in fact, as we may reasonably conclude, extended to the period of publication at Manila in 1803. From information which may be fully relied on, it appears that Zuniga may, with more propriety, be deemed the editor than the author, as he was in Manila, and superintended the publication in 1803; with the credit of having only arranged for the press the papers of a deceased collector; a conclusion justified by the circumstance of the work closing with the peace of 1763, for there could not be any very solid reason for his declining an account of the forty years intervening between that event and the period of publication, had he himself been the author. If, however, we are by these means without a detail of the actual events which took place, it is probable we may have less cause for regret on account of the very limited progress which we well know improvement, or even amelioration, have been suffered to make under the Spanish monarchy during the period in question. At any rate, we have grounds for supposing that if any alteration, favourable or unfavourable, has taken place, Zuniga has contrived to weave it into the work; for it is asserted by those whose residence renders them competent judges, that the view he gives of the settlement is correct to the latest period.