The city of Manila lies on the south side of the river, and is enclosed by dark stone-walls, having a broad and deep ditch; so high are the city-walls, that only the red tiled-houses, and the towers and domes of churches, can be seen in the distance above them. On entering the city, you are struck with the stillness and gloomy appearance of the streets, interrupted only occasionally by the march of soldiers going to relieve guard in this garrisoned town, the rumbling of a solitary carriage, the tinkling of a bell, announcing the approach of the host on its way to administer the last religious rites to a dying sinner, or a distant convent-bell summoning the religious to prayers. The streets, although narrow, are kept clean, and have good “trottoirs;” the great square in the centre of the city contains a fine bronze statue of Charles the Fourth of Spain, erected by his _dutiful_ and _affectionate son_, Ferdinand the beloved, so says the inscription on the pedestal; three sides of the square are occupied by the cathedral or church of the “Immaculate Conception,” the consistorial palace, and the palace of the governor-general. Manila contains about ten thousand souls, and is garrisoned by two regiments of soldiers; at Binonda, St. Cruz, and the villages in the vicinity, three more are stationed, besides three thousand placed in different parts of the island. Of these, twelve hundred only are Europeans, the remainder being Indians; they are well clothed, fed, lodged, drilled, and paid. The houses are built in a quadrangular form and are very massive, having covered balconies, from the second story, projecting over the street; they are generally spacious, well-furnished, and neat; the ground-floor, called the “bodega,” or “godown,” is occupied as a magazine for goods, as a stable, and for other purposes. Instead of lattice-work or glass, the _mya_ shell is used, set in frames about four inches square; it affords a very agreeable light, equal to that passing through ground-glass; the windows thus formed extend round the house, can be slid at pleasure, and render the dwellings light and airy; the second story is of thin brick, or light framework, and plastered; the roof is covered with tile, the framework being so constructed that it will readily yield to the shock of an earthquake, (which is of very frequent occurrence,) without being easily thrown down. A very large proportion of the buildings, in the towns and villages, are in the native style, being for the most part, owing to the low swampy ground, erected on piles from three to six feet high, and are constructed with the bamboo or palm-leaf; the interior is much exposed to view, as the windows made with palm-leaf or bamboo lattice, occupy three fourths of their fronts and are let down at daylight.