"The first pair he pointed out were Spanish Metis, or Creoles, and they were dressed in their best clothes for an evening walk. The man wore a pair of gay-colored trousers that looked as though they were made of calico, and he had above them a frock like a shirt worn outside, of nearly the same material as the trousers. Then he had an umbrella and a tall hat, and his feet were in slippers instead of boots. The woman at his side was likewise in slippers that showed all of her feet except the toes; she had no bonnet on her head, but in its place she wore some flowers and a sort of wreath like a pad. There was a bright handkerchief around her neck, and her dress was of an equally gaudy color. These people appear to be very fond of lively colors and contrasts, if we may judge by the universal use they make of them. [Illustration: CHINESE METIS.] "Close behind them was another couple that our friend said were Chinese Metis, or half-breeds. The costume of the man was not much unlike that of the other, but his trousers were not as gay, his frock was gathered in at the waist, and his shirt was white. The woman was prettier than the other one, and the handkerchief she wore on her head was very becoming; it fell in graceful folds down to her shoulders, which were covered with a cape of thin muslin, held in place by a pin at the throat, and her dress was very pretty: it consisted of a skirt or native _sarong_, in which there was a good deal of red, and over the skirt there was a wide sash of rich Chinese silk in red and yellow stripes. It is wound around the waist in such a way that it holds the figure quite closely, and hangs below the knee. Her feet were in slippers, without stockings, and it does not seem to be the fashion for anybody to put on stockings in Manilla, or at least only among the foreigners. [Illustration: SPANISH METIS OF THE WEALTHY CLASS.] "Frequently we saw people on horseback, and were told that many of them belonged to the wealthy class of the Spanish Metis. Their dress was much like that of the pedestrians, except that it was somewhat richer, and the woman wore a tall hat like that of the man; but as the equestrian costume for a lady in Europe or America is generally supposed to include a high chapeau, we suppose the head-covering for the fair rider in Manilla will not be considered out of fashion. They say that fashions change very little in Manilla from year to year, and milliners do not make fortunes. The Spanish ladies make some attempt to keep in style, but, with all their efforts, they do not succeed very well. There is little chance for variety in a country where it is so hot that only the lightest garments can be worn with comfort.