LUCONIA, or Luzon, the name of the largest of the Philippine islands in the East Indies, subject to Spain. It had the name of Luzon from a custom that prevailed among the natives of beating or bruising their rice in wooden mortars, before they either boiled or baked it; Luzon, in their language, signifying "a mortar."

As to situation, it is remarkably happy, lying between the eastern and western continents, and having China on the north, at the distance of about 65 leagues; the islands of Japan on the north-east, at the distance of about 250 leagues from the nearest of them; the ocean on the east; the other islands on the south; and on the west Malacca, Patana, Siam, Cambodia, Cochinchina, and other provinces of India, the nearest at the distance of 300 leagues.

The middle of this island is in the latitude 15° north; the east point in 13° 33', and the most northern point in 19°. The shape of it is said to resemble that of an arm bent; the whole length being about 160 Spanish leagues, the greatest breadth between 30 and 40, and the circumference about 350. As to the longitude, the charts differ, some making the middle of the island to lie 113° east from London, and others in 169°. The climate is hot and moist. One thing is held very extraordinary, that in stormy weather there is much lightning and rain, and that thunder is seldom heard till this is over. During the months of June, July, August, and part of September, the west and south winds blow, which they call vendavales, bringing such rains and storms, that the fields are all overflowed, and they are forced to have little boats to go from one place to another. From October till the middle of December, the north wind prevails; and from that time till May, the east and south-east; which winds are there called breezes. Thus there are two seasons in those seas, by the Portuguese called monzeens; whence our word monsoons, that is, the breezes half half the year, with a serene dry air; and the vandales the other half, wet and stormy. It is further to be observed, that in this climate no vermin breed upon Europeans, though they wear dirty shirts, whereas it is otherwise with the Indians. The days here being always of an equal length, and the weather never cold, neither their clothes, nor the hour of dining, supping, doing business, studying, or praying, are ever changed; nor is cloth worn, but only against the rain.

The air here being, as has been observed, very hot and moist, is not wholesome; but is worse for young men that come from Europe than for the old. As for the natives, without using many precautions, they live very commonly to fourscore or 100. The soil is so rich, that rice grows even on the tops of the mountains without being watered; and this makes it so plentiful, that the Indians value gold so little as not to pick it up, though it lies almost everywhere under their feet.

Among the disadvantages of the island, besides frequent and terrible earthquakes, here are several burning mountains. The face of the island, however, is far from being disfigured by them, or by the consequences of their explosions.

The mountaineers, called Tingians, have no particular place of abode, but always live under the shelter of trees, which serve them instead of houses, and furnish them with food; and when the fruit is eaten up, they remove where there is a fresh sort.

Here are 40 different sorts of palm-trees, the most excellent coconuts, wild cinnamon, wild nutmegs, and some say wild cloves also; ebony; sandal-wood; the best caffia, and in such plenty, that they feed their hogs with its fruit; all kinds of cattle, and prodigious quantities of gold, amber, and ambergrise.

There are several forts of people in this island besides the Spaniards, as the Tagalians or Tagaleze, the Pintadoes or painted negroes, the Ilayas or Tingilianos, and the Negrellos. The Tagalians, who are thought to be Malaysians by descent, are a modeft, tractable, and well disposed people. The Pintadoes, or painted negroes, are tall, straight, strong, active, and of an excellent disposition. The Tingilianos, whom some suppose to be descended from the Japanese, are very brave, yet very courteous and humane. They live entirely on the gifts of nature; and never sleep under any other shade than that of the trees or a cave. The Negrellos, who are held to be the Aborigines of the island, are barbarous and brutal to the last degree. When they kill a Spaniard, they make a cup of his skull and drink out of it.

This island is divided into several provinces, containing divers towns, the chief of which are Manila, Caceres, New-Segovia, Bondo, Pasigao, Ibalon, Bulaw, Serfocon, or Bagatiao, Lampon, Fernandina, Bohino, Playahonda, Cavite, Mindora, Caleteya, and Balayan.

capital of an island of the same name in the East Indies, on the south-east side of the island, where a large river falls into the sea, and forms a noble bay 30 leagues in compass, to which the Spaniards have given the name of Bahia, because the river runs out of the great lake Bahi, which lies at the distance of six leagues behind it. In compass it is two miles, in length one third of a mile; the shape irregular, being narrow at both ends, and wide in the middle. On the south it is washed by the sea, and on the north and east by the river; being also strongly fortified with walls, battions, forts, and batteries.—Manila contains about 30,000 souls, who are a very motley race, distinguished by several strange names, and produced by the conjunction of Spaniards, Chinese, Malabars, Blacks, and others inhabiting the city and islands depending on it. Without the walls are large suburbs, particularly that inhabited by the Chinese merchants, called Sangleyes. In proportion to the size of the place, the number of churches and religious houses is very great. Only small vessels can come up to Manila; but three leagues south of it is the town and port of Cavite, defended by the castle of St Philip, and capable of receiving the largest ships. Here stands the arsenal where the galleons are built, for which there are from 300 to 600 or 800 men constantly employed, who are relieved every month, and while upon duty are maintained at the king's expense. By an earthquake which happened here in 1645, a third part of the city of Manila was destroyed, and no less than 3000 people perished in the ruins.

In the war beforelast, Spain having entered into engagements with France, in consequence of the family-compact of the house of Bourbon, it was found expedient by Britain to declare war also against Spain. Whereupon a force was sent out from our East-India settlements, particularly Madras, for the conquest of the Philippine Islands, under General Draper and Admiral Cornish: who, after a siege of 12 days, took Manila on the 6th of October 1762 by storm; but, to save so fine a city from destruction, agreed to accept a ransom, amounting to a million sterling, a part of which, it is said, was never paid. The Spanish viceroy resides in this city, and lives like a sovereign prince. The government is said to be one of the best in the gift of the king of Spain. When the city was taken, as above, the archbishop, who is a kind of pope in this part of the world, was also viceroy. Five large ships, loaded with the riches of the East, as diamonds from Golconda, cinnamon from Ceylon, pepper from Sumatra and Java, cloves and nutmegs from the Moluccas and Banda islands, camphire from Borneo, benjamin and ivory from Cambodja, silks, tea, and china-ware from China, &c. sail yearly from hence to Acapulco in Mexico, and return freighted with silver, making 400 per cent. profit.

The city of Manila is governed by two alcaldes: the rest of the cities and great towns have each an alcaldé; and in every village there is a corregidor. Appeals from their sentences are made to the royal court at Manila, in which there are four judges, and a fiscal or attorney-general; each of these judges has a salary of 3300 pieces of eight per annum. The viceroy is president; and in that quality has an income of 4000 pieces of eight, but he has no vote; yet if the judges are equally divided, the president names a doctor of the civil law, who, in virtue of his appointment, has a decisive voice. The attorney-general, in right of his office, is protector of the Chinese, in consideration of which he receives 600 pieces of eight every year. As for the Indians that are in subjection, they pay tribute in the following proportions: Young men from...