nt of a
less duty. They have even gone the length of allowing yellow cotton
twist of foreign manufacture to be imported duty free.

Truly this was very cunning of them--this apparent liberality to
a foreign nation, ignorant that the colour would scarcely ever be
used. Its affected moderation would most certainly tend to stop any
complaints which might be made about the high duties imposed on our
manufactures imported into the colony.

But perhaps the authorities had some design on the native beauties,
when they held out such an inducement for them to wear unbecoming
dresses. Who can say if the official who drew the scheme up had not
a wife, jealous of the influence of some dark Indian beauty, to whom
she thus held out the inducement of cheap dress, to disarm the power
of her charms! Or, it may be, as the priests are at the bottom of
most things in Spain, who can tell but their influence was exerted
to get this law passed in the pious hope of inducing those feelings
of self-abasement and humility which the sense of being ugly, or even
plain-looking, generally induces among the fair?

CHAPTER XXVII.

Besides those already mentioned, there are several other branches of
manufacture successfully pursued in different places throughout the
country, although none of them are very extensive.

Among others, that of hat-making may be mentioned. It is practised
principally at a village called Balignat, in the province of Bulacan;
and is also carried on to a smaller extent in Pangasinan, Camarines,
and Yloylo.

The hats are made from the cane, the fibres of which, employed in
their construction, very much resemble the materials of those made at
Leghorn, of straw. They are made both black and white, and are used
almost universally by the native population, at times when the heat
of the sun does not require the _salacod_ as a protection to the
head. These are made of cane also, but are much thicker, heavier,
and wider, and are shaped like a flat cone, so that the rays of the
sunbeams are deflected from it, in place of being concentrated on
the brain, as they are by the shape of the European hat.

A large number of Balignat hats are exported to the Australian
colonies, and to China and Singapore, as well as a few to the United
States.

Cigar cases, or covers, are made to a small extent in the neighbourhood
of Manilla, and most of the patterns used for them are pretty,
gay-looking affairs. The fineness of these pouche