Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/500

 456 SPANISH HISTORY every case to throw a strong light on the character of the Spanish influence on the destinies of the native inhabitants. Among the islands of the Indian Archipelago, one of the most distinctive characteristics of the Philippines, is their proximity to China. They owe to this situation their great commercial ad- vantages, but they owe to it too, considering the weakness of the European nation which governs them, some political disadvantages. They are the only portion of the Archipelago in any measure assailable to the clumsy military force and imper- fect naval power of the Chinese empire, or the de- predations of its rebellious subjects. The eastern end of Luconia is little more than four hundred miles, or three days' sail from the coast of the Chinese province of FoJcien, and scarce half the distance from the southern extremity of For- mosa. This propinquity of situation excites the jealousy of both nations, and would be felt by the Chinese to ^ keener degree, were their European rivals a people of more enterprise and activity. The Chinese appear, in almost all ages of their history, to have carried on a traffic with the Philip- pines, and to have been sufficiently aware of their situation. Considering, however, the character of the Chinese and of the natives of the country, as Europeans found them, there is no good reason to credit the assertion of the former, that these