Meisic came from "Mey Insik" (There are Chinese). At one time the Rizals had a house here. At another time, in Trozo.
"Quiapo" was the name of a plant that grew in the Pasig River.
Manila was an oriental Venice, criss-crossed by canals or "esteros". They were later filled in but in consequence, every year without fail the city gets flooded. Sangleyes, Chinese sellers of vegetables, fish, etc., circulated in bancas to offer and sell their products and wares to the residents.
In 1884 the Pasig River was still being used by the native inhabitants to bathe, swim in and lavanderas to do their laundry, laying out the washed clothes on the grass to dry. It was the superhighway because waterways were faster for transport and travel than the nearly non-existent roads, the ones that did exist were often impassable from puddles, mud, fallen or rickety and unsafe bridges, not to mention dangerous because of outlaws. People traveled from Manila to Cavite via ferry or boat.
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