The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-05-19

Today would ordinarily be holiday
in Manila, perhaps will be.
1t is the 227th anniversary of the oc-
casion when Commander Don AlonZo
de Arellano. on the day Of ST. Poten-
ciana, May 10, 1871 went into the same
and reduced the city, which was then
protected by Chiefs Rajamaro and
Rajamatanda-
In the library of the state historical
society Is an old historical work, one
of the Hakluyt series Of publications,
which covers the history of the Philip
pine islands from the time of their
Spanish invasion in 1871 down to about
the time Of the American Civil war.
The first Spanish governor Of the
newly seized islands was Commander
in-Chief Legazpi in whose command
was Arellano. Legazpi, dying In 1875,
was succeeded by DR.. Francisco de
Sande, and a line of governors extend
ing down to the present August.
According to this interesting work,
there are forty islands in the group,
which is under the government Of the
governor of the Philippines. Of these
the most important are Luzon, Mindcro,
Tendaya, Capul, Buras, Mazbate, Mar
Unique. Leite, Camaz, Ylabao, Sebu,
Ranay, Bohol Catenduanaz, Calamanes
and Mindanao, and there are a number
of lesser islands.
While Sebu was the first reduced, the
soon discovered. This, the island on
which Manila Is situated, has about
1900 miles of shore line, being irregu-
lar in shape. While along the shores
the climate is extremely hot, the ISL
and being considerably within the
tropics, there are higher settlements
which are cool and not disagreed bic.
The resources Of the islands are man.
fold. Of the precious metals gold and
silver promise much, and, indeed, have
realized considerable products. Tobac-
CO, hemp, sugar are among the vegeta-
BILE products which have become so use
full as to establish themselves as prac-
teal staples.
According to this work, between 1916
and 1S4S, the Spanish government spent
a million dollars on Notifications at
Manila alone. AS the book was print
ed in 1868 it does not say whether or
not these were the identical fortifica-
lions which Commodore Dewey reduced
two weeks ago. but If they were, it
would seem as though the money might
have been more probably expended in
an asbestos roof for the local board
Of trade.
One of the unique perquisites Of be-
ing a native of Manila is the privilege
of slaughtering the civet cat, which
Is known to zoology as the producer
of a pungent perfume, of no little COM
mercial availa bility.
To the fair sex the Philippines may
present some interest, as the etymologi-
cal processes Of the languages have
wrought out of the merindague, which
designates the fibrous wrapper of the
Philippine native, the crinoline, which
modern women wear. They are more
similar in etynology than in texture,
as the merinague, of Spain, which has
no European predecessor that can be
found, is Identical with the American
crinoline, and the connection between
merindague and merinague is only too
apparent.
The Philippine natives wrote in regu-
lar characters, and 1t is not unworthy
of remark that in view Of their geogra-
phical propinquity to China and Japan,
they followed the Arabic notation in
that they wrote from left to right.
There are two holidays in the islands
one is May 49,. the anniversary Of
Arellano's capture Of the bay of Ma
Mia; the other ST Andrews day, Oct
80, on which occasion, in 1874, the ma
tives and Spaniards repealed the inva-
sion Of the Chinese on the Limahorn.
That a disastrous blow to Spanish
revenues was struck when Dewey seiZ-
figures showing the growth Of the ma
tional revenue from the Oriental ISL
andS:
AS early as 1900. before Jamestown,
New York, or Plymouth were founded
and when st. Augustine, Santa Fee and
San Antonio were as yet unproductive
settlements, Spain derived a revenue
from the Philippines Of $4,000. In
1886, this had been multiplied by three,
y,1h od oh Ty,1 ,i<oJo
was the last report before the publica-
ton Of the book in the library at the
capitol, 1t had increased to $12, 1871, 302
for a single year. The income more
than paid all the expenses Of admins
tration, fertilization, and what not, by
a million and a half of dollars. What
the income has been since the develop
ment of the binding Irvine industry in
the wheat fields of the world has de-
veloped a market for the native sisal
and hemp, this book does not show but
1t indicates that Mr.. Dewey's prize was
not BOBBY prize by any MEANS.
The revenues were derived from trib-
utes of various sorts. The islanders
themselves paid nearly 100000 to the
Spanish government; the mestizos and
Chinese, much smaller in number con-
tributed nearly 100000. From lotteries
100000 was derived
The betel,, from which the modern
Kola is made. Is a native of the ISL
ands, and if the modern proprietary ar
ticle possesses half the virtues which
were alleged in its behalf by the his
torian of 1868, it deserves a place in
modern medicine.
Not only is the vegetation of the ISL
ands rank, but 1t is venomous. There
are many poisonous weeds, for which
the natives carry counter herbs. In
deed, one Is SO virulent that the ma
tives have to approach it from the
windward side, as the wind blowing
over field of it is fatal.
The chief trouble with those who are
strangers to the climate, this history
says, is dysentery. For it a trip to
China is usually taken.
1t was not q new thing for Manila
to be captured by a foreign force when
Dewey went in. In 1862, the English
with seven ships and 10000 men took
the town and demanded 10000 900
francs ransom, but compromised on a
| fourth of that sum, and released the
beleaguered community
In 1903 the Chinese, who had immi-
grated, began to build a wall about
| their settlements. The Spanish author
| tiles looked on this with suspicion, and
In the difficulty $4,000 Of the $4,000 CHI
nese residents were slaughtered As
| the historian writing the work is a
Spaniard he does not state whether OF
not the cruelty was equivalent to that
| imposed on the starving Cubans, but
| the reader may guess. Finally, in 1909.
! the Chinese were all expelled by formal
| edict.