The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-08-08
Gold in the Philippines.

OOlu IN Une I~'nlilpplnes'
A writer in tho Overland Monthly, Mr..
HENRY G.. HANKS, has been exploring the
libraries OF San Francisco for historical
references to the Philippines as gold-pro-
ducing territory. He has found enough
material to prove %abundantly that the ex-
istence of gold in the islands has been
known for centuries, and that it is due
only to the languid character Of the Span
lard that large possibilities Of wealth have
gone unexpected.
From MAaELLAN's time down to the
present day gold has been noted every few
years by observant visitors to the Philip
pines as one Of the principal products of
tho islands. MAGELLAN landed in 1921 on
the island of Samar. The survivors of his
voyage carried home stories like these:
at Butuan. it was said. pieces Of gold were found
as large as nuts and sometimes as large as eggs, but
mixed with earth.
AT Mazangua a large ingot OF gold was offered to
the Spaniards for six strings Of glass beads.
THE Rajah of Mazangua had in his ears two great
circles of gold. surrounded with precious stones"
Father NAvARErTE, a missionary who
visited the Philippines from China about
1916, wrote as follows in his Account of
the Empire China:
TT is beyond dispute that there lie gold in all the
islands we have spoken OF, III some more than others.
OF Manila, which they call 'Liu Sung corrupted to
Luzon by the natives and spsniardsl. they say it is a
country that abounds in gold. and they are in the
right. The provinces of PagFs!nan and Ilocos are
more remarkable than the rest on this account"
DAMPIEE in 1861 reported:
Some Of the mountains of this island tLuconia,
now LuzOnl afford gold. On other islands, both
men and women wore large earrings made OF that
yellow metal before mentioned. Whether 1t were
gold or no I cannot positively say; l took It to be so.
1t was heavy and the color of our paler gold"
Eleven years later DR.. GEMELLI CAREI
visited Luzon in his voyage around the
world. He speaks of erich gold mines in
the province of Paracala and in Ilocos. OF
the island Of Samar he says:
Gold is the chief and greatest treasure. for in the
mountains there are rich mines, and the rivers have
it mixed in their sands. The Governor of Manila
discoursed with me several times on this point; told
mo that in all there is to the value Of 200. 900 pieces
OF eight a year. gathered without the help OF fire or
quicksilver. by which 1t may be guessed what 4 pro-
divious quantity would be found did the Spaniards
apply themselves as industriously rs they do in
America. The inhabitants Of Mindanao md good
gold by digging into the ground, as also in rivers,
making trenches before the food"
Capt. ALEXANDER HAMILTON says in his
account of the East Indies" published in
the year 1927:
"Luconia ILuzonl produces gold. but OF low touch"
NJ. DE PAGES vent to Manila in 176S.
His report is concerning Samar:
Gold dust is found in some quantity in the more
interior regions, but the monks. In their concern for
the morals of the people. have been careful to get
this branch of traffic into their own hands"
The AbbG REYNAL's account, first pub
lished in 1870. is %subioined:
There are tncontCstable proofs that in tho earliest
times the Spanip rdR sent OYER TO America large guam.
titles of gold found in the mines by the natives OF
the country. II the quantity they can now collect
does not exceed twelve hundredweight. this must be
imputed to the tyranny of the spaniards. who will
not suNor them the natiyesl TO reap the benefit OF
their own industry"
Another witness Is NJ. DE GUIGNEs, who
visited the Philippines in 1896:
mines of gold exist. but these are not wrought;
the only portion Of this metal is obtained In small
grains washed down by the rivers
ROBERT MACMICKING published in 1851
his Recollections of Manila, and he says
"The gold which is found at Plctas in Misaures
and at Mambalao. Parncala and surigao. is consumed
in the country in ornaments. 49,, and some sent to
China. The amount anuuallT produced at these
places Is very uncertain, and the quantity exported
to China is probably II great deal more than the
amount set down In the tabular statements. IL being
very easy TO export, aud ] suppose at least an equal
amount of taels arc sent privately to what appears in
the tables to have passed the Custom House."
The fullest and most interesting state,
mCnt In the mass OF testimony which ap,
, pears in the Overland Monthly is by Sin
= JOHN BowRING in 1859. He is speaking
/, particularly of the island of Mlndanao:
THE gold Of the Philippine Islands is produced by
washing and digging. In several provinces it ii
, found in the rivers. and natives are engaged in wash
ing their deposits. The most remar cable OF tn,
, gold mines worked by the Indians Hrc those OF Tul
: bin and Suyuc. They bVaH the rock with ham
+, lncIs and crush IL between two small millstOnes
J d~is'olving the fragments IN water. by which
the gold is separated, They melt it in small
T., shells, and 1t generally produces from IS To eli
: per ounce, but It's hueness seldom exceeds II
2 carats LGih hne). IL Is ( found in quartz. but the mug
I gets are seldom 81 any considerable size. The IN
. habitAnts OF Cargo cut In the mountain a basin o
considerable size and conduct water to 1t through
canals made OF Wild palm, They dig up the sol
. while the basin Is nllinE. which Is opened SuddsDI.
Z aud exhibits for working any eXisting StrAtIAoGhoi
! Of GOld. These operations M continued TN All III