The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1898-05-08

fxagtr N ne if1tH fle8fs ulrSNjStstst
.rd for new .sp.ee islands, wkicn were
= b. added TO ths Spanish realm. In
/ n the intrepid explorer achieved che
Arst object OF this expedition. and. passing
shrouci, the straits which have ever since
horre his name he sailed to the westward
evsr the then absolutely unknown waters
u the Pacific.
n the following year he first discovered
the Tssdrone islands. and shortly there
- the Philippines. Landing on cebu.
i - made friends with the king of the Is.
Ira. but a few days later joined IN 4
sorxy which that poientate organized
.zaInst hostile netghbo-. and lost his
/ re One ship load Of MS followers event
,.aIly reached Spain. thus completing the
| Arss decentralization OF the world.
FOR more than forty years the Philip
| uines were not again visited hy Europeans.
/ hvt in 1854 Legaspi returned 20 the arcafi-
| pe,zgo and iraugurated a vigorous cam
| satrr. which soon resulted in tho submis-
Sen u most Of the important native chiefs
/ ia Spanish rule. and from that day TO this
gnain has presided over the moral and
ohysscsi welfare OF the islanders.
The Philippines lie wholly within the
fronks reaching at the south to within
four and one-haH degrees OF the equator.
BIZ and little. they number some six
hnu6red varying In size from Luzon with
verify OF the name. The islands are II,
most Instances Of volcanic origin, and sew
erss nne volcanic peaks may ztill he seen
n Iuxoa. Negroes and Mindanao. De-
structive eruptions have occurred w:fhin
recent times. while earthquakes are FREE
qnent ard often or great violence.
TIE climate IL intensely hot. and in many
Of the islands very unhealthy for Euro
peans. The seyerest cold which ever ex-
peYienced at sea level during three years
and half was 90 degrees Fahrenheit.
There are four months OF rain. four of
sun with Intense heat, and two months Of
variable weather at each change OF the
monsooDs Revolving storms OF great
magnitude. and frightfui violence occur az
certain seasons, and frequently eause
enormous damage 10 property. attended
With heavy loss OF life.
The tropical scenery in the forests OF
| this archipelago Is of unsurpassed spsen-
Hdof. the heat and moisture combining to
produce vegetation Of a magnificence
(which bczgars description. Gigantic trees
Towering 10 a height Of 80 or 30 feet are
lfestooned with graceful rattans beautiful
ferns and exquisite orchids. while under
meath splendid tree ferns rear their lovely
heads thirty or forty feet into air. So
forests that the fierce tropical sun barely
penefratea 10 the ground beneath them,
land the dense underground perpstuaIiy
Idrlps with moisture.
| The population Of the islands ia esti-
mates at from eight TO ten millions. tx
leludIng foreigners for the moment. we
| find the natives divided into something
Ike go tribes each with its peculiar dia-
Eisct and customs. With the single excep-
ton ~ the Negrtos thes- tribes are OF
Malay extraction. The latter people are
o rsce Of dwarfish blacks confined At pres
ert TO few of the iof,iest mountain
1sanges They are characterized not alone
~ their color. but by the possession OF
elass'y curling hair. which serves al once
70 distinguish them from the straight
baird Msiay races They are commonly
believed to be the aborigines of the is
Ilaad.
| A more degraded race could hardly he
lteacsived. They wander through the for
tests IN q state bordering closely on ahso-
Hate nudity. and 1--we on whatever they
lean pick from the trees or dig out OF this
fpeunG They never practice agriculture.
tkat sometimes hunt A little and are said
10 eat much Of their animal food raw.
THEY hnld no houses during the dry sea-
icon, sleening wherever night ovnr.akes
Them. and moving on when the flies be-
leone troublesome. They are purey
ltsck'y race. and are rapidly becoming
text,net
| Turning now "a the tribes OF Malay ORR
lsln We find them varying In their devei-
iepmens from state Of absolute savaeery
Isn civilization. The 'uter.ors OF several
81 the larger islands are populated nv
ireary naked tribes many ~ whose mem
hers have never seen a white man. Hav-
ne nothing 20 excite the euplditv Of the
spanish. they are. and seem likely 10 re-
nasn, completely independent
/ From scientific standpoint these saw
l etss AFFORD a most interesting study. The
Nsavyans az Mindnre come near the bot
IAN az the series Their numerals orsiin-
u sN'y stop at three. their professors ~
mathematics counting 70 twenty by max
'hF ass Of fingers ana toes They hu'ld
fs'ae nuts during tSe rainy season hat in
-" cry season often wander about ike
we Nssritos Sore az them who tive
amohg TIE mountains have begun
msessee agriculture. They an
usaia'sw asny any belief n an sx-
s'snce after death. Invariably reply
az whsr Questioned thar when man Is
teesd ne Is Had As soon aS one - thair
Humber Fails seriously ~ he il deserted
~ ms fnends. who abandon al Their ~
s'hss ard run away ana h'''e them
fs"V's N Ina iuaEie changing their names
l - msaFe better lack tn the future
ssissre povertv Is ;he Tule among tifs
.N'.aes natives and its cause 4 found IN
aF aeaFy burden ~ taxation Imposed ur.
y" theh o. their Spanish fna Siers. Every
- efef is Years Of are Is required IN
ANNUALLY a ertifila personal ~
tssSs' ~ id'Dti5estinr the charge ~
varies fros, 81 80 70 81 according
t'e mears 90 t'1s anplisans should
sacss seem tHsixnlfcnnt II mast ne
ts'e'noered thst the average native has
Ia. eF 10 opportunity 80 work for hire
lt,~,- 7r aoe> slrered IN securing erl-