The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1898-08-07

acquainted with the original natives OF
the Ladrones, called Chamorros, meaning
friends" a word of salutation among
these islanders. Gobien says they lived
III peace and happiness; and they them
selves said after a few of their number
had been killed: These Europeans had
better remained at home; we needed not
their help to live happily" In complex
ion. language manners and government
they seem to have borne much resem-
blance to the Tagals Of the Philippines.
An ancient feudaIism existed among
them, the people being divided into no.
bles priests and p!ebians Their religion
was a sort OF ancestor-worship. Frey
cinet, who commanded the Uranie in
scientific expedition TO determine the fIg-
ure of the earth, says OF the Chamorros:
I'VE see these islanders employing all
their force, herosm, and cunning III the
defense of their customs and OF their
independence. Twenty times beaten
twenty times they rise again, But in the
end decimated Gy war and by diseases
until then unknown among them, they
ceased 10 oppose a useless resistance 10
the powerful arms of European civiliZa-
ton Expatriation succeeds TO these dis
asters; and those who remain. the IN
happy remnant are taken from their
towns and their native isles. and are
concentrated at Guam. al Saipan, and at
Rota, and placed. as it were, under the
guns of the forts-a guarantee OF their
obedience"
The third historical period. 1893 10 1898.
IS a chain of administrations by success
sion Of governors appointed by the gov
ernor general Of the Philippines; the last
| OF whom Gen. Marina, with ms secretary.
! Port Capt. Duarta, Lieut.. Gutierrez and
o =,
and ffty-four soldiers, were taken prison
ers by the cruiser Charleston, JlSle u
! 1895.
! The islands forming the Ladrones, be-
! ginning al the nOrthernmosi. are FdThi-
| lon de Paiaros. an active 70 cano LOS
! feet in height; a group Of three rocky Isl
! cts known as the Urracas; Assumption
1 a particularly active volcanic peak 2.sh
! feet in height; Agr!gan. seven mi - II
/ length. mountainous. ard the northern
/ most inhabited island: Pagan. having
/ three active cones and peOpled by a few
natives; the uninha biied Islands OF Ala
! nagan. Guguan. SarlgGan Anataxan and
! Farallon de Medinilla; Saipan, fifteen
! miles long, fertile and having about l-o)i
| inhabitants: Tin.au originally possessing
/ 81 100 inhabitants. and now place of seq
/ regation for lepers. with a population OF
! 500: Aguijan. of no Importance; Rota,
with 500 inhabitants; and Guam.
| Guam or Guajan, the southernmost and
/ Iarest of the islands, is thirty-two miles
! long and has population of about e.0eo,
| two-thirds of whom are In Agana and
nearly all the rest upon the seaboard, the
! country inland being almost without IN
| habitant. Agana, the capital, is also a
! convict settlement It'is beautifully clean
! and possesses good government officials,
| a hospital. schools And q church. The
| Spanish residents have USUALLY numbered
t about twenty and the regular soldiery
! about 200 all quartered here The mil
| tia. comprising about all the male popu-
/ lation, is commanded By native officers.
| The civil government is similar 10 that Of
| the Philippines. Postal Communication
has been quarterly. -
When first discovered the Ladrones had
a population of about 5000. Not one OF
the original race survives and the is
lands are peopled chiefly by Tagals and
Bisayans from the Philippines, mixed de-
scendants OF South American Indians.
colony of Caroline Islanders who found
ed Garapan in the island of Saipan, and
numerous Chamorro- Spanish half breeds.
The census of 1893 reports d population
of 6,476 in Agana, and total of 10.1I2 in
all the islands, 5,03i being males and 5lSS
females. There are eighteen schools in
the Island of Guam. Only 10 per cent OF
the I.adrone Islanders are unable to read
and write. Spanish is the recognized Ian
guage; but many of the natives speak a
little English The cline is good and
eduable: seventy degrees to eighty de-
grees Fahrenheit is the range of the Their
mometer.
JOHN w. BANTA.