Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-07-06

have not the power nor tnc
keep their Iieges from their traoisionas
piracies. 1t IL from some OF these
Malay strongholds that the pranus OF the
orang Laut imam Of the seal sahy iof,n
on plundering cruises. ih's
,nlou,ilous trade has been stopped on the
coasts OF sumatra and Borneo. ana II
will soon be stopped in Mindanao. where
the Spanish Government is now taxing
drastic repressfve measures.
Copper is found In many parts or the
Philippines. The Coal which up 10
present times has been found In the
Philippine. The coal which up 10
Ignite. probably OF the tertiary period,
and of a variety which can scarcely be
distinguished by the eye from true coal.
There is no reason why true coal should
not eventually be found. for it IL found
and worked in Japan, whose geological
formation has much In common with
that Of the Philippines. There has been
no systematic search made In these is
lands for coal. and wherever IL has been
found 1t has betrayed Its presence by
outcrope. Thus, In the island OF Masbtae,
a local steamship owner drew his supplies
from bed of coal which Is so Tilted
as TO have the appearance OF vein. lie
supplied himself as long as his native
laborers could get the coal with crowbars.
Mr. Hilton who examined this bed cur
sorily. estimated the available quantity OF
coal at about Coz 600 tons In that particu-
lar concession. He is, however. OF
opinion that very much larger quantities
are available IN adjoining concessions.
mo systematic search for banks OF
pearl shells have been made within the
limits OF the archipelago but from indica-
lions II would be worth while TO bestoW
a little attention to that brapch Of indus
try. Beautiful pearls are found in the
neighboring Sulu Archipelago. and pearls
OF very fine quality but Of unknown
origin are sometimes brought TO Manila,
where they meet with eager purchasers.
Few outside the comparatively narrow
circle who are directly Interested in the
commerce and resources OF the Philip
pine Islands know anything OF them.
The Philippine merchants are rather
close community. which only in the last
decade or so has expanded its diameter
q little. There are n number OF very
old established firms among them. several
of them being British Among
them also are firms-perhaps as far as
wealth and local influence 20 the most
important firms-whose chiefs are partly
at least. OF native blood.
I'm the old days money was made more
easily than nowadays. 1t used somehow
10 flow into the merchants Golfers with
out any particular effort in directing the
flow on his part. But those times are
no longer. Gables. weekly mails and the
influx of younger men with modern ideas
have disturbed the somnolent complacency
of the old times. And the fall in the
value of the dollar has added its own
particular bitterness to the trouble
caused by the inroad OF competitors and
by the equalization of chances by the
ta1e-tellling cable Nevertheless, the
field is still a good one, and with the
era OF progress which seems to have set
in in the Philippines, there Will be room
for many more.
I'm 1891 the Philippines exports to
Spain amounted TO s22 $4,000 In 1891 the
Philippines imports from Spain amount
ed TO l7,126.OO0. The total exports from
the Philippines I'm 1892 consisted Of 95,Ol6
tons of hemp, 553, las 400 pounds OF sugar.
s.971 go pounds OF coffee. s.e04. 260 pounds OF
sampanwood, 779sO0 pounds of indigo.
$500, 1877 pounds Of tobacco leaf. 137059,00O
cigars. The total exports in 1892 were of
the value of s3S, $4,000. Total value OF
imports in 1892 were of the value OF
$27,000OO0.
Manila hemp is the fibre OF species
of banana CIusa textiliD which thrives
only in certain localities, where 1t is
cultivated by the natives. The fibre is
still produced in the old native way, by
scraping the leaves with peculiar knife
which requires expert handling. Num-
berless contrivances to supersede this
simple process have been tried and patent
ed, but without success. The native way
is still the best, and IL produces a fine
fibre, of which thread is spun and cloth
woven that excels the best Tussore silk.
1.-THE manufacture of sugar Is not
carried on in a large way, but on small
plantations with Anticipated machinery.
There are a few large factories, but they
are isolated. Some years ago an enter
pris!ng Australian established a central
sugar factory, and laid down miles OF
pipes for the conveyance of the cane
Juice to the boilers and generally went TO
vast expense. The factory was there,
and the engines, with the most recent
improvements vacuum pans. and what
not The only thing that was wanting
was the plantation TO supply the juice.
And thus the money was lost, and the
pipes that were 10 conduct the cane juice
now convey limpid water to the inhabi-
tants Of Manila.
'Jn closing these notes the writer
merely wishes to add that well-directed
energy and judiciously applied capital
will bear good fruit in the Philippines"
cdr. Won Moellendorff, formerly German
Consul in Manila, has informed me that
he has Chinese book dating from about
the third century A. D., in which
trading voyage from Annoy TO Manila is
described. Gold Is mentioned as the chief