The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1898-11-14
NEW LTGHroN THE PHILIPPINES

Philippines" Though this volume
was prepared Principally for the bene-
fit of naval and military officers on
duty with the American army of OBJ
servation and occupation, it contains
large fund of general information.
Most of the articles published regard
ing the Philippines in the last few
weeks have been hastily prepared,
and have been written from so many
points of view that the people have
been confused as to the islands and
people, and their possibilities of de-
yelopn ent. In the report from the
war department there is, however,
refreshing clearness given the sub
ject by detail.
The Philippine group extends
about 1000 miles north and south.
and 600 miles east and west. On
the west and northwest is the China
sea, on the east is the Pacific, on the
south is Borneo, and on the north a
number of small islands stretched out
toward Formosa. The number of
the islands is estimated as from 1900
to 1000. The aggregate land area
of the group is 114,336 square miles,
or about the area of Arizona. Luzon,
upon which the city of Manila is 10
Gated, has an area of 41,OOO square
miles, being about as large as Ohio
and Virginia. Mindanao, the next in
size, has an area of $4,000 square
miles, and the five islands coming
nextin size have an area of over 1O,-
900 square miles each. The whole
surface of the Philippines is essential
ly mountainous, the only plains be-
ing alluvial districts at the river
mouths and in spaces left by the in
tersection of ranges.
The Philippine population is estl-
mated at S,OO0,0O0, of which the
bulk is of Malay origin. The Philip
pine Malays, it is stated, are superior
to many other Asiatic races, beng
orderly, courteous, and honest,
though exceedingly superstitious.
The unsubdued savages of the island
number 100000. There are not over
$4,000 to 10000 Spaniards on the is
lands.
The soil is reported as most fertile,
but agriculture has been almost
wholly undeveloped. The islands
are very rich in ebony, cedar, iron
wood, sapan wood, logwood and gum
trees. Gutta percta is found in GER
tain localities. Bamboo and areca
palm are abundant. Two woods, the
banava and malave, resist the de-
structive action of water for CEN
turies and are valuable in the I'M
proyement of harbors.
The islands are said to be rich in
minerals, but little is known by the
Spaniards of the ore deposits. Resi-
dents do not believe that true coal is
to be found in large deposits. The
beds that have been worked on the
islands OF Cebu and Masbate consist
of ignite of good quality. Iron ore
of excellent quality Is abundant. but
for lack of means of transportation
and machinery it has been found
cheaper to import iron than to manu-
facture it. Rich deposits of copper
exist, and galena and zinc blends
have been found. From the very
first Philippine commerce with the
world has been held down to the
mInimum by the efforts of Spain to
monopolize it. Interna! commerce,
as we'll as foreign trade, suffers from
lack of facilities for transportation.
After Luzon, the most important is
land, from the mercantile point of
view, is Cebu. This has an area of
1902 square miles and population
of $4,000. The capital, Cebu, with
a population of 35,243, is the real