Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1898-05-03
THE PHILIPPINES

Topography and History of the Islands
and Their Beautiful Capitol.
The Philippines are extremely inter
esting In themselves, but are seldom
Isle, ,s.,sd oy tourists. partly IN conse-
quetrcv OF their lying out of the ordinary
1ihes OF travel. and partly because OF
the policy of Chinese seclusion culliyat-
ed by the government. The climate.
100. rs unhealthy even beyond what is
usuaf IN the tropics, and the unsettled
state OF the country, Swarming with
eXasperated savages and bandits or tha
worst description. makes excursions be-
yCnd the limits of the principal cites
very perilouS.
The aggregate area of the 1900 odd
ls!a ndS conStitu ting the Philippine erouu
IS about the Same as that of California;.
but the population of the islands is
sad to number seven or eight millions
The principal island, Luzon, exceeds
Cuba in area by $4,000 miles. and con-
population. 200 tribes. Indigenous and
mixed. are said to be represented
Such are the negrtos. who We're the
aoorisines: about five thousand Span
l.7h- born and few hundred English,
americans and Germans; a conStl,.ra hi p
oody OF Spanish mestizos. the Offspring
OK Spanish fathers and native mothers;
several hundred Thousand Chinese mes
tlzos-tnat is TO say. the offspring Of
Chinese fathers and native mothers; but
a
,AI.ayS. VINO conquered the Sia nus
long before the Spaniards landed. and
| resisted tierceiy, but Intellectually. the
European invasion.
ihey We're originally A1ahometans
KIND and hoSpitable people. bur centu-
| r!es of cruel oppression have generated
among them a warrior class which has
| learned 10 Guido the Spanards in feroc
fty In the rebeHions Of 1872 and 1888
| .ney made no secret of their purpose TO
| grant no quarter.
| Ihey were originally AIa'ilometans
ana the Spanish invaders Death With
| them as their coreligionisJS ,1!l win tha
Aoors in Spain. S,eadfast adherenls
70 me Mosiem creed We're exteiminated
anu the work was SO thoroughly done
or the islands. and less than 500 ON,
Malays now adhere 10 their ancient
| faith.
| When called to account for the intol-
GRANGE Senior Conovas justified himself
ny alleging that mild. persuasive. pater-
nal influence was effective in connter-
actIng the savage instincts of the ma
| yves. In this plausible theory thu. Ma
rays DO not concur. In 1872 they de-
nounced this paternal solicitude of
| Ineir masters as intolerable tyranny.
IN 1895 they went further, and, finding
| shat they could not shake off the in
qul<ltorial dominion Of governing off,
ciols. they planned the humiliation OF
ehe Wnole white race in THE islands,
| Manila is beautiful city, about the
SIZE or san Francisco. 1t is built On
both sides of the River Passig, which
IS navlgable to its source. Old Manila
|: say ON the left bank. Parts of the ma :
sonlc stone wall which was built around
IT. 1oo years ago are still visible and
some of the gates survive. through
which stream Of solemn friars, grin
nins chinese, respendant Spanish Of
iclals, Deggars in rags, pious nuns
nahusome senoras, gay native girls
nestlzos IN uniform, natives in breecll-
clouts. four-horse carriages. two wheel
pony wagons and creakng buffalo carts
pours from morning till night.
Inc Cathedal, monasteries and gov
eminent offices are III old Manila: the
business quarter, the foreign shipping
nCuses, the banks, stores and custom
mouse, are in Binondo. on the other side
or the river. Between the walls AMI
The shore Is the Luneta, the fashionable
promenade. where the band plays and
society enjoys the evening breeze, tiris
under hundreds of electric lights and
drives around the circle in carriages.
nifi.:d procession
The best houses of Manila are bull.
OF stone. and are handsome residences.
though there is no window glass used
in their construction. Instead Of glass
the windows are glazed with translu-
ISafL oyStSi SItIl. ILLS is cut lntO
squares so small that a window eight
feet by four viii contain $50 of them.
II is found that they temper the fierce
glare Of the sun and soften the light,
1t is the boast of Manila that its for
eign trade now amounts to So, DOC, 900
1 year. and comprises an export of
over ss,000.00o OF hemp. 100000 Of su-
gar and 900 of tobacco BIZ. this |
volume OF foreign exports seems slim |
for SUCH a region. inhabited by 5000 900
people. Under a more enlightened gov
eminent the commercial movement
would be very much larger. like Cuba
and British India, the colony Is cherish
ed by the nursery In which men OF
good family in Spain and young men