St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-05-11

conquered people, methods OF which Cor
tez and Pizarro are the chief exponen 8.
Iegaspi with six Augustinians and a
handful of soldiers accomplished the
wonderful work of conquest. Without
greed for gold and without any, exhibit
ton OF cruelty or persecution, these de-
voted men labored among the doclle peo-
pie until they won their confidence, so
that the islands were seized with little
bloodshed and no massacre or depopuia'
ton. The name "lslas Filipas" was
given by Legaspi in 1867. Contests
with frontier rebellous tribes, attacks by
pirates, earthquakes and typhoons serve
to break up the monotony OF an other
wise uneventful history. =.
Manila was captured by the English
under Draper and Cornish in 1852. and
ransomed for $5,000000, but was re-
stored in 1854 The present insurrec-
tions in the islands were put down with
an iron hand and many atrocities were
committed, so that it is little wonder
that many of the inhabitants look upon
the arrival of the Americans as deliver
ance.
While none of the islands have very
high mountains 1.-THE highest, Apo, IN
Mindanao, being over 5000 feet), still
all the islands may be described IN gen
eral as mountainous and hilly. Volcanic
forces have had large share in shaping
the archipelago, but few OF the peaks are
now volcanic. In 1914 terrible erup'
ton destroyed IL, 900 people at Camalig,
Budiao. Albay, Guinobatan and Daraga.
In 1867 the same district was visited
with another eruption. The Philippines
are also notorious Tor terrible typhoons
In 1876 one OF the storms burst over
Luzon, pouring down the sides OF the
mountain Mayor, bringing destruction
to a number OF cities, completely running
5000 houses. Typhoons on the coast
are also common. The third great evil
to which the islands are treated are the
earthquakes, which visit them so fire.
quently that they affect the style adopted
in the erection OF buildings. The most
violent earthquake occurred in 1850,
destroying an immense amount oil prop
erty, including the cathedral.
The Philippine Islands are peculiar IN
having three seasons-a cold, Il hot and
a wet. The first extends from November
to February or March. The winds are
northerly and wooden clothing and hire
are desirable, the sky is clear and the air
bracing, and Europeans in this strang
cline consider it the pleasantest time OF
the year. The hot season lasts from
March to June and the heat becomes op-
pressive and thunderstorms OF terrific
violence are frequent. During July,
August, September and October, the ram
comes down in torrents and large tracts
of the lower country are flooded. The
J population of the Philippines is 1870
900, the capital, Manila, having 154 ,O62
inha bitants. There is a small Spanish
resident population and about 100, 900
Chinese, in whose hands are the prnci-
pal industries. The native inhabitants
are mostly of the Malayan race. The
) government is administered by a gov
ernor-general and captain general, and
the forty.thrce provinces are ruled by
governors, alcades or commandments, ac-
cording to their Importance or position.
4 The estimet ted revenue of the islands In
q 1S94-95 was $13 100000 and the ex.
pendlture $13, 100000. There is an ex
: port duty on tobacco and nearly every
+ article imported is taxed The chic
>. products are sugar, hemp, coffee and in
digo, and there are large coal fields which
/. are now being opened, so that it is ex
: pected that 5000 tons OF coal per month
may be mined. The imports in 1896
were about SIP 100000 and the exports
Y 500, 500,000. There are 70 miles oil rail
way on the islands and 100 miles of tele
graph.
, Manila lies on the western side OF the
, island of Luzon and is about 600 miles
, from Hong Kong. 1t has one OF the
: most spacious and beautiful harbors il
4 the world. The shores are low and in
: land can be seen the outline OF noun
tains. The city of Manila resembles G
| dilapidated fortress surrounded by stone
q walls 800 years old. There is also {
G wide, shallow moat. The gates arr
. never closed and it is doubtful if the city
e could make any defense. There is also al
r old tort. Several creeks branch off iron
, the landlocked bay and afford a means
of communication with the suburbs
These creeks are crossed by innumerabl
bridges, and canoes thread their wa,
through these narrow waterways
l.. which somewhat resemble a tropica
Venice. Around the walls and the edg
oil the bay is fashionable drive line,
VI with almond trees. 1t is here that tn
:, wel-to-do inhabitants walk. drive an,
: meet their friends. OF nearly 10000,
r people in the province there are not NOR
Y than 5000 Spaniards One OF the mos
. curious sights to the traveller who come
y from China are the large two.whet
!, drays drawn by so.caled water buffa
s loes. They are guided by ring throug
their nose to which is attached cor
- leading back to the driver, who eithe
It mounts on his back or rides on the shalt:
:. The weight OF the load is borne on tn
neck by means Of yoke. The beasts ar
II docile and their chief delight seems to b
Al to wallow in the mud and to submerg
themselves so that only the nose is on
I OF the water. The water buffalo is pal
1t ticularly valuable to the inhabitants q
.r a beast Of burden, as it can drag plo'
and can walk while knee deep in mut
le The milk of the female is very general
lie used instead of cows milk, but it's mea
iS unfit for food