The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1898-05-12
Captured
by the--
British

Now that Admiral Dewey Is in posses
sion of the Philippines, everything con-
cerning them is OF special interest.
These islands are an important group,
separated from Asia by the China sea.
They can be reached from Hongkong in
two or three days by steam. They have
an aggregate population Of between
1000. 900 and 8, 900, 600. of which only
about 8, 600 are Of pure Spanish blood.
The group embraces over /, 200 islands.
Of which, however. only are Of any
considerable size. The island of Luzon,
whose capital is Manila, ia about the
size of Cuba. but has three times its
population. The Philippines have been
In state Of revolution for several years,
brought about by the same Spanish pol
10y Of despotism and oppression that
has driven the Cubans into insurrection.
The Spanish government scme time ago
Rnnoupced that the revolution had been
suppressed. but all accounts seem to in
dicate that IL has only been smothered
and is ready to burst cut again on the
first opportunity. In fact, risings in diff
ferent PARTS have been announced re-
GENTLY, and it is altogether probable
that the native chiefs are only await
ing the arrival of an American squadron
to take the field and cooperate with il
against their opprsssors The announce
ment that one Of their leaders is now
on board the Olympia would indicate
that they are in direct communication
with Admiral Dewey.
The Philippines were discovered in
1921 by Fernando Magalhaens, better
known to us as Magellan, Portuguese
navigator who offered his services to
Spain and induced its government to in
trust him with an expedition to found
a colony in. the Molucca or Spice islands.
which at that time were coveted by
both Spain and Portugal. These two
countries had agreed to partition be-
tween themselves the colonial empire of
the world, Spain taking all countries
discovered 180 degrees west Of the
Azores, while Portugal was to have all
east Of that line.
Magellan left San Lucar Sept. 20,
1919, with fTe small vessels, carrying
236 men. Sailing westward the first
land he made was the coast of Brazil,
where be entered the La Plata river,
but finding that it was not strait he
returned to the Atlantic and followed
the coast of South America until he
reached o harbor in Patagonia which
he called st. Julian There he spent the
winter. In the spring he pursued his
voyage, and on Oct. 81, 1890, entered
the strait that now bears his name. As
that day was the festival of st. Ursula
and Magellan was devout Catholic he
named the strait "The Strait Of the
Eleven Thousand Virgins"
Passing through this strait. Magellan
directed his course still westward, across
the Pacific, until, ON March 16, 1891,
he discovered the island of Samar, one
Of the Philippine group. He proceeded
at once, according to the custom of the
time, to plant the cross and Christianize
the people. The inhabitants of the is
land of Mactan refused to accept Chris.
tianity, and Magellan, with So men,
went ashore to convert them by force of
arms His little company was overpow-
cred by numbers, and Magellan was
killed. A few of his followers escaped,
and Juan Sebastian Cano brought back
1S to Spain. in the vitoria, the first
vessel that had ever oircumnavigated
the earth.
Spain afterward occupied and held
possession Of the Philippines, so named
after Philip ii, until 1762. In that