The age-herald., 1898-05-06
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Dr. Wilson Complies Facts From Commercial
 Museum Records.

Dr. w. P. Wilson, director of the Phila- delphia Museums, has prepared an elab- crate description of the Spanish islands in the Pacific ocean. which Uncle Sam has captured, in which, among other things he says: ,e .s.
 s'The Philippine Islands constitute one of the greatest archipelagos of the world. They lie In the north tropic zone and sep arate the South China sea on the west and the Pacific ocean on the east On the south the Celebes sea, 300 miles across, separates the archipelago from islands of the same name. On the southwest two island chains the Sulu and Palawan, stretching to within a few miles of the coast of Borneo enclose the large Sulu sea.
 "The eastern shore of the principal is- land is about 600 miles east of Hong Kong. It is the largest and most northern great island of the group, group vaich covers a north and south line of 1,O50 miles and an east and west line of about 700 miles. This group comprises 1,400 islands, of which by far the larger part are mere is- lets. They are of coral and volcanic for nation, the latter often having tremen- dous eruptions. The largest of them are Luzon on the north, of nearly 1000 square miles area, and Mindanao on the south- east, having an area of 37.456 square miles. The total area is computed at 14COO square miles.
 The chief seaport of the group is Manila, overlooking a capaeious bay on the south- west shore of Luzon. The other chief ports are noi1o and Cebu, on islands of the same name, in the central part of the archipelago.
 "There are half dozen other islands in the central and western part of the group, the areas of which range from that of Rhode Island to that of Connecticut. They are inhabited in round numbers by about 5000 O0O people, of whom a dwarfed race of Negritos, now driven into the mountains and interior lands, seem to be the descend- ants of the aborigines. The bulk of the population is Malayan, of whom there are numerous tribes The dirtiest and most Pagan are known as the Igorrotes, and yet they display very exemplary qualities They are one of the most important tribes of I.uzon and are amongst the population who virtually escape omniyorous Spanish taxation. They are good farmers laying out terraces, fields on the mountains, con- structing irrigation canals and having considerable reputation as metallurgists. Their domestic morality Is favorably in con- trast with that of their neighbors.
 Another element of the population are the Chinese and their Mestizor, or descend ants of mixed Sinitic and native blood. There is scarcely a community on these
 
 Petty trade and banking is almost entirely in their hands. Europeans and their de- scendants are not numerous here, although there Is considerable breed of half castes, derived from European fathers.
 '',rhe history of these islands during the nineteenth century has been one of op- pression, restriction of commerce and fe- rocious taxation, in which the ecclesiastics used their influence for the support of the Spanish sovereignty. The last revolt broke out in 1S96 The conspiracy was discovered before the day appointed for the uprising, and the plans of the insurrectionsts were disconnected. Yet when the authorities pro- ceeded to arrest those known to be involved the rebels mustered in force, amounting to several thousands, but were dispersed when they offered battle in the nelghborhood of Manila. The insurgents established them- selves in the province of Cavife on the south shore of Manila bay, eight miles southwest of the port of Manila. and held it until the arrival of 25,000 endorsements from Spain and of considerable naval fleet enabled the government to suppress them. Here was the scene of the battle of the 1st of May 1898, between the Ameri- can commodore. Dewey. with seven vessels of war and two transports, and the Spanish admiral, Montijo. with ten armed vessels, in which the latter was dsastrously de- feated. In the inaccessible mountainous parts of the island there are still unsub- dued savages.''