The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-26


! feW miles nor Invest Of Agana.
The political conquest is represented by
soldiers VINO came with Sanv!tores and by
others VINO came later. The apostle did not
want them, and Inc historian let's us see
them only incidentally. A mele occurs, and
these soldiers, happening to be there, for
tuuateiy md a cannon lying on the sea-
shore. A ship from New Spain IS wrecked
and hundred soldiers, guarding some con-
victs bound for the Philippines, are saved,
and Gobien, the historian. says: 1T was
q succor which God seemed 10 send for the
reduction of the islands" Burney in hts
Voyages" says; "Of all the intercourse
Of Europeans with the natives of the South
sea Islands. the settlement of the Ladrones
by the Spaniards has been the most unfor-
tunate."
In this war of determination we become
acquainted with the original natives of the
Ladrones. called Chamorros, meaning
friends" a word OF salutaton among
those islanders. Gobien says they lived in
peace and happiness; and they themselves
SAID, after few of their number had been
killed: These Europeans had better re-
mained at home; we needed not their help
TO live happily" In complexion, language.
manners, and government they seem to
nave borne much resemblance TO the Ia
gals of the Philippines.
An ancient feudalism existed among
them, the people being divided into nobies,
a sort Of ancestor-worship. Freycinet,
who commanded the Uranie IN a scientific
expedition to determine the figure of the
earth, says of the Chamorros: I'VE see.
these islanders employing all their force
heroism, and cunning in the defense of
their customs and Of their independence
Twenty times beaten, twenty times they
rise again. But in the end, decimated by
war and by diseases until then unknown
among them, they ceased to Oppose a
useless resistance to the powerful arms of
European civilization. Repatriation sue
ceeds TO these disasters, and those who re-
main, the unhappy remnant, are taken
from their towns and their native isles,
ana are concentrated at Guam, at Sapan,
and at Rota, and placed as it were under
the guns of the forts-a guarantee of their
obedience"
The third historical period, 1899 to 1898,
is chain Of administrations BY a success
sion OF Governors appointed by the gov
ernor general of the Philippines the last
of whom, Gen. Marina, with his secretary,
Fort Captain Ruarta, Lieut.. Gutierrez, and
two other lieutenants, Sergt Romelo, and
htty-four soldiers, was taken prisoner by
the cruiser Charleston June q, 1898.
The islands forming the Ladrones, be-
ginning at the northernmost are Farallon
de FaJaros, an active volcano / 900 feet in
hight a group of three rocky islets known
tive volcano peak 2,S4S feet in hight; Agri-
gan, seven miles in length, mountainous.
and the northermOst inhabited island: Pa
gan, having three active cones, and peo-
pied by few natives; the uninhabted ISL
ands of flanagan, Guguan, Sariguan. An
ataXan, and Farallon de Medinilla; Saipan
fifteen miles long, fertile and having
about 1000 inhabitants; Tinian. orieinaIlv
possessing 10000 inhabitants, and now a
place of segregation for lepers, with A
population of 300; Auijan, Of no import
anee; Rota, with 500 inhabitants: and
Guam.
Guam, or Guajan, the southernmost and
largest or the Islands, is thirty-two miles
lohS ana has a population of about 900
tWo-third of whom are in Agana. and near
~ an the rest upon the seaboard, the
country inland being almost without in.
haptants Agana, the capital is also.
q convict settlement. 1t is beautifuITv
clean and possesses good government Off
clals, hospital schools and a church
The Spanish residents have usually Num-.
bered about twenty, and the regular SOL
dlery about 200 all CHARTERED here The
militia, comprising about all the male
population, is commanded by native off,
GERS. The civil government Is similar to
mat OF the Philippines. Postal COM
munication has been quarterly.
When first discovered the I,adrones had
population Of about $1,000. Not one of the
original race survives, and the islands are
peopied chiefly by Tagals and Bisayans
from the Philippines, mixed descendants
OF south American Indians, a colony OF
Caroline Islanders who founded Garapan
in the Island of Saipan and numerous
Chamorro-Spanish half-breeds. The cen
sus of 1888 reports a population of 6 476
IN Agana, and total of 10, 172 in all the
Islands, 1904 being males and 5,13S fe-
males. There are eighteen schools in The
Island of Guam. Only 10 per cent. of the
Ladrone islanders are unable to read and
write. Spanish is the recognized language:
but many of the natives speak a little
English. The climate is good and eoua-
bic; 20 degrees to so degrees Fahrenheit
is the range of the thermometer.