Evening journal., 1898-07-05
ABOUT PHILIPPINES.
The Islands We're Named in Honor
Of Philip II.
One of spain's Richest Colonial
Pcssessions-Some Interesting
Facts About the People
and Country


and Country.
The Philippines were the last discov-
cry Of Magellan and have eyer since
been claimed by Spain. This discovery |
was made March 81, 1921, and on April |
20. 1922, Magellan was killed by a ma
tive Of Mactan, one Of the smaller
islands His ship, the Victoria, which
made the first voyage around the world,
was taken back 10 Spain by Sebastian
Cano, who succeeded in command.
The islands are of volcanic forma-
ton, many Of them being simply bare
rocks polished 10y The action of the
waves. Those which have any soil at
all are very fertile. Tobacco is the prin-
cipal product and abaca or manila hemp
comes next. Excepting Cuba, the phil
ippines are Spain's richest colonial pos
session, and, like Cuba, they have near
Is always been misgoverued and large
portions Of their territory have never
been more than nominally under the
control OF Spain.
Class feeling runs very high The
philippine Spanish are considered not
quite up to the tone of the peninsular
spanish; together they hate all the
oiher races, all the other races hate
ihem and each other, and yerybody
Joins IN q most cordial hate of the for
eigner.
Owing 10 the confguration Of the
land-opcn toward the China sea and
practically land-locked toward the Pa
ciilc-the tides run to excessive heights.
Sometimes two tides running in oppo-
site directions hurl themselves against
each other and the noise Of the shock
can be heard for mile. Ships caught
in the rush Of waters are utterly help
less.
The Philippines are the most north
ern group Of the Indian archipelago.
They have range Of 1850 miles from
north 10 south and 700 miles from east
TO west. There are only 30 of any i'm
portance, of which Luzon, $50 miles
long and 175 miles wide, Is the largest.
The islands, with their fantastic, tor
tuous forms, furrowed by straits,
stretch out IN every direction their
long, narrow pennsu,as and capes.
From them a succession or islands leads
TO Bofneo and a chain Of small islands
TO Formosa.
From November 10 April the temper
ature, though often reaching So de-
grees, Is not oppressive aud the nights
and mornings are generally cool. Dur
ing The rainy season, which continues
from May to November, the heat is syery
oppressive and enervating a-d is un-
healthy for strangers Endemic dis
eases, are, however, rare. Cholera is
occasionally epidemic, but not more 50
than in other and cooler countries.
Ihunderstorms are frequent and dis.
astrous and tremendous damage is done
by the yaguio. q sort of cyclone which
sweeps oyer the country. from the east
rotating uniformly from left TO right
aud spending itself in the China sea OF
breaking upon the Asiatic continent, as
did the one Of September B, 1874, which
swept an. enormous mass of water upon
The city Of Hong-Kong, ongulfng over
1000 people and laundering II ships.
The bay of Manila Is one of the mos
spacious and beautiful in the world
The old city of Manila, which wa.
founded by Lagaspiin 1871, is surround
ed by a crumbling wall of masonry 20,
or 800 years old. In this wall are vault.
for storage and a number of guns ART
mounted on top. Soldiers and priest
are plentiful in the narrow, darl
streets of the old city. The River Pasig
which flows into the harbor, is a riva
forhlth of our own Chicago river. Their
are many ruins in evidence of the hid
den power Of the earthquakes whicl
occasionally work great damagein th
islands. The streets Of Manila ar
lighted by kerosene, as the frequenc.
of earthquakes makes the laying of Ga
pipes impracticable.
A frequent and to the foreigne
rather.oad Sights the carabao or waite
buffalo, which is used universally bot
in the city and country as beast O
burden. 1t is on ungainly, ox-lilSe an
mall about one-third larger than ou
cattle. of dark, leaden color, wit
whiiish feet, scauty and coarse hair. 1t
head IS. carried low, with the larg,
dattened horns extending Utmost hor
zontally backward. This slow and dc
cile but powerful creature is guided D
a ring through the nose, to which j
attached q cord leading backward TO tn
driver, who is either perched upon ii
back OF upon the shafts Of the queei
looking vehicle.
In the construction Of residences r,
gard has to be taken Of shutting out tn
heat Of the suns rays and at the sam
time permitting light and ventilation
while the possibility OF earthquake
must also not be neglected. Glass viii
dows are practically unknown. I'll
upper two-thirds of the house usual
has sliding windows, six feet by thr,
or four, with two-inch square panes
placuna, fiat, transparent oystershel
which admit light but shut out the be'
of-the sun, are not easily broken an
are readily replaced. Carpets, curtain
and upholstery, 10 collect dust and ho
Dor insects, are not used. Straw ma
ting takes the place Of q mattress on Il
bed.-Chicago Evening News.
Possible Oversight.
Miss Parvenu Gust home from abroai
=There we saw Venus de Milo. 81
was very lovely. but she had no arms.