Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1898-07-21
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Among the Richest of spain's Colonial
Possessions The People
and Country.

The Philippines were the last discov-
cry of Magellan and have ever since
been claimed by Spain. This discovery
was made March 81, 1921, and on April
%, 1922, Magellan was killed by a na-
tive of Mactan, one of the smaller
islands. His ship, the Victoria, which
made the first voyage around the world,
was taken back to Spain by Sebastian
Cano, who succeeded in command.
The islands are of volcanic forma-
ton, many of them being simply bare
rocks polished by 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
" always been misgoverned and large
portions of their territory have never
been more than nominally under the
contsol 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
other races, all the other races hate
them and each other, and everybody
joins in a most cordial hate of the for
eigner.
Owing TO the configuration of the
lGnd-open toward the China sea and
practically land-locked toward the Pa
cific-the tides run TO excessive heights.
Sometimes two tides running in oppo-
cite directions hurl themselves against
each other and the noise OF the shock
can be heard for n 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 a range of 1850 miles from
north to south and 700 miles from east
to west. There are only 10 of any i'm
portance, of which Luzon, $50 miles
long and IT'S miles wide, is the largest.
The islands, with their fantastic, tor
tuous forms, furrowed by straits,
stretch out in every direction their
long, narrow peninsulas and capes.
From them a succession of islands leads
to Borneo and chain of small islands
to Formosa.
From November 20 April the temper
ature, though often reaching So de-
grees, is not oppressive and the nights
and mornings are generally cool Dur
ing the rainy season, which continues
from May to November, the heat is very
oppressive and enervating and is ua-
healthy for strangers. Endemic dis
eases, axe, however, rare. Cholera is
occasionally epidemic, but not more so
than in other and cooler countries.
Thunderstorms are frequent and dis
astrous and tremendous damage is done
by the vaguio, a sort of cyclone which
sweeps over the country from the east,
rotating uniformly from left to right
and spending itself in the China sea or
breaking upon the Asiatic continent, as
did the one of September 3, 1874, which
swept an enormous mass OF water upon
the city of Hong-Kong, engulfing over
1000 people and laundering ii ships.
The bay of Manila is one of the most
spacious and beautiful in the world.
The old city of Manila. which was
founded by Lagaspi in 1871, is surround
ed by crumbling wall of masonry 200
or 300 years old. In this wall are vaults
for storage and number of guns are
mounted on top. Soldiers and priests
are Plentiful in the narrow, dark
streets of the old city. The River Pasig,
which flows into the harbor, is rival
for filth of our own'C Chicago river. There
are many ruins in evidence of the hid
den power of the earthquakes which
occasionally work great damage in the
Islands. The streets of Manila are
lighted by kerosene, as the frequency
of earthquakes makes the laying of gas
pipes impracticable.
\ frequent and TO the foreigner
rather odd sight IS the carabao or water
buffalo, which is used universally both
in the city and country as a beast of
burden. 1t is Gn ungainly, ox-like ami
NAL, about one-third larger than our
cattle, Of dark, leaden color, with
whitish feet, scanty and coarse hair. Its
head is carried low, with the large,
flattened horns extending almost hori-
zontally backward. This slow and do
cile but powerful creature is guided by
ring through the nose, to which is
attached a cord leading backward TO the
driver, who is either perched upon its
back or upon the shafts of the queer
looking vehicle.
In the construction of residences re-
gard has 10 be taken OF shutting out the
heat of the suns rays and at the same
time permitting light and ventilation,
while the possibility of earthquakes
must also not be neglected. Glass win
dows are practically unknown. The
upper two-thirds cf the house usually
has Siding windows, six feet by three
or four. with two-inch square panes of
placuna, fiat, transparent oyster she'll.
which admit light but shut out the heat
of the sun, are not easily broken and
are readily replaced. Carpets, curtains
and upholstery, to collect dust and hor-
Dor insects, are not used. Straw mat
ting takes the place of mattress on the
bed.-Chicago Evening News.
A Siamesc Cremation.
The utmost magnificance character |
lied the cremation of the late Phra |
Charoew Rajathon the other evening.
y couple of shadow plays and a ma