Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1898-05-12
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

B. o. June of Karns City Sc.
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
The Philippine Islands are an archi-
pelago southeast of Asia. They extend
almost due north and south from For
mosa to Borneo and they separate the
South China Sea from the Pacific Ocean.
The number of islands in the Philip
oines is variously estimated from 1,2O0
o1.4OO, and it was not until the last
Jew years that some of the larger islands
were explored sufficiently to enable
their area to be accurately computed
According to Domains map QSo2) the
area of the islands was 1896 square
miles. The two largest islands are
Luzon (area, 40,023) and Mindanao
Their aggregate area is 50, $50 square
miles.
The Islands were discovered by Ma
gellan in 1921. and Manila the capital,
was founded by Legaspi in 1911, and
since that time they have been under
the dominion of Spain. Their conquest
and retention was in marked contrast
to the usual Spanish methods of dealing
with conquered people, methods OF
which Cortez and Pizarro are the chief
exponents Legaspi with six Augustln-
ians and a handful of soldiers accom-
plished the wonderful work of conquest.
Without greed for gold and without
any exhibition of cruelty or persecution,
these devoted men labored among the
docile people until they won their con-
fidence, so that the islands were seized
with little bloodshed and no massacre
or depopulation. The name "Islas
Filipasp was given by Legaspi in 1851
Contests with frontier rebelllCus tribes.
attacks by pirates, earthquakes and
typhoons serve to break up the mono
tony of an otherwise uneventful history
Manila was captured by the English
under Draper and Cornish in 1862, and
ransoned for So, OOc, 600, but was restor
ed in 1854. The present instructions
in the islands were put down with an
iron hand and many atrocities were
committed, so that it Is little wonder
that many of the inhabitants look upon
the arrival of the Americans as de-
liverance
While none of the islands have very
high mountains (the highest, Apo. in
Mindanao, being over 5000 feet, still
all the islands may be described in gen
eral as mountainous and hilly Vol
canic forces have had a large share in |
shaping the archipelago, but few of the |
peaks are now volcanic. In 1914 ter |
rible eruption destroyed 12 900 people /
at Camalig, Budiao, Albay, Guinobatan
and Daraga In 1867 the same district
was visited with another eruption. Inc
Philippines are also notorious Tor terri |
bic typhoons In 1876 one OF the storms
hurst over Luzon, pouring down the
sides of the mountain Mayon, bringing
destruction to number of cities, com
pletely running 5000 houses. Typhoons
on the coast are also common The
third great evil to which the islands are
treated are the earthquakes, which visit
them so frequently that they affect the
style adopted in the erection of build
ings. The most violent earthquake oc-
Cured in 1880, destroying an immense
amount of property, including the
cathedral.
The Philippine Islands are peculiar in
having three seasons-a cold, hot and
wet The first extends from Novem-
Des-to February or March. The winds
are northerly and woolen clothing and
fire are desirable, the sky is clear and
the air bracing, and Europeans IN this
strange cline consider it the pleasantest
time of the year. The hot season lasts
from March to June and the heat be-
comes oppressive and thunderstorms OF
terrific violence are frequent. During
July, August, September and October.
the rain comes down in torrents and
large tracts of the lower country are
flooded The population of tie Philip
pines is 100000, the capital, Manila, /
having 154, 062 inhabitants. There is
small Spanish resident population and
about 100, 900 Chinese, in whose hands
are the principal industries. The native
inhabitants are mostly of the Malayan
race The government is administered
by vernor-general and captain
general and the forty-three provinces
are ruled by governors, alcades or COM
mandants, according to their import
ance or position. The estimated reve-
nue. of the islands in 189495 was $13.-
100000 and the expenditure $13, 200, 900.
There is an export duty on tobacco and
nearly every article imported is taxed.
The chief products are sugar. hemp,
coffee and indigo, and there are large
coal fields which are now being opened,
so that it is expected that 5000 tons of
coal per month may be mined. The
imports in 1886 were about $4,000
and the exports $40, 500, 900. There are
20 miles of railway on the islands and
720 miles of telegraph.
Manila lies on the western side of the
island of Luzon and is about 600 miles
from Hong Kong. 1t has one OF the
most spacious and beautiful harbors in
the world The shores are low and in
land can be seen the outline of noun
tains The city of Manila resembles a
dilapidated fortress surrounded by stone
walls 300 years old. There is also a
wide, shallow moat. The gates are
never closed and it is doubtful if the
city could make any defense. There is
also an old fort Several creeks branch
off from the landlocked bay and afford
q means of communication with the
suburbs. These creeks are crossed by
innumerable bridges, and canoes thread
their way through these narrow water
ways, which somewhat resemble
tropical Venice Around the walls and
the edge of the bay is fashionable
drive lined with almond trees. 1t is
here that the well-to-do inhabitants
walk. drive and meet their friends. OF
nearly 100000 people in the province
there are not more than 1000 Spaniards.
One of, the most curious sights to the
traveller who comes from China are the
large two wheel drays drawn by So
called water buffaloes. They are guild
ed by ring through their nose TO
which is attached cord leading back
to the driver, who either mounts on his
back or rides on the shafts. The weight
of the load is borne on the neck by
means of yoke. The beasts are docile
and their chief delight seems to be to
wallow in the mud and to submerge
themselves so that only the nose is out
of the water The water buffalo is par
ticularly valuable to the inhabitants as
beast of burden. as it can drag plow
and can walk while knee deep In mud.
The milk of the female is very general
ly used instead of cows milk, but its
meat is unfit for food.
In the two best streets of Manila
there are excellent stores in which goods
of all kinds can be purchased at lnoder-
ate prices, many of the merchants being
Chinese. The churches must have been