The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1898-06-16
THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.
Among the Richest of SPANS 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
o., 1922, Magellan was killed by "A ma
tive of Mactan, one of the smaller
islands. His ship, the Victoria, which
made the rirst 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
ali 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 misgoyerned and large
portions of their territory have never
been more than nominaily under the
control of Spain.
Class feeling runs very high. The
Philippine Spanish are considered not
cutie 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 every body
joins in a most cordial hate of the FOR
eigner.
Owing TO the CONFORMATION of the
land-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-
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 to south and 700 miles from cas- 4,
to west. There are only 40 of any i'm
Portauce, of which Luzon, $50 mics
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 peninSu,as and capes.
From them a succession of islands leads
to Borneo and chain of small islands
to Formosa.
From November to April the temper
allure, though often reaching 50 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 eneryating and is I'M
healthy for strangers. Endemic dis
eases, are, 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
end 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 IIongKong, engulfng over
LOCO people and laundering IA 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 Laguspi in 1871, is surround
ed by a crumbling wall of masonry 200
or 800 years old. In this wall are vaults
for storage and a 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 a rival
for filth of our own 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.
y 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 GG unganly, ox-like ami
NAL. about one-third larger than our
cattle, of dark, leaden color, with
whitlsh feet, scanty and coarse hair. Its
head is carried low, with the large.
tiattened horns extending almost hori-
Zontally backward. This slow and do
ellie but powerful creature is guided bv
ring through the nose, to which IS
attached cord leading backward to the
driver, who is either perched upon it's
back or upon the shafts of the queer
looking vehicle.
In the construction of residences re-
gard has to 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 of the house usually
has sliding windows, six feet by three
or four, with two-inch square panes of
placuna, fiat, transparent oyster shell.
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 COIOred Alligator,
An alligator IL feet long was lately
captured in a lagoon below Yuma. Ariz-
The SauriaD waS ronpd nouho,, .t..1u