Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-12
PANAY AND ILOILO

runs its course in a few hours and
usually terminates with black vomit
and death.
With white women and children the
climate is especially fatal and il is
doubtful If successive generations OF
American or European children could
be reared in the Philippines. Much of
the malaria that exists is due. of course
to the unsanitary condition Of the set
Elements themselves and 10 lack Of
proper drainage. Even the Spaniards
found that the filling in OF low and
swampy places resulted in diminution
OF malarial diseases ana that drainage
was good preventive OF typhoid.
To whatever nation may fall the priv
ilege Of being the first 20 exploit these
still almost unkonwn Islands the task
Will be no easy one, but 10 those per-
sons who have the courage to face the
dangers of life in our new possessions
there is bound to come Il great deal of
wealth.
One Of the seldom thought of sources
OF revenue in the Philippines and es-
pecially in Panay Is the forests These
islands produce a greater variety of
valuable woods than does any other
country in the world. Notwithstanding
this they still remain uuinvaded by the
adventurous agents Of commerce. \
limited amount of dyewooGs is now
taken from them, 1t is true, but the
more valuable woods in which they are
so wealthy are scarcely known beyond
the coast of China. Although there are
at least 30 Valuable varieties useful in
art and sciences. the inacceSsibii,y of
the Philippine forests has kept their
presence practically unknown. These
30 odd varieties run the gamut OF COL
or from the beautiful pitch black of the
ebony to the ivory shades Of the white
cedar. Many OF them are inconceivably
n n nj al . H.
ance as steel some of them even with
standing the tcredo. SO troublesome in
most Pacific coast waters.
The best known OF the Philippine
woods is Il dark brown wood called mo-
lave. Molavc has come into general use
in the islands themselves. and at Ma
Mia 1t may be seen used as railway
sleepers. as drawing room panels. as
the Keel of ship or carved as statuary
for the decoration or TIE III JTVc
churches. This wood possesses wonder
full strength and enters very extensive
ly into Ill heavier building operations.
The interior OF the Jesuit Church at
Manila is finished IN this wood, and
nowhere could be found more beauti-
fully carved work. In fact 1t seems
unfortunate that this valuable wood
should be used for mere building pur-
poses, just AS it now seems dcplorablc
to us that our forefathers should have
barn rlfters.
Another valuable wood found In this
remote quarter Of the world Is antipolo
Antipolo being both light and strong, Is
specially adapted for building purposes
and by the time our pine forests are
| exhausted may he found very acccpta-
BILE in our own country. BI:itinan Is
another valuable wood thar il both
strong and tough. besides being elastic.
II is excellent material for furniture
making ana closely resembles our own
American walnut. 1t is said to be SUI
| perior to the better known lakewood
and can be used for all the purposes to
| which teak is put.
Lanetc is still another valuable wood
and is especially priced on account of
being adapted TO the manufacture of
musical instruments. II has II beauti-
full texture and color and is suitable for
fine carving. Bansalaque or bullet
tree. Is also Il very wonderful wood. 1t
is extremely hard and can be driven
like Il nail. The natives now use ii for
making tool handles aud for tree nails
in ship building, but the uses To which
il could be put are practically unllm-
tied
In fact. the hard wood forests of our
now possessions abound in unrealized
timber wealth and offer an excellent
field for future investment.
The miaeral wealth of Panay, like
that of the other Philippine Islands. Is
still largely problemat teal 1t is be-
licvcd however. by those most capa-
Bile of judging that the actual richness
in mineral deposits of our new pos
sessions in the orient has Of late been
very much exaggerated. owing chiefly
to the reports of too entcrprising and
too imaginative newspaper correspon-
dents. WILLIAM y. RUDOLPH.