Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1900-04-28
THE ISLANDS
OF THE SEA.
AN INTERESTING DE
SCRIPTION.
The Spanish and the Natives.
A Word about Uncle
Sans Troubles.

4 NAerhLLkJob, y. marCh IL, l9OO.
After having gone ever considerable
portions Of the islands and studied the
people and it's chsrscteristics 1 think
can give our readers . very fair idea OF
the same.
The Philippines belong to the MALAY
Peninsuts, forming the northern Dor.
tion They are composed of fourteen
hundred islands, large and small. Lu
xon 10 the largest, the principal, the
most northern and the home of the in.
surrection. 1t ia divided into several
provinces, Manila being the most pop
ulsr, in which the city of Manila, the
capital and principal city is located
The population of the group ia 8 900
geo: Luzon, 1,22s, 600 and Manila city
| Each province, or nearly each, ha,
its own tribe asd tongue. Manila and
Oavite provinces are the homes of the
Tagaio, and the two in which the i'm
surrection was strongest and hardest
to break. But il gradually spread un
til nearly all Provinces, except the
most northern, the home Of the Igor.
rote or mountain tribe.
TIE OTHER ISLANDS. :
The other large islands are Ponay
Negroes, Lomsr, Ley te and others. The
Filipinos trace their ancestry back co
Negroes, who were originally found
here b. Spanish explorer 400 years
ago, but they were continually knock.
ed around and slaughtered by Chinese
| until now they are almost extinct. A
few years later the Chinese, who had
4 Hooked IN great plumbers uprose and
slaughtered hundreds of FiIipinos, /,
being sometime before the Spaniards
succeeding in corraling the ring-lead
ers. Peace was finally restored, bu,
sometime later, the FiIipinos in state
et resentment and revenge, killed sew
eral chinese, which was the last trou-
BILE prior to the frat insurrection,
The Spsoisrds continued to Cypress
| the people and Co cap chs climax, on
December Bed, 1897, Du Rezal, q prom
inent young Filipino, educsted at
Siudleburg, was hung for his denun-
citation OF the conduct of the church
affairs by the Frisrs, who, is Ia said
forgot their holy calling long enough
to 1ubilate as the trap was spruHg
This so enraged the natives that the
people Immediately began to prepare
for an uprising under the leadership OF
Aguioaldo and Nadine. Things went
on until 'e8, VIII n she Spanish-Amer
ican War broke out in Cuba.
| The insurrection bEvke out anew and
the Spsnisrds lost several important
interior towns. The co-operatIon with
the Americans OF the Insurgents from
July TO Sc ptember, 'e8, is alre adv well
known to our readers.
WELL EDUCATED NATIVES.
Surely, the islanders on the average
are far more advanced than our mass.
es think. In addition to their own
tongue most OF the natives speak
Spanish and have q good Spanish edu-
cation They are experts in etiquette
have noe social organizations aud are
always very civil entertaining TO Wis
ltore. The Roman Catholic Is the on
Nv religion and the natives are very at.
tentive TO their religious du,ies. Eve
ry town, CT y or village has it's plazs
and church.
| Owing TO the fact that the soldiers
are continually thrown in contact with
the natives during their religious wor-
ship the chances for close observation
are extraordinary.
! In newly occupied towns where
troops are quarsered they eccu-
| pY the church and every upday it il
turned over 20 the natives for relig-
ious worship The Friars control the
church and some of the schools. The
natives support the church with al
their earthly horde, if they deem it
necessary, which understand is quite
| often the case. The churches are gen
orally very beautiful ed fices with nc
benches or sears whatever: everybod y
kneels and rises according to a bel
which regulates the movement of the
| services.
I BANDS IN CHuRcuEs
Instrumental bands discourse music
throughout the ceremony. EducaLion
| is progressing more under American
rule than formerly, according 20 those
most interested and have had exps
rience with both. schools have bssn
established all over the city and the
course Of instr uction is very broad
| containing all that makes up an ide al
English education Under the Spsu
ish regime the schools we're controlled
by the Friars as stated above, and @
few institutions of higher learning
among which is the Manila Nautical
school, still continued by Americans.
There are several prominent natives
who were educated at leading European
institutions of learning and who de-
vote their time to educ ating their peo-
pie. The Filipinos as above stated
| are composed OF several prevInces
each being it's separate tribe.
AN INDUSTRIOUS PEOPLE.
As rule they are industrious, but
In great many respects they resemble
our Indians. For instances, the men
are inclined To look at the women
| while they perfo I'M the manual labor,
but one good thing, he will assist in
the care of the pickAninny (baby) aud
help TO bring in the rice. Another, his
greatest fault is that he will listen to
any talk You may tell him, that is the
poor classes. Their present sympath y
with the insurrection is the result OF
confidence placed in the wealthy class,
their superiors.
AS business man he is very shrewd
and seldom comes out at the small
I end OF the horn. The commerce of the
island, although very large, has room
for much developments which will
1 eventual y come. he principal arti-
cles OF export are hemp, sugar, indigo,
cocoa and fruit and host of Others
too numerous to mentor. Riee :