The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-05-06

~..vr,whted, 1900, by Frank @. Carpenter.
Zamboanga, March 49, $50.
- locks ike leg OF mutton with a fat
shank, a well-trimmed stem and the
hone sticking out like a handle, and
n Il, in fact, the richest and juiciest
niece OF meat in Uncle Sans Philip
rtns iarder.
y ,efsr TO the island of Mindanao. am
:, zamboanga Just on the tip OF the little
"a ~ the bone but have gone about the
CASTS and from what / have heard and
s.en can tell you something about It. I
,snnot tell you much. for but little is
s,ovn The greater part OF the ISLAND has
rot been explored. and 1t has many regions
-h,ch have never been trod by the foot OF
~hiss man. The Spaniards had their set
dement's only close to the coast, and their
-, with the Moros were such that they
"A not dare to go among the more savage
,,,bes cf the Interior The only men. in
~, who have been inland are the Jesuit
,,.sionaries They have made maps of the
n,and and II is from their notes that my
- information comes. These maps have
s.en sent through Gen. Bates to Washing
81 and congress will have an opportunity
10 publish them
have learned enough, however to make
me believe that Mindanao is the riches
nd best OF all our possessions in the far
rsst II has the advantage of belonging
almost altogether to the government, and
an be opened up just as Uncle Sam
s,eases II will be one OF the subjects OF
congressional legislation when the war
ends and II will for years have an i'm
rcrtant place IN the news from this part
d the world
Before describe It's resources ami peo-
he would like to show you just where It
4 II IL very far out of the world, and Is
~ ha of
an possessions. Here at Zamboanga I
IN as far south from Manila in a sliy .ght
Inc as New York city Is distant from
nttsburg. and as far away from Apart.
It the northern end OF Luzon, as the as
lance between the Great Lakes and the
Gulf OF Mexico The whole OF Mindanao
more than 500 miles nearer the equator
than the isthmus of Panama, and Fam
boansa is little more than 300 miles from
ont so-called hottest line OF the globe.
stiI. Mndanao has not a bad climate
Everywhere the troops are stationed on
he island the surgeons tell me that the
conditions are remarkably comfortable.
There II little or no sickness among the
soldiers, and. considering that we arc in
the tropics. remarkably little among the
natives Here at Zamboanga, on the coast,
! % not find II more hot than Washington
dty IN June. and In the mountainous reg
pH IN the interior the air should be bet
Ter
The Island OF Mindanan is about as big
rs the state OF Ohio. Ii may be "A few
quafe miles more or less. but no one will
knos until our geological survey profess
sofs have been over the ground. II is
more than 800 miles from here to Matt, on
he east coast. where we have Just sta
toned company of the Thirty-first reg
ment, and about 800 miles from north to
puth. where the island is widest As
w will see from the map, Mindanao has
a. enormous coast line. Its shores in
PAGES run In and out like the teeth of a
Nv II has numerous bays and many
rod harbors. 1t is. with the exception of
10 northeastern portion, outside of the
'sion OF typhoons and In that of equa-
|, nna currents, and although the rainfall
heavy II IL said TO have a better cli-
asse than Luzon. The topography of the
&and Il rolling. Three separate volcanic
anses cross It from north TO south, the
sshe range being the highest. and cul-
%natng In Mount Apo, near the gulf of
Asso The top OF Mount Apo ia more
aan two miles above the sea. Its peak
- Be seen by our troops Mt the town of
lssao. II is an active volcano, with va
~ and fire coming from it's southern side
~ most OF this mountain Is wooded. only
~ summit being bare. The other noun
ana Of the island are covered with a rich
irwin OF timber. trees 800 feet high and
'eh!y Feet thick being here and there