Evening star., 1901-03-28
GEOGRAPHY OF LUZON
PLACES MENTIONED ~ CONNECTION
WITH THE CAPTURE.
Description Of Cities, Rivers and
Mountains In the Northern Part
Of the IsIand.

The following places are mentioned in
connection with the capture Of Aguinaldo:
Baler is the capital OF Principe province,
north Luzon. on the. Pacific coast. at the
foot Of the Sierra Madre or Coast range.
seven miles up the Baler river. an impor-
tant stream formed q few miles above by
the junction of four branches and empty
ing into Baier bay.
The proximity Of the lofty Sierra Madre
to the coast not only renders access to the
interior extremely difficult, but practically
isolates this province from Isabella on the
north and Nueva Ecija on the west and
south.
Intercourse with Manila in the ordinary
avenues of travel and trade is by tramp
steamers and native coasters. Land travel
to the west provinces of the island Is ac-
complished by horse or hammock carriage
over the mountains. which here attain an
altitude of from 5000 to 5000 feet, to Bon
gabOn, distance of thirty miles west by
southwest, on the bank Of the Rio Grande
de la Pampanga, and on the main highway
and telegraph military route between
CaraballO Sur the north and south
through San Isidro and Bulucan to Manila,
q further distance of seventy miles. The
population of Baler is 1,911.
Casiguran.
Casiguran Is town near the north
boundary between Principe and Isabella
provinces. north Luzon. at the mouth Of
river entering the head of a narrow bay
seventeen miles long, and at the foot of
some of the loftIest elevations of the ST.
ezra Madres. the crest of which, twelve
miles inland. forms the boundary between
Principe and Neeya Vizcaya provinces,
north Luzon
1t is forty-two miles northeast Of Baler.
By trail twenty-eight miles In westerly
direction the head waters Of the Rio
Grande de Cagayan can be reached. This
magnificent stream. taking q northerly
course. passes entirely across the prov
inces of Nueva Vizcaya, Isabella and Caga.
yam. and empties into the Pacific ocean on
the north coast.
The Sierra Madre.
The Sierra Madre mountains are the main
range of mountains on the east coast OF
north Luzon. They begin In Morong and
Laguna provinces. in the peninsula jutting
into Laguna de Bay, and, trending north.
form the west boundary of Infanta and
Principe provinces.
At the north boundary of the latter prov
ince the range receives the name of Grande
Cordfllera Oriental, and coming down to
the coast continues it's course until 1t dis
appears beneath the waters of the Pacific
ocean at Escarpada promontory. at the
extreme northeast corner of Luzon.
The Two Palanans.
Palanan is an important Pacific coast
town in Catalanganes district. province OF
Isabella north Luzon, situated at the head
of tortuous stream erptytng into spa
cious bay of the same name. A mountain
trail takes a westerly direction over the
mountains Of the Grande Cordillera Orient
al or East Coast range. striking the head
waters of the Rio Masagan at a distance
of twelve miles. This stream is a tribli-
tary of the Pnacanan, which joins the
main current Of the Rio Grande Cagayan
at uagan, the capital Of Isabella province,
north Luzon. Palanan is the only town
except Casignan of any size on the Pa
cific coast of LuzOn between Baler and
Cape Engano. the light house station i'm
mediately of the northernmost coast CT
Luzon.. It is, therefore. the seaport fer
the coast trade in the products Of this
region. In a direct line Talagan is thirty
six miles west by north from the coast at
Palanan. -s- -
Another town of the same name Is a
hamlet in hte southeast corner of Isabella
province on the east oast of north LuZon
and on the south shore OF Dilasac bay.
fifty eight miles south-southeast Of uagan
and fifteen miles northeast by north of
Casigunan. 1t has small trade with the
settlements in the fastnesses of the con-
Meeting spurs between the Sierra Madre
and Grand Cordilera Oriental. A noun
tain trail through the def1les of the Coast
Sierra, a distance of fourteen and One-half
miles west. makes the headwaters of the
east branch of the central or main stream
of the Rio De Cagayan. In their north.
west and south course toward Ilacan both
the trail and the river, which Is navigable
for boats, takes in a number of towns
and hamlets and considerable agricui-
tural population.
The Rio Grande.
The Rio Grande de Cayagan Is the great
river of Luzon. The main stream, fourteen
miles southeast of Abulug, continued in the
eastern of the three great mountain tribu-
taries bearing the name, and the longest
rises in the Baler group of the Sierra Ma
Dire in Principe province. North Luzon,
Lat. Is degrees 40 minutes, and after an
almost due north course empties into the
China at about lat. IS degrees p min
utes north. after passing through the
provinces of Principe, Vizcaya, Isabella
and Cagayan, North Luzon. With it's great
and sQaller tributaries it receives the
drainage of the western watershed of the
Sierra Madre and Grand Cordillera Orien-
tai on the east. and the eastern slopes of
the Grand Cordillera Central on the west
The valley as 1t approaches the Pacific
ocean toward the north is seventy miles
wide, and may be said to be one Of the
finest in the world.
The river. which is zoo miles long, after
the first twenty-five miles OF its course
broadens into a majestic current half a
mile wide, where 1t crosses into -Vizcaya
province at about latitude 16 degrees
north, which width it maintains until 1t
receives the volume of the Magat. about
eighty miles seaward. Here it widens to
three-quarters of a mile. After receiving
the Rio Chico at Nagsiping it further
broadens for the remaining thirty miles of
it's course. 1t Is from one to two miles
wide at its mouth. The lower portion is
filled with many small islands. Its mouth
opens into a broad bay on the northwest
point Of which is light house, one of the
four on the north coast of Luzon.
IIagan.
Ilagan, the provincial capital of Isabella,
Is situated on the right bank of the Rio
Grande. and Tuguegarao the capital of
Cagayan, Is four miles east OF 1t, while
fifteen towns of Importance are also on it's
shores The east bank of the Rio Grande,
from Aparri, at its mouth is paralleled by
a fine highway and telegraph line as far
as Ilagan thence pursuing the west bank
for distance of tweAty miles they take a
sc scuthwesterly course to Bagabag on the
Margat. tributary thereto. and thence
south to San Isidro the capital Of Nueva
Ecija. and from there to Manila
The river has good anchorage in eleven
fathoms, one and half miles north north
east from its mouth The point on the
east side is known by the church and con-
Tln Of ri h,fIt ff