Evening star., 1901-10-11
FACTS ABOUT SAMAR ISLAND
SCENE OF RECENT ATTACK ON 9TH
INFANTRY.
Hostility of the Natives-Rich Forests
Variety of Products-Large
Shipments of Hemp.

Shipments Of Hemp.
From official material compiled in the di-
vision OF insular affairs of the War Depart
ment the following abstract has been pre-
pared concerning the Island of Samar:
This island lies along the Pacific line of
treaty boundary. with its north shore
thirty-four miles south of the center Of
latitude of the archipelago. 1t is the
northeastern and largest of the islands of
the Visayan group. The Pacific ocean ex-
tends along the north and east. Across an
arm of the same on the south, at distance
of thirty-five miles. lies Dinagat, the most
northern island of Mindanao. The Bay of
San Pedro and San Pablo and the Strait of
San Juanico pass between it and Leyte on
the southwest The Sea of Samar, on the
west separates 1t from the Island of Bill
ran and the province Of Masbate.
With respect to the trade of the northern
Pacific Samar is probably the most advan-
taseously sitauted2of the Philippine Islands.
The Strait of San Bernardino divides it's
northwestern point from the southeastern
extreme of Luzon. This well-lighted chan
mel is the thoroughfare of steam commerce
between the United States and the islands
of the Pacific by the southern route to Ma
Mia
A steamer taking it's course eastward
o
Samar, within sight of the eastern San
Bernardino strait light, would pass 300
nauttcaD miles north of the Pellew
Islands, fifty miles south of Guam Omitted
States), $50 miles north of the Carolines
Jamestown harbor), the same distance
north of the Marshall Islands Bonham),
LOO miles north of Tutuila( United States),
$50 miles south of Hawaii and make the
land near Corrinto, at the Pacific outlet of
the Nicaragua fnteroceanic canal.
Third Island in Size.
Samar is the third island in size in the
archipelago, being 156 miles from north
west to southeast, and seventy-five miles
from east to west, with an area of main
land 519s and dependent islands 200
square miles. or total of 5,4SS square
miles. 1t is 49S square miles larger than
Connecticut twice the size of Delaware
and over four and a half times as large as
Rhode Island
the southeastern peninsula of Luzon, be-
ing separated from 1t by the Strait of San
Bernardino, but ten and one-half miles
wide. A mountain chain of moderate
height, scarcely exceeding LOO to 800
feet, trends from north to south, with lower
hills toward the coast. The extensive val
ieyS between these ranges are watered by
a number of rivers, among them the Oras,
Suribao and Ulut, emptying on the east;
the Laguan, Bato and Timonini, on tho
north: the Baqui on the south, and Silan-
go, Matinao. Bac-hao Bangahon, Pagsan-
han and Mauo, on the west. There are
also four large lakes, one of which, Calib-
ga, is natural curiosity on account of
the enormous boulders which line its
shores.
The Strait of San Juanico, which divides
the island from Leyte on the southwest,
from 500 to 1.500 yards wide, is one of the
most interesting features of the Visayan
scenery. In the caves along the Samar
shore in prehistoric days were buried the
remains of human beings of much superior
stature to those now living. Another Gu
riosity of nature is an arch of limestone
rock, forty feet high, over the Basig river,
in the south. cave nearby, known
"Cuaves de Sojoton," presents some fine
specimens of stalactites.
The coast line, about 412 miles, has a
number of fine bays and harbors. Those of
Balicuatro, on the north; Borongan, on
the east; Canahauan, on the west. and
Guiuan, the SOUTH offer safe refuge for
vessels during the stormy weather of the
monSoons. Pambujan, on the east coast,
is one of the best bays in the archipelago.
In the San Bernardino Strait, the southern
route around the Island of Luzon to Ma
Mia, are three lighthouses for the convsn-
ience of commerce. There are few roads
in the island owing to the convenience of
intercourse with the interior by means Of
rivers and along the coasts under protec-
ton Of off-lying islands.
The Population.
In population samar has 1885, registered
lH1dpildUtS dpoul lO,ooo HdliNS Iclu-
gees living in the mountains away from
local authority.
The inhabitants are wholly of visayan
stock, there being no material infusion OF
other blood Although in numbers not SO
large on the neighboring islands, these
people have always held themselves well in
hand against the entertainments of
Spain. OF the two dominant races in the
Philippine Islands the visayans number
almost two to one. They occupy the is
lands which bear their name and have
shown themselves a higher type than their
rival, the Tagalog, being a colonizing race,
less given to politics and more to industry.
They also show strongly the characters
tics of their Malay origin. From the earli
est occupation Of these islands they have
kept themselves in touch with their pro-
genitors of the isles of Oceanica by means
of expeditions in pursuit of plunder or
peaceful traffic.
There are thirty-two towns and upward
of 300 villages.
Catbalogan, the capital open to coasting
trade and a military station, has a large
trade with Manila in hemp, sugar, rice ard
cocoanut oil 1t has a population of 6.972.
A peak 1,4S3 feet high rises to the south
west, forming a conspicuous landmark for
navigators,
Scene of Recent Attack.
Balangiga the scene of the recent attack
upon detachment of Company C, 9th
United States Infantry, is situated about
the center of the south coast on blight to
the east Of San Pedro and San Pablo bay,
at the mouth of Puray river, ffty-five
miles southeast by south of Catholicism
The country inland is extremely rugged and
traversed by numerous streams, the Catiao
and Hfptolos rivers entering the Pacific
ocean on the east and the Taguiti and
Lauaan on the west. Within radius of
nineteen miles are the towns of Salceda
and Quinapundan, besides a number of VII
lagos, mainly on the coast. Within the
same limits are no less than twenty-sfx
mapped mountain SUBMITS, of which ten
are craters Of extinct volcanoes, and, be-
sides the rivers named are the headwaters
of the Lanaug, TonQuip and Naubay which
empty into the Pacific ocean on the oppo-
site side of the island toward the north
west.
The town is twelve miles east of Capines
Point, the east head of San Pedro bay;
twenty-eight miles east of the entrance to
San Juanico strait. fifty miles southeast of
Catbalogan, the capital of Samar, and but
thirty miles east of Tacloban, the capital
OF Leyte.