The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1902-09-02
BOOK FOUND
Written In the Philippines In
the Fifteenth Century.
ISLANDS ACCURATELY DESCRIBED

Rare Volume Now Owned by Will
liam Spencer OF Terrell, Tex, who
Discovered It In an old Cathedral
Near vigan - In bound I'm Strong
Red Linen Cloth.
William Spencer of Terrell, Tex, has
recently returned from the Philip
pines, where he was connected with
the army, says a special dispatch from
Fort Worth, Tex, to the st. Louis
Globe Democrat. While stationed at
Vigan he went into an ola cathedral,
which was formerly the show place Of
the province, and there he found a
book, which he brought home with
him, and it has proved to be one of
great value. An Introductory note
shows that it was prepared, SO far as
the descriptive portions go, by Fran
cisco Xavier, a famous Spanish Jesuit
missionary, who was born at the cas-
tie of Xaviero, Navarro, April Z, 1906,
and died on the island of Sancain Dec.
2, 1862. He was known as the ...apos-
tie of the Indies" His letters were
edited in 1895.
The book was translated into Eng
lish by William Parties, printer and
photographer, 9, 3 and 6 Santa Ana
square. 1t is a small book Of $50 pages,
crude in it's printing and binding, but
the paper and show careful
work. On the first page appears the
following: 1.-The geographical part of
this handbook is an authorized trans
lation of the 'Compendio de Geografa
de las Islas Filipinas,' by e. Francis
co x. Baranera, s. j." OF the inhabit-
ants the book tells: "The aboriginal in
of the Philippine Islands are
of a race called Negritos by the Sparr
iards and Aetas by the civilized ma
They are still to be found in the
interior of the islands, though in. daily.
numbers. They are Of
very small stature, of a very black col
or and have curly black hair. AL. eff
forts to civilize them have been in
He gives the first discovery of
the islands to a European, Magellan,
March, 1921, who arrived that month
1T Butuan, Mindanao.
The compiler has added notes show
ing the date of the appointment of the
first Spanish governor, Miguel Bopez
lie Legaspi, during the reign of Philip
II. in 1865; how Gomez Desmarinas
QUILT the walls of Manila in 1880 and
the thorough establishment Of the
church rule in the provinces. The Chi
fnsurrection in 1916, the volcanic
in 1641, the terrible earth
quake in 1915 and the work of the Chi
lese flibusters and the English inyad-
RS in 1862. The chapters devoted to
geography and to a descrip-
ion of the provinces are written with
detail that is remarkable to be con-
ined to such d limited work.
Mr.. Spencer spent some time in the
Stands after closely reading this book,
nd he says the descriptions are really
than anything he has read in
ny geography. history, atlas or epcy-
lopedia published. The book is bound
u strong red linen cloth and bears an
IMPRINT of a cocoanut tree, two native
luts and a pelican. The effect t o>pro-
luce these in gilt shows the crude
Methods employed in the print and
'ook shops of Manila. On his return
o America Mr.. Spencer was impor-
uned by a San Francisco publisher to
How him to have the book for repro
Iuction, but the request was refused.
his stay in the islands he says
e never heard of another copy of the
ook, and this leads to the belief that
is q rare publication.