The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-07-26
MAPS OF THE PHILIPPINES.
A BETTER DelIneasion or Our Possessions
I'm the Orient Very Much Needed.

L
| I'm the Orient Very Much Needed.
The United States is pushing it's schools,
commerce and every other agent Of develop
ment into all parts of the Philippines. To
carry on this work intelligently and to give
| the people at home correct idea OF what
| Is being done, nothing ia more needed than
good maps Of the islands.
Biologists tell us that they cannot accu-
rately show the position of the geologic
features of a country ill good topographic
map has been prepared on which to place
the geologic data. 1t Is not easy TO give
an intelligent idea Of the various kinds OF
work we are carrying on in the Philippines
If we have only poor and misleading maps.
The best maps of the Philippine Islands
now available are contained in the Atlas
de Filipinas," prepared undsr the direction
Of Father Algue, director of the Manila
Observatory in 1899, and issued at Wash
ington in 1900 Father Algue is very COM
petent man. Inadequate as the atlas is, 1t
reflects much credit upon it's compiler
because. though Father Alguh is' not a
photographer. and did not have at hand
the special facts required to make his atlas
a product of high excellence, il is the best
photographic representation we have of
the Philippines and therefore ia useful,
but q few words with reference to some
Of its shortcomings will show how inferior
it is as n safe guide to the islands,
II it is desirable in our reading or writ
ing, for example, to know the exact boun-
da ries of the provinces OF departments into
which our Government has divided the
Philippines we shall find that the boundaries
given in Map do not agree with the bounda-
rics of the same departments in the special
maps.
If we desire enlightenment with regard
to the tribes living in the islands we shall
find, according to Prof F, Bumentritt,
the German, who has made special study
of the Philippines that the photographic
information in Map is misleading For
instance, the areas occupied by many
tribes are too large or too small as shown
on the map; at least twenty-nine tribes of
Importance are not shown at ALL the Buriks
are represented al one OF the tribes. though
according to the explorer Meyers, the word
Burik means only particular kind Of
tattooing and certain tribes are represented
az living In one island when their home is
really in another, az, for example, the ALA
banes, who inhsbit not the island of Panay,
but the interior of Luzou.
Map shows in various shades of red
the activity of earthquakes in different
parts OF the archipelago; but the Sulu
archipelago, the large island Of Palawan
and other large areas are left white. which
indicates that the compiler OF the map did
not have sufficiently definite information
to warrant him in attempting to give any
idea of the frequency Of earthquake shocks
In those regions
In the special maps it may be observed,
for example. that it is impossible TO get
from map any clear idea of the mountain
systems of northern Luzon. or even of the
extent of the basin OF the Rio Grande de
Cagayan. The map OF northern Luzon is
nothing more than sketch.
We read recently of the fine climatic
conditions of the Benguet province which