The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-04-22
LArEsT PHILIPPINE IN.

Tbsfour volumes Of the Philippine Census
have twenty maps In oolors, giving much
information that was inaccessible until re-
vealed by our scientific study Of thOislands.
A country Il fortunate when many material
faots relating 10 II may be presented 10 the
world In a form 90 convenient and easily
understood.
These maps could have been made only
after the Government and It's hundreds OF
agents who are dealing with the islanders
had learned 10 know them at least In their
chief characteristics, their types OF oiviLiza-
ton or barbarism, their habitats and re-
sources. One map, for example, shows the
distribution Of all the civilized peoples and
the wild tribes Of the Islands. We may
readily see from 1t Just about the area each
people occupies and its position.
The SpaniArds themselves, after centuries
Of occupation, had not learned the range
among the forested mountains Of the dwarf
Negritos; but our chronological survey OF
the islands and other agencies constantly
In operation In all branches Of the public
service have put an end 10 this and many
other uncertainties We have every reason
10 believe that the NegTitos are confined TO
ten or twelve large and small tracts among
the mountains Of LuEon, Panay and Negros,
and the new map shows the habitat Of each
Of these divisions Of the dwarfs- All earlier
maps attempting TO give the distribution
Of the Philippine peoples are supplanted by
this new production.
No ono ever saw a perfect census, and
maps on which census information u eI-
pressed are often only approximately COR
rect In a large area like the Philippines,
where scientific exploration has been In
progress only q few years, the liability TO
| error is Of course accumulated. But these
maps and the books they illustrate mark 30
great an advance In our knowledge OF these
| Islands and islanders that their production
L. a notable event in the history Of the ar
chipelago.
Density Of population maps ofsome other
| parts Of the Asian island world are as eK-
oellent az the similar map in this series; but
some kinds Of information are now mapped
In those waters for the first time, as, for ex-
ample, the density Of population by sexes,
the percentage Of illiteracy among the male
adults, the distribution Of death rates In
proportion 10 population, and the areas In
vaded by cholera In the epidemic Of 1923.
A map often lmpresses facts more wildly
than the reading Of many books. The
forestry map shows at a glance that forest
vastly predominates, some Of the islands
being wooded from center to sea edge. We
do not wonder that TAI varieties Of timber
we're brought to market at Manila in year
A series Of sheets shows the distribution Of
the great crops, a. manila hemp, most i'm,
portant In southeast Luzon and the south
ern half Of the islands; the predomlnatinG
tobacco interest in northeast Luzon, while
In the south Cebu produces the most leaf
Mlndanao leading in copra production
while the nee areas are largest In centra
and northwest Luzon. Rainfall, tempera
ture and hypsometrio maps are also In
chded In the list.
Geographers will welcome these impor
tant facilities for the study Of the Philip
pines; and Mr.. Henry Gannett Is entitled L
thanks and congratulations for these lates
additions to the comprehensive mapping o
lands under our flag.