1 (S2 MERRILL. 



clfaTiiiii". at an allitudc of ahoiit ;],(H)(l feet. \vc fouml in cultivation: rice, 

 corn. snt;ai'-canc. l)ananas, yams, sweet j)otatoes, tomatoes, lieans, sciuaslies 

 anil taro. wliile donu^tic |)i,iis and cliickens were in evidence. Most of tlie 

 dwellin^-s were verv small and primitixc. consislin^' of a ])latrorm raiseil 

 two or three feet above tlie ground. \\ itli a thin palm-leaf roof and usually 

 without walls, hiit in tlie clearing mentioned ahoNc we found an unusually 

 large and well-constructeil house ahout ".'() tVet long. 1.") feet wide and 

 12 feet fi'oni the tloiu' to the apex of the roof. It was firmly constructed, 

 elevated on posts altout (i feet aho\c the ground, with a pole floor and 

 grass-thatched roof and walls and was evidently the ahodc of a person 

 '>f ]ii'ominence in a local ti"il»e. Such a pi'cfentious house cei'tainly is 

 unusual among the Mangyans. 



Mindoro has attained and still retains a widespix'ad hut ap[)arently not 

 entirely deserved reputation for uidu'alth fulness, frequently being spoken 

 of as "the white man's grave." In spite of adverse reports as to the un- 

 wholesomeness of Mindoro and the prevalence of fevers and various tropical 

 diseases in the island, on our trip, which e.xtended over forty days in the 

 height of the rainy season when on nearly every day all members of the 

 party were wet at least (Mice and sometimes all day and for many days in 

 succession, working (nw way slowly through drenched forests, fording 

 streams and much of the time on shoi't ratious. none of the Americans in 

 the party wei'c sick and among the twenty-fi\c natives employed, only three 

 contracted lexer and thcu in a \cry mild form. In comnion with previous 

 • 'Xplorers in Mindoro, we fmind the leeches very abundant and exceeiliugly 

 trouhlesonic at the lower altitudes but w(» became entirelv I'n'c of them 

 after reaching the height of about .'),()(»(• feet. Ordinary brown soa]) 

 was found to be an excellent leech repellant and this was given each 

 day to our native cari'iers who smeared it on their naked legs. I'nnious 

 e\j)ei'ience had taught us that canvas or lealhei' leggings are entirely un- 

 satisfactory as a protection against leeches, and all the Americans in 

 the ])arty were e(piipi)ed with woolen "puttees.*' These pi-oved to be 

 moi'c satisfactory and gave absolute |)rotection against the attacks of 

 leeches. (,)uiniiie was issued regulai'ly to all members of the pai'ty. 



.MOUNT Il.VLCOX. 



Th(! name JIalcon is of Spanish origin signifying falc-on. but tlH» 

 aj)plication of this name to the mountain is not clear. .\s usual, the 

 native names vary. According to Lieut. Fitzhugh Lee's i'e|)ort of his 

 tri]) made across Mindoro in I'.HII. the natives living at the mouth (d' the 

 Hac(j IJiver knew it as the .Mag Mountain. We found those living at 

 Subaan, only 1 nnles from iiaco. speaking of it as the liaco. 



'j'he altitude of the highest peak is given on Spanish charts as ."^Sd.") 



