1 84 MERRILL. 



Ill ()c1(ilici\ IS}*."). John W'hilcUcdil . iiTi h'.nulisli iiat iiralisi j I'icd lo 

 i'ca<-li the siiiiiiiiit. hilt al(li<»ii,iili lie did lint succeed in attaiMiii<i' the 

 hiii'hest peak he was iiiidoiihtedl y the (irst |)ers(iii to reach an altitude 

 (if (i,(t()(» feet. As AN'hitehead's primarv ohjeet was to collect ohjt^cts of 

 iialural Iiistory and especially l)irds. he apparently made no serious 

 attiMiipt to reach the highest point on the mountain. I can do no hetter 

 here than to (piote from W. \\. Ogilvie-Grant's ' account of Whitehead's 

 exix'rience on Mount llalcon. 



Oil tlie l!)tli of Octber, ISilf), lie (Whitehead) left Manila with a stafT of seven 

 (•oiicctor.s for the island of Mindoro, with the object of exploring the well-wooded 

 hif^liiands of this eoniparativeiy little known island, and returned to Manila on 

 tlie Kith of February, 1890, after four months' absence. The results of this expe- 

 dition are, Mr. Whitehead con.siders, by no means satisfactory, for at the time of 

 his visit the wet season Avas at its height and, owing to the almost coiitiiiuous 

 rains, collceting could he carried on only under the greatest difficulties, lie tells 

 us that during his stay on Mindoro seventy days out of a hundred were very wet. 

 twenty dull and drizzling, while but ten were comparatively bright and fine; so it 

 can be understood easily that he was unable to do as much as he had liojied. 



I'nfortuiiately, he experienced great trouble with his collectors, all of whom 

 siillVrcd at one time or aimtlicr from fever, and took every opportunity of mislu'- 

 liaving. One man robbed liiiii of his money, while others, left at the foot of the 

 mountain to make a lowhind collection, did practically nothing during many 

 weeks, and sold both gun-caps and jiowder to the natives, lie characterizes his 

 Mindoro colhil i(iii as representing •"tour i it lis' very hard work and slow- 

 starvation" 



On landing in Mindoro a guide was engaged as pilot to the high ground, but 

 I his worthy led the exix-dition by a wrong jiatli. and after a long day's march in 

 the usual deluge of rain, .Mr. Whitehead found himself on the bank of a fine river 

 surrounded bv the most dense and magnilieeiit forest, where he was forced to 

 remain for ten days waiting for porters. It was here that the expedition was 

 nearly wrecked, the river coming down in a tremendous Hood with very little 

 warning. The camp had been pitched about 2(1 feet above the river, which at 

 this part was about 200 yards wide, but in less than twelve hours, rmtunately 

 in da\light, the water was running from 2 to .3 feet deej) like a mill race through 

 .Mr. Whitehead's tent, while his men had to esca])e in cancu's from anotlu'r house 

 lower down the river, where nmst of the less portable boxes had been left. 



I'.y great exertions all the baggage was saved. "1 have," writes Mr. Whitehead. 

 ■•>eeii a good deal of Tropics, but i never encountered such deluges, such incessant 

 rains, or such thousands of leeches. The U^-ches (piite cripiiled two of my m<'n. 

 anil one of the two caiight 'beriberi' so 1 sent him back to Manila. .\11 the others 

 had f«'ver, but T got oil" with two mild attacks of dysentery. 1 was so reduced, 

 from having nothing to eat but tinned foods and rice, that 1 bceaiiie (piite weak, 

 losing most of my energy at times. In four months I had eaten only five pigeons, 

 twr) |)arrots. and some few thrushes, ami, with the exceiition of eggs, there was no 

 other fre^li liM.d t<i he hail." Siieli is life in the highlands cif the Philip|)ines. 



i'.y making fi ieiids with the line aborigines of Mimldiu (the .Mangyaiis) thi' 

 Iwelily ti\e p.iiters lecpiired lo cany the baggage In the niniinlains were al last 



'(;rant. W . \\. O^ihie: (in IIm^ llirds of tli<' I'liiliiipine Islands. I'art 7. 'I'iie 

 Highlands of .Mindnio. Willi liel.l iii.lcs by .b.lin Whilehead. Ihis: (IIMHI) 

 VI 1 1. 6, 457. 



