PHILIPPINES, THE. 



PHILIPPINES, THE. 



166 



rise to a considerable height. This region is volcanic, and between 

 the heights are many lakes, some of them of considerable size. The 

 Laguna de Taal contains a volcanic island, from which an eruption 

 issued in 1754, and which showed activity in 1825. 



The peninsula of Camarines, or the south-eastern part of the island 

 of Luzon, is not connected with the north-western part by a range of 

 mountains. Towards the eastern extremity of the isthmus, which 

 connects both parts, the mountains entirely disappear, and where the 

 two bays called Seno de Lamon and Seno de Ragay approach nearest 

 to one another, and are only about 15 miles apart, tho intervening 

 country is low, and constitutes a valley several miles wide, which 

 runs across the island from one bay to the other. This peninsula is 

 chiefly occupied by a mass of Kigh mountains, which come close to 

 the southern shores, and only in a few places leave a narrow strip of 

 level ground. But the northern declivity of this range is not so steep, 

 and terminates about 6 or 8 miles from the sea. On this tract, and at 

 a short distance from the mountain range, there are ten volcanoes, of 

 which that of Albay or Mahon H noted for the frequency of its erup- 

 tions. There i.< a considerable number of agricultural settlements on 

 leanic tract, especially in the country surrounding the Bahia 

 i Miguel This bay is about 25 miles long from north to 

 south, with an average width of 12 mile*. 



2. Mindoro, which is separated from the island of Luzon by the 



Strait of Mindoro, and from the islands of Calamianes by the 

 Strait of Mindoro, is 100 miles long, and rather more than 40 

 wide on an average. Its area, according to Berghaus, is 4115 

 The mountains which occupy the interior rise to a very great 

 <>n; but they descend in gentle slopes, and the sea-shore is 

 1 by low hills, which are covered with forests of lofty trees. 



There is only a small number of Malay families settled on some points 



of the coast. 



3. Panay has the form of an isosceles triangle, the base of which is 

 more than 100 miles long, and the other sides more than 80 miles. 

 The area, according to Berghaus, is 4579 square miles. Along the 

 western coast the country is of moderate elevation, well cultivated, 

 and populous; villages are numerous. At some distance from the 

 shore, a mountain ridge runs from Punta Potol, on the north, to Punta 

 Nasog, or Naso, on the south, and appears to be very steep. 



4. .\tgro* U about 140 mile* long, with an average width of about 

 .* The surface, according to Berghaiu, is S827 square miles. 



It seems to be very mountainous, and contains a comparatively small 

 number of agricultural settlement*. 



5. Zekii, or Ctbfi, extends in length from south to north rather more 

 than 1 00 miles, but it is hardly more than 20 miles wide on an average. 

 The area, according to Berghaus, is 2193 square miles. It U fertile 

 and well popula' 



0. Bokol, situated between Zebu on the west and Ley te on the east, 

 is the smallest of the larger Philippines except MR. bate. It extends 

 in length from west to east about 45 miles, with an avenge width of 

 30 mill's. Berghaus determines the area to be 1S54 square miles. 



. extends from touth to north about 120 miles, 

 with an average width of 35 miles. According to Berghaus, the area 



7 square miles. 



8. Samar, or, as it is also called by the natives, }'6aia*, U the 

 largest of the Philippines which are subject to Spain, next to Luzon. 

 It has the for.u of a triangle whoso apex u turned to the south : the 

 base measures about 60 miles, and the perpendicular length about 



.let. The surface U 5547 square miles. A great part of this 

 island, especially towards the north, is covered with high mountain", 

 which are visible from a great distance at sea. The soil in general, 

 though not distinguished by fertility, is far from being s: 



'ittate'uin tho middle of that left-basin which is called the 

 Buaya Sea : the islands surrounding this l>-in and those within it are 

 comprehended under the general name of the Ri*aya Islands. Masbate 

 has a triangular form, whose apex is to the east. The base, or western 

 coast, is nearly 40 miles long, and the perpendicular length about 55 

 miles. Berghaus make* the surfaca 1225 square mile*. This island 

 appears to be a man of high rocks, and to contain very little cultivable 

 ground. The population of the whole of the Bisayan Island* in 1849 

 was 803,000. 



The inland of M<tyin<lann<>, or Mindanao, is the most southern 

 of the Philippines, and the largest next to Luzon. Its form is extremely 

 Regular. Berghaus make* the area 36,140 square miles. The coast- 

 line perhaps considerably exceeds 1000 miles. This island U hilly but 

 not mountainous, except on the eastern coast, though there are some 

 volcanoes, and in one part two deep bays, that of Illono on the south, 

 and that of Si<Muin on the north, nearly separate the island. Numerous 

 riven water this Urge island. Large tracts are destitute of trees and 

 covered with fine grass and finer savannahs than occur in any other 

 island of the Indian Archipelago. The Spaniards have formed a great 

 Bomber of settlements on the eastern and western coa.it, where the 

 ^^H|UnU consirt almost exclusively of BUayes, or Malays of the 

 in--*. The large peninsula which extends between the Bay of 

 ^^^E*>n the west and the Pacific on the east acknowledges tho 

 y of the sultan of M.i-indanao, whose subjects are mostly 

 Malays, and inhabit the country along the coaat; but the in' 



I by the Haraforu, who are treated by the Malays not u 

 lubjecta, but as slaves. 



The year is divided between the dry and rainy seasons, which 

 depend on the monsoons. The rains commence in the beginning of 

 May, and do not cease before the end of October or the beginning of 

 November. They attain their maximum in the month of July. 

 Between the beginning of November and tho end of April showers 

 sometimes occur. 1*he northern part of Luzon is situated within the 

 range of those terrific hurricanes which are called ' tiphoon,' and 

 which are rarely felt south of 14 N. lat. The mean temperature iu 

 summer is between 80 and 82" Fahr., and that of winter between 

 70 and 72. Earthquakes occur frequently, and sometimes cauo 

 great damage. 



The staple articles of produce are sugar, indigo, rum, tobacco, 

 sapan-wood, rice, millet, maizr, edible birds'-nests, and trepang. 

 Tobacco, which grows very well in many places, and is of the first 

 quality, is only exported in the form of cigars. Rice, for which there 

 is always a ready market, and which constitutes the principal food of 

 the bulk of the population, is the first object of cultivation nearly 

 all over the island. Where the fields cannot be put under water the 

 upland rice is cultivated. Coffee, cacao, ebony, sulphur, cotton, i 

 mother-of-pearl shells, tortoise-shells, and cordage are also exported. 

 Cinnamon and cloves, with the cocoa-nut and banana, are among the 

 products of these islands. 



The buffalo is universally used in all field-labour, though iu some 

 parts people have begun to substitute the bullock for it. The 

 buffalo here, as on all the islands of the Indian Archipelago, is of 

 uncommon size and strength ; the caymans, which are in the Laguna 

 de Bay, and rather of a large kind, never attack a buffalo. Horses 

 have also been introduced by the Spaniards ; the breed is small but 

 very hardy ; they are only used for riding. Sheep are few but goats 

 are more numerous. Pigs are plentiful, and domestic fowl are reared 

 in immense numbers, especially ducks on the bauks of thu Laguna de 

 Bay. Except the caymans, which are numerous in the Laguna .In 

 Bay, there are no rapacious animals. The Philippines are rather dis- 

 tinguished by the number than by the variety of wild-fowl. The sea 

 abounds with fish, and tho inhabitants, like all the tribes of tho 

 Malays, prefer fish to meat. 



.l/ /it/a, the capital and seat of the captain-general or governor of 

 the island, is built on the eastern shores of the Bahia de Manila, at 

 the mouth of the river Pasig, or the channel by which the Laguna 

 de Bay discharges its water. It consists of two towns with extensive 

 suburbs. The city, Manila, is built ou the southern banks of the 

 Pasig; it is fortified, and inclosed by high walls acd a ditch which is 

 connected with tho river. The streets are straight, wide, and well 

 paved. The houses are built of stone, anil are substantial. There 

 are several well-built churches and convent?. The palace of the 

 captain-general is not distinguished by its architecture, but the custom- 

 house, or ' aduana,' is a large and fine building. In the great square 

 is a statue of Charles IV. of Spain in bronze, given to the town by 

 FerdinaU'l V ! [. in 1 S21 ; it is a fine work of art, and somewhat larger 

 than life. On tho land side is a large plain, on which the troops are 

 exercised, and where the fashion of the place display themselves and 

 their equipages in the evening. A well-built bridge leads from the 

 city over the Pasig to a collection of suburbs, the whole of which 

 form what is generally known as the trading part of Manila. The 

 principal suburb is Binondoc, and the population of the whole amounts 

 to 150,000. In the fortified town, inhabited chiefly by Spanish officials 

 and military, the streets are strait and formal, with granite footpaths, 

 but macadamised carriage roads. In Binondoc there is more variety ; 

 many of the houses are spacious, but from dread of earthquakes none 

 of them are more than one story in height above the ground-floor, 

 and in their construction the bamboo enters largely : the upper floor 

 forms the residence of the family, and is surrounded by a gallery, 

 which can be shut in or thrown open by means of large sliding 

 shutters with panes of mother-of-pearl instead of glass, so as to 

 admit the light while excluding the heat. Several canals communi- 

 cating with the river intersect the town, upon which num 

 pleasure-boats ply for tho convenience of the inhabitant.-*, and along 

 the bunks of tho river are many villa-residences belonging to the 

 principal merchants of the place. Manila contains a royal college for 

 the instruction of youth, a university which wa founded by Philip IV. 

 in 1645, a nautical academy, an hospital for the poor, and various 

 other religious and charitable establishments. 



C'avife, which lies south of Manila, is a well-built fortress, situated 

 at the extremity of a tongue of land about 2 miles long : it protects 

 the Ensenada de la Estauzuela, the only harbour iu the Bahia de 

 Manila. The arsenal is in that fortress, and vessels arc built there. 

 The town of San Roque is near to Cavite. 



The only manufactures of the Philippine Islands consist of a very 

 fine species of grass-matting, of which hats, baskets, &c., are made, 

 and of cigars and cheroots, which have a high reputation. For a 

 long time the commerce of the colony was severely restricted by the 

 Spanish government, and is yet carried on under many difficulties. 

 The chief trade is with Oreat Britain ; the imports consist chiefly of 

 cotton, woollen, and silk manufactures, watches and clocks, jewellery 

 and drugs ; the export* are chiefly sugar, tobacco and cigars, indigo 

 and hemp : tho amount of each varies from half a million to three- 

 quarters of a million sterling. 



Ilutory. The Philippines were discovered in 1521 by Fernando 



