70 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGKArHY AND TEAVEL 



12. The Islands. 



Luzon. 



Luzon is the largest island of the Philippines, is as 

 fertile as almost any island in Australasia, and is nearly 

 as populous as Java and JMadura. It lies between north 

 latitudes 12° 35' and 18° 43', and has a length of about 

 420 miles in a straight line, but owing to its irregular 

 shape, its actual length is not less than 550 miles. In 

 breadth it varies from al)0ut 140 miles in its northern 

 part to less than five at the isthmus of Tayabas. Its total 

 area is about twice as great as that of Ireland. Through- 

 out its whole length it is traversed by mountain ranges, 

 all of which are of moderate, but none of very great height. 

 In the northern peninsula there are two parallel ranges. 

 The highest mountain in Luzon is the Mayon volcano in 

 the province of Albay, which has l^een lately measured 

 and found to be 8970 feet. This height is exceeded by 

 the mountains of Mindanao, and possibly by others, but 

 accurate information upon the subject is wanting. The 

 mountains are generally loftier towards the eastern coast 

 of the island, where they form a bold and inaccessible 

 shore exposed to heavy seas and bad weather during the 

 prevalence of the N.E. monsoon. The soil here is poor 

 and the population scanty, and the interinsular steamers 

 do not ply north of the Catanduanes Islands. 



The island affords very different conditions of climate, 

 agriculture, and race : the rainfall everywhere abundant, 

 but very variable ; in the north the great tobacco district 

 of Cagayan, and the Ilocanos, with numerous Negritos 

 in the less known mountain fastnesses ; in the central 

 provinces around Manila a careful but mixed agriculture 



