82 COMPENDIUM OF GEOGKAPHY AND TKAVEL 



later Legaspi planned and built the citj. It is pictur- 

 esquely situated, and has a fine cathedral and several 

 churches, but the population is not large. The island 

 forms a province by itself, under the administration of a 

 military governor. 



Samak. 



Samar lies within ten miles of the extreme southern 

 point of Luzon, and is one of the larger islands of the 

 archipelago, being about equal in size to Panay, and hav- 

 ing an estimated area of 4680 square miles. From 

 Luzon it is separated by the San Bernardino Channel, and 

 from Leyte by the narrow winding sea-passage of S. Juanico, 

 which has more the appearance of a river than a strait. 

 The island is 150 miles in length, and is very moun- 

 tainous. Its eastern shores are exposed to the full force 

 of the north-east monsoon, and are very imperfectly 

 known, but the western side has some tolerable harbours, 

 and it is here that the capital, Catbalogan, is situated. 

 The rivers are numerous, and owing to the irregular dis- 

 position of the mountains, penetrate far into the country. 

 Coal is found, but no attempt has been made to inves- 

 tigate the minerals of the island. The interior is covered 

 with dense forest, and only inhabited by a few scattered 

 Negritos. There is hardly any trade, but there are large 

 groves of coco-nut palms, and cacao is also grown. The 

 population is estimated at 190,000, and is almost ex- 

 clusively Bisayan. The thirty-six imcblos are administered 

 by a politico -military governor. 



Leyte. 

 Across the narrow Juanico Strait to the south-west 



