THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 83 



lies Leyte, an irregularly shaped island, whose southern 

 arms approach within a few miles of Mindanao. It is 

 about 110 miles long, has an area of 3075 square miles, 

 and, like almost all the islands of the group, is moun- 

 tainous, although the chain whicli traverses it from nortli 

 to south is of no great elevation. Mount Sacripante, one 

 of the highest peaks, is under 4000 feet. The formation 

 is volcanic ; there are hot siliceous springs, and many ex- 

 tinct craters which produce sulplnir in alxindance. Gold 

 mines are worked, but in a desultory fashion. The east 

 coast is said to be rising, while the west is being de- 

 stroyed by the sea, Avhich at Orinog has advanced fift}- 

 yards in six years. The rivers are all small and not 

 navigable. There are two lakes, Jarnaran in the north- 

 west, and Bito near the centre of the island, but botli 

 are of insignificant size. The former is an old crater and 

 has acid water. The inhabitants of Leyte are Bisayans, 

 who are said by Jagor to be more idle and dirty than the 

 Tagals, although friendly and tractaVjle, crime being 

 almost unknown. The whole of the interior is forest, the 

 settlements being on or near the coast. The capital town 

 is Tacloban, at the southern entrance to the San Juanico 

 Strait. It has direct communication with Manila, and is 

 a free port, but there is no large trade as yet. A recent 

 calculation gives the population of the island as 278,452. 



BOHOL. 



Bohol lies between Zebu and Leyte, and at no distant 

 period probably formed a part of the latter island, to 

 which it is joined by a submarine Ijank of coral reefs and 

 rocks covered by very shallow water. It has an area of 

 1250 square miles, and is of remarkably compact shape, 

 its length bems about 60 miles and its breadth 30. It 



