THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 93 



and geographically separates the Philippine Islands from 

 Borneo. 



The Calamianes and Cuyos Islands. 



These islands form, with part of Pahiwan, the pro- 

 vince of Calamianes, which has a population of about 

 20,000. The principal islands of the first-named group 

 are Busuanga and Culion, which are inhabited by a race 

 of dark Bisayans. There is a certain amount of trade 

 in birds' nests and tripang, as well as wax and tortoise- 

 shell, and a steamer puts the group in monthly com- 

 munication with Manila. In many of the islands are 

 found the burial caves to which allusion has been already 

 made, and a colony of Chinese seem to have been estab- 

 lished in Culion in ancient days. The Cuyos are for the 

 most part of very small size, but the Spaniards have had 

 settlements on them for a long period. The island of 

 Cuyo, which is entirely under cultivation, is now the 

 capital of the Calamianes province — the former capital, 

 Tai-tai, in north Palawan, having had to be abandoned 

 on account of its unhealthiness. The town is provided 

 wdth a large square fort, whose walls are 30 feet high 

 by 12 feet in thickness, with towers at each of the four 

 corners; but in 1884 there was only a single cannon 

 serviceable. The military force is of the Guardia civil. 

 Cattle form almost the only article of commerce. 



Palawan. 



The long and narrow island of Palawan, known to 

 the French and Spanish as Paragua, projects like a horn 

 from the northern extremity of Borneo, running north- 

 east towards Mindoro. It has a length of about 250, 



