THE PHILIPPINES 77 



The Philippines have today one of the most complete and upto- 

 date systems of macadam highways in the world and, with the 

 exception of Java, are head, perhaps, of anything in the Par East. 

 There are over 7.000 licensed motor cars, trucks and motor cycles 

 in daily use in the islands. The roads of Baguio, the former summer 

 capital, are not surpassed by any in the writer's knowledge. Of 

 course when one gets into the heart of Mindanao or into parts of 

 the Cordillera of Luzon he soon gets away even from horse trails 

 and must depend upon horses, carabao and dugouts, and often 

 times his own ability to swim. In such regions as these one gets 

 around very much as he does in the rest of the Malay region, 

 made familiar long ago by such travellers as Wallace, but these 

 methods need not be redescribed here. A bit of advice which may 

 be useful in this connection is this: start early and stop early. 

 Make camp before five o'clock in the afternoon because night falls 

 suddenly in these low latitudes. Yery often, especially in dry weather 

 and in the time of the moon it will be found advantageous to travel 

 at night. Over much of the country one is obliged to travel by 

 foot or horseback and these he usually employs native packers to 

 carry his equipment which should be put up in compact bundles 

 weighing from 15 to 25 kilos depending upon the people among 

 whom he is travelling. These cargadores, as they are called, are 

 very sturdy and can travel long hours if well fed. The usual hire 

 is from 1 to V/ 2 pesos each per day with food, which consists 

 generally of rice and fish. One chupa (about l / 3 litre) of rice per 

 day per man; 1 can of salmon for 5 men for 1 meal or 1 can of 

 sardines for 3 men is the usual ration. Two rules should be adhered 

 to in using cargadores: never try to force your men to go beyond 

 their district, exchange them for a new lot. Also never get too far 

 ahead of your baggage. The carabao (water-buffalo) is the best pack 

 animal for the rainy season. 



Occasionally, as in parts of the Mountain Province of Luzon 

 women are used for packing, but it is better to avoid such use, 

 if possible. 



From this naturally follows a word or two as to the best time 

 for field work. It was the experience of the Spaniards, which the 

 writer fully corroborates, that the best working time is from 7 A.M. 

 to 1 1 : 30 A.M. and from 3 to 6 : 00 P.M. Some prefer to begin 

 even earlier and work through till 1 : 00 and then lay off for the 

 day. Under no circumstances, save in an emergency, should one 

 work out of doors between 12 and 3 : 00 P.M. It can be done, of 

 course, but in time the ill effects will come upon one in the form 



