THE PHILIPPINE FORESTS 11 



tion. In Mindoro Island is a native buffalo (tamarao) found no- 

 where else. These animals are said by the natives to be very 

 ferocious and to charge a man on sight. Although the writer 

 has known of several instances where men were injured by them, 

 he has never seen one alive, although several months were spent 

 in the territory in which they are found and many of their trails 

 were followed. Probably their ferocity is greatly exaggerated by 

 the natives. Monkeys occur in groups in some regions, generally 

 near settlements. 



Bird life is abundant, although one is rather dsappointed that 

 there are not more species with brilliant plumage. Among the 

 different kinds are wild chickens which are found practically 

 everywhere throughout the woods at the lower elevations. These 

 chickens resemble the domestic game chickens that are raised 

 in this country and are a food much prized by the natives. 



Land travel throughout the Islands is slow and methods are 

 very primitive. Most of it is done on foot, although in some 

 places one can secure little native horses, which although not 

 very much bigger than a man, are able to carry you along the 

 sandy beaches or trails through the woods with apparent ease. 

 The sandy beaches are the commonest route of travel in the 

 less settled regions, being the main thoroughfares between the 

 scattered villages which are all located on the seashore. Out- 

 side of Manila and a very few of the larger towns, there are no 

 hotels whatever, so that one always stops at private houses un- 

 less in the woods. The people, however, are very hospitable and 

 often inconvenience themselves greatly to care for visitors. 



For food rice is everywhere the staple, potatoes and flour be- 

 ing very seldom obtainable. For meats fish is most often used, 

 the natives drying fish and taking it with them on trips, or keep- 

 ing it for a reserve supply. In villages chickens and eggs can 

 generally be had. Bananas are found in most places during 

 practically all seasons of the year, but other fruits are not com- 

 mon except for relatively short seasons. In addition to these 

 and a few other articles which one can secure from the natives, 

 an American traveling in the Islands generally takes with him 

 a supply of canned goods. 



These are a few of the conditions which an American forester 

 meets in the Islands. At best life is hard. One could recount 

 obstacles and difficulties almost without end. There is the possi- 

 bility of sickness away from medical attention and in a country 

 where disease develops rapidly. The torrential rains frequently 

 swell small streams to the size of rivers and makes fording them 

 dangerous. Similarly, the tides raise the water in small streams 

 which at low tide are fordable, so that one can only sit and wait 

 for the water to go down. Often the American forester has to 

 spend weeks or months away from his fellow white man, some- 

 times away from mail communication. But with all its drawbacks, 



