ATLAS OF THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS. 



INTRODUCTION. 



ORIGIN OF A_TI.^S. 



Treasury Department, 

 Office U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey, 



Washington^ D. C.^ Decemher, 1899. 



Shortly after the Philippine commissioners reached Manila it was 

 learned that a series of maps, covering the more important islands of 

 the archipelago, was being prepared at the Jesuit Observatory under 

 the supervision of the director. Rev. José Algue, S. J. 



An inspection of such of the maps as airead}^ had been completed 

 satisfied the commission that they were superior to anything hitherto 

 published. It was learned that the Jesuit Fathers planned to make 

 the series quite complete, but that they had no veiy definite ideas as 

 to when the work would be completed or how the maps would be 

 published eventualh^ 



The commission conceived the idea of securing their cooperation in 

 the preparation of a comprehensive atlas of the archipelago, and with 

 this end in view asked them to submit a tentative list of maps. The 

 request was promptlv complied with. After some discussion the 

 series here published was decided upon, and an arrangement was 

 entered into whereb}^ it should be completed and become the property 

 of the commission by August 15, 1899. 



It is an interesting fact that the technical work was executed wholly 

 b}^ native Philippine draftsmen. It was carried on under the imme- 

 diate supervision of Rev. José Algue, S. J., director of the Manila 

 Observatory. 



The entire absence of accurate surveys of many of the islands was 

 necessarily a serious drawback, but the Jesuits spared no pains in 

 securing all available data, and verified them by consultation with 

 members of the other religious orders, as well as with old residents, 

 travelers, and explorers. To the admirable work of their own Order 

 is due practicall}^ all of our piesent knowledge of the interior of 

 Mindanao. 



While strictly accurate maps can never be prepared until the neces- 

 sary surveys have been made, it is believed that this atlas fairly repre- 

 sents the present state of geographic knowledge of the Philippine 

 Archipelago, and that it embodies a large amount of new information. 



At the suggestion of the Philippine commission and of the Depart- 

 ment of State, and in view of its usefulness as a preliminary compila- 

 tion, it w^as decided to publish the maps through the agency of the 

 United States Coast and Geodetic Survey. Owing to the contradic- 

 tions involved in the arbitrary scale and projection of the original 

 drawings, some of the maps were redrawn at the Coast and Geodetic 

 Survey Office. It was also deemed timely to append the statistical 

 information which follows this introduction and to give an interpre- 

 tation of the conventional signs used on the maps. 



Henry S. Pritchett, 



Superintendent. 

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