﻿180 MERRILL. 



of plants from the summit of Apo which were collected by the latter. 

 Since 1880 Mount Apo has been climbed many times by various persons, 

 to my knowledge by at least ten Americans within the past five years, 

 and I am informed by those who have made the ascent that there are 

 comparatively few difficulties to be encountered, either in the approach 

 to the mountain or in its ascent. ^Nevertheless, as late as 1905 I have 

 seen accounts in Manila newspapers "of the first ascent of Mount Apo." 



We have no records that Mount Malindang, the second highest moun- 

 tain in the Philippines, had been ascended previous to 190G, when in 

 May of that year Maj. E. A. Mcavns and W. I. Hutchinson and their party 

 reached the summit. Mounts Banajao, Pinatubo, Tonglon, Data, Solis, 

 and Mayon, all in Luzon, Canlaon in Negros, Madiaas in Panay, all 

 7,000 feet in altitude, or higher, have been ascended one or many times 

 each, by various persons, and secondary mountains such as Mariveles, 

 Arayat, Maquiling, Isarog and Iriga in Luzon, Silay in Negros, Pulgar 

 and Victoria in Palawan, and many others, are more or less known. 



Halcon the third highest peak in the Philippines, is situated in the 

 north-central part of Mindoro. With no known trails leading to it, 

 surrounded by dense forests, cut off from the coast by difficult ridges 

 and large rivers subject to enormous and appalling floods, it stood 

 seemingly inaccessible. Its location is perhaps in the most humid part 

 of the Philippines, where the rains continue for nine months in the 

 year, in a region geographically quite unknown and inhabited by a 

 sparse population of entirely wild and very timid people, and on an island 

 regarding which there is a widespread and generally accepted belief as 

 to its unhealthfulness. Although within 100 miles of Manila and not 

 more than 15 from Calapan, the capital of Mindoro, so far as I have been 

 able to determine it remained unconquered up to the year 190G. 



MINDORO. 



Mindoro ranks as seventh in size among the islands of the Philippine 

 Archipelago, being located a little north of the center of the entire 

 group and having an area of approximately 3,851 square miles. In 

 general outline it 'is roughly triangular, its greatest length being from 

 northwest to southeast, 110 miles, its greatest breadth from northeast 

 to southwest, 56 miles. Geographically, it is in closer proximity to 

 Luzon than to any other large island of the group. 



Verde Island passage, separating Mindoro from the south coast of 

 Batangas Province, Luzon, is but 7^ miles in width in its narrowest part 

 between Escarceo Point, Mindoro, and Malocot Point, Luzon. The 

 small island of Lubang lies 15 miles north of the northwest point, while 

 the larger island of Marinduque is 23 miles east of the central part of 

 Mindoro. Tablas is situated 31 miles east of southern Mindoro, and 

 Panay 36^ miles east of south. Busuanga, the beginning of the Palawan 

 chain, is 33 miles southwest. 



