348 ADAMS. 



SOUTHWESTERN SEMIMOUNTAIXOUS DISTEICT. 



If the limits of this district, as shown on the accompanying sketch map, 

 are studied, it will be noted that between Oimoc and Baybay the Central 

 Cordillera descends to the coast. Accordingly, the southwestern district 

 is discontinuous and may be spoken of as consisting of a northern and a 

 southern part. 



The northei'n part contains a number of hills and low mountains which 

 are indicated on d" Almonte's map, although no elevations are shown. 

 They are situated in the western part of the area. The landscape in gen- 

 eral presents a broken appearance, and near San Isidro and Villaba is a 

 cogon hill countiy which formerly contained many haciendas devoted to 

 the cultivation of sugar. Communication is largely by sea. There is, 

 however, a trail leading north from Ormoc to Valencia and thence con- 

 tinuing northward to the head of the estuary into which the Leyte and 

 Palapay Elvers flow. This trail passes through relatively low country and 

 has a branch which turns to the eastward and crosses the Cordillera to 

 Capoocan and Caragara. There are also branches from this trail which 

 turn off at various points to Villaba and Polompon. The only improved 

 road is one newly built from Ormoc to Dolores, which it will be im- 

 practicable to extend eastward over the cordillera to Jaro. The country 

 along the trail north from Ormoc will probably develop into an important 

 agricultural district, inasmuch as it contains a large amount of valley 

 land. At present it is very sparsely inhabited. 



The southern part of the southwestern district is more mountainous 

 than the northern. To the south of Baybay there is a high ridge which 

 runs in a southeasterly direction to a point opposite Bato, where there is a 

 break in the mountains which is taken advantage of for a trail across 

 this peninsular part of Leyte, the remaining roads of this area being 

 along the coast. To the south of this route of travel there are mountain- 

 ous ridges, one of which lies to the north of Maasiu and the other to the 

 west of Malitabog. Pananon Island, which is separated from Leyte by 

 a narrow strait, appears tO' be a continuation of the mountains which 

 parallel the coast south from Sogod. If we analyze the coast line of 

 Le3'te and judge of the trend of the mountains as shown by the position 

 of the names on d' Almonte's map, we might be led to the same conclusion 

 which was expressed by Becker, who, in his remarks concerning the 

 structural lines of the Philippine Islands writes : 



'"Near the center of our own Island of Leyte there is a fork in the mountain 

 system, and the westerly branch is seemingly continued southward through llount 

 Apo and the southermost part of ilindanao by the way of Sanguir Island to 

 Celebes." 



It is probable that this remark was based upon a study of the map 

 of Leyte rather than its topogTaphic features seen in the field. The coast 



