142 A Month in Paldéwan. 
Borax, a universally-known word, comes from the Ar. burag. 
CorunpuM (Fr. corindon) owes its form to the Hindostan 
Kurand. 
Kaourn, the well-known porcelain-earth, was first mainly 
-obtained from Kau-Ling, in China: whence its name. 
A MONTH IN PALAWAN. 
BY J. B. STEERE,. 
Te island of Paláwan, or, as it is more frequently called by the 
Spaniards, Paráqua, is classed as one of the Philippine group. 
It runs from the northeast to the southwest, and is something over 
250 miles long, while it hardly averages 20 miles in width. It 
fronts the China sea on the west, and the Sulu or Mindora sea on 
the east. It is distantly connected on the north and east with the 
‘other Philippines—through the Cuyos with Panay, and through 
the Calamines with Mindoro and Luzon ; but itis much more closely 
connected on the south by Balabac and other small islands with 
Borneo. It is mountainous and heavily timbered, and but thinly 
inhabited, the native population being estimated by the Spaniards at 
ten or twelve thousand. The native people are of at least two 
races, Malays and Negritos. The southern end is chiefly inhabited 
by people of Malay race, to whom the Spaniards give the name of 
their hereditary African enemies, Moros or Moors. They are Ma- 
hometan in religion, and this, with the presence of their priests, has 
kept them more or less united, and perhaps a little in advance of the 
northern tribes. The northern part is inhabited by savages of 
Malay race, living in small, scattered tribes, and of Negritos— 
wooly-haired black people—living in much the same state, and ap- 
parently amalgamating with the Malays. The Spanish have had 
some small settlements of Christian Indians from Luzon, at the 
north, for some time, and for fifteen or twenty years have been 
forming a convict town at Puerto Princesa, on the east coast, and 
near the middle of the island. This now numbers some twelve or 
fifteen hundred inhabitants, mostly criminals shipped there from 
other parts of the colony. This is the capital and residence of the 
Spanish governor and other officers. Within a few years the Spanish 
have also formed small military settlements on the west coast. 
