Oeograpliy and Travels. 
GENERAL NOTES. 
GEOGRAPHY AND TRAVEL. ^ 
Asia.— According to a letter in a recent number of the Revista 
de Geografia Comercial, the population of the Philippine Islands 
is very unequally distributed, since while there are sections which, 
without being the m st fertile, contain 223 inhabitants to the 
square kilometre, other sections, and these among the most fertile, 
have only three or four inhabitants to the same area. According to 
the same periodical, the sanitary conditions of the port of Paraqua 
Island {Puerio-Princesa) have become much more favorable since 
the forest, which forme ly extended to the coast, has been cut down 
for a width of six kilometres, and the cleared space has been occu- 
pied with plantations of coco palms, plantains, and cacaos. 
Paraqua is the third in size of the Philippine Islands, and meas- 
ures 445 kilometres in its greatest length, by 44 in its greatest 
width. Upon its coasts ure many excellent and well- sheltered ports 
and bays, the p-incipal of which are Vyalampaya, Puerto-Princesa, 
and Ulugan. A range of mountains, the culminating points of 
which are Montalingahan (2.080 m.) on the S., and Victoria 
(1.372 m.) more to the N., parts the island into two parts. Rich 
alike in fertile soil and in valuable woods, this island has hitherto 
been greatly neglected by its owners. Its population does not ex- 
ceed 28,000— viz. : 10,000 Christians in the N. ; 6000 Mahometans on 
the S., about 6000 Tachanuas, 500 negritos, 1500 tandalanos, and 
4000 manguianes. 
Easter Island. — The Revista de Geografia Comercial (Nov. 15, 
1888) states that the Republic of Chili has re-olved to annex Easter 
Island, which was discovered by Juan Fernandez, and which in 1470 
%yas formally taken possession of in the name of King Charles III., of 
Spain. Easter Island is of triangular form ; 35 kilometres in cir- 
cuit, and its highest point in the extreme northwest is 597 metres 
above the sea. It is emphatically a land of extinct volcanoes ; one 
of these is placed at each angle ; Kau on the south, Horni on the 
north, and Utuiti on the east. There are many other smaller vol- 
canoes. The volcano Kau has an elevation of 408 m. and its crater, 
which is 200 m. deep and 1500 m. in diameter at the bottom, is re- 
markable for the regularity of its shape. In the bottom of this 
crater there are springs of potable water and fine plantations of 
sugar-canes and plantains. 
' Edited by W. N. Locldngton, Philadelphia, Pa. 
