358 The National Geographic Magazine 



The August number of this Magazine 

 will contain an address by the Secretary 

 of War, Hon. William H. Taft, on the 

 Philippines, illustrated with a four-col- 

 ored map of the Philippine Islands. 



A Tribute to American Topographers* 



In an account of a lecture given by Mr 

 Bailey Willis before the geographers of 

 Venice, Professor Penck, than whom 

 there is no higher authority on topo- 

 graphic maps, pays a high compliment 

 to American topographers : 



*' " . . . Above all an opportunity 

 was afforded of obtaining an insight 

 into the really astounding cartographic 

 results achieved by Willis' party in 

 China. The maps which were exhib- 

 ited gave proof of the very decided 

 superiority of American topographic 

 methods over those employed by most 

 European expeditions. The Willis 

 party carried on plane-table surveys, 

 on a scale of 1:90,000, with 20 to 30 

 meter contours, from Paitingfu to 

 Taijaufu. This mapping was the work 

 of Sargent, the topographer of the ex- 

 pedition, one of that group of expert 

 cartographers of the United States Geo- 

 logical Survey. In 58^2 days Sargent 

 mapped no less than 8,500 square kilo- 

 meters, occupying 103 .stations, locating 

 2,600 points by intersection, and meas- 

 uring the altitudes of 2,150 points." 



A. H. B. 



"The Negritos of Zambales" is the 



subject of a recent publication of the 

 Ethnological Survey of the Philippines. 

 The pamphlet is very fully illustrated 

 with maps and pictures showing the cus- 

 toms and life of the little brown people. 



Although living in the mountainous 

 and wooded portions of the islands, the 

 Negrito grows tobacco, maize, and vege- 

 tables. He usually plants in cleared 

 spots in the forest, because the soil is 



* Penck, Prof. Dr Albrecht : The Investiga- 

 tions in China by the Carnegie Institution. 

 Die Zeit, Wien, April [5, 1905. 



loose and needs no plowing, as in the 

 case of the lowland. All work of dig- 

 ging up the soil, planting, and cultivat- 

 ing is done with sharpened sticks of 

 hard wood, sometimes, but not always, 

 pointed with iron, for iron is scarce. 

 The piece of ground for planting is 

 regarded as the personal property of the 

 head of the family which cleared it. No 

 one else would think of planting on it, 

 even though the owner had abandoned 

 it, unless he declared that he had no 

 more use for it. 



Many of the vices of the Negrito, 

 says the report, are due to contact with 

 the Malayan, to whom he is, at least in 

 p^int of truthfulness, honesty, and tem- 

 perance, far superior. 



While living in the wild state, they 

 have a very simple form of government. 

 They simply gather around the most 

 powerful man, whom they are quick to 

 recognize in this way for superior abil- 

 ity or greater wealth ; but when living 

 peaceably scattered through the moun- 

 tains each head of a family is a small 

 autocrat, and rules his family and those 

 of his sons who elect to remain with 

 him. When he dies the oldest son be- 

 comes the head of the family. 



DECISIONS OF THE U. S. BOARD ON 

 GEOGRAPHIC NAMES 



April 5, 1905 



CHINBSK PROVINCES 



Anhni (notNganhwei, Ngan-hwei, Ngan-hoei, 



Ngan-hui, Ngan-hwuy, nor Ngan-Hwny). 

 Chehkiang (not Cheh-kiang, Chekiang, nor 



Che-kiang). 

 Chihli* (not Pechili, Pe-chili, Pe-chi-li, 



Chih-li, nor Chi-li). 

 Fnhkien * (not Fnkien, Fu-kien, Fuh-kien, 



nor Foo-kien). 

 Honan (not Ho-nan). 



Hsin chiang (not Eastern Turkestan nor 



Kashgaria). 

 Hunan (not Hu-nan nor Hoo-nan). 

 Hupeh (not Hu-peh nor Hoo-pe). 

 Kansu (not Kan-su, Kansuh, nor Kan-soo). 

 Kiangsi (not Kiang-si nor Kiang-se). 

 Kiangsu (not Kiang-su). 



* Revision of previous decision. 



