THE EASTERN ARCHIPELAGO. 



157 



marine beds, enclosing the two deep basins of the Stiln And Celebes 

 Seas, while further north flow the deep waters of the China Sea, now 

 completely severing tlie Philippines from the Asiatic, mainland. 

 Again, Palawan and Sutn appear to consist mainly of very old 

 sedimentary rocks, while Taluutse and Siao are exclusively volcanic, 

 the Philippines themselves partaking of both formations in more 

 equal prop o rt i ons than any other section of the Eastern Archipelago. 

 This twofold aspect, partly oceanic, partly Asiatic, is also presented 

 by their fauna, flora, and inhabitant*, which, moreover, offer ninny 

 peculiarities^ distinguishing thi* region from Jill other* in the wistero 

 was. Stretching north and south across 15 degrees of latitude 

 (5* — 20" N,), with a total area of llft,Q00 square miles, it formn, next 

 to Great Britain and Japan, the largest compact insular group in the 

 world ; and so closely are its ration* member* connected, that they 

 produce the impression of a. continuous mass of land broken into 

 fragments by the convulsions and subsidence so often associated with 

 igneous disturbances, Thus ull the broad features here indicated 

 seem to point at one conclusion — that the Philippines represent a 

 vast area at one time contiguous with the continent and with Borneo, 

 then at a very remote period severed from both, and again partly 

 united witli the Oceanic world through the more recent volcanic 

 agencies, of which feangnir and Siao have long been an active scene. 



Tha gronp comprises, 1 . the two fsjNil islands of Luzon and Mindanao 

 in tin: north and swath, the former somewhat larger than Java, the latter 

 o no* fifth, smaller ; 2. the intervening islam!* of Minduro, Fauap,, Neyros, 

 Ztbu, Jtohol, Ltyte, Alatkrft, and Sbuur, ranging from 1200 to €000 souare 

 miles in extent ; 3. the outlying Palawan with the Calatoiana and fialaboc 

 croups between the Mindoro and Bal&b&e Straits ; 4. ths Itabuyan, Cat&n- 

 dLtaucs, Surigoo, and other smaller groups, mating altogether over 400 in- 

 habited lulus and islets, besides some 600 uniuiiahitud islets and reufs« 



Fttynical Features. — Throughou! ii- wholfl i-sient the Archi- 

 pelago Beema to be traversed by two somewhat jiarallel volcanic 

 zones, but gradually converging southwards, m that Qua ipaoa of over 

 100 miles separating them in Luzon is reduced in Mindanao tu 55 

 miles, while both merge in one system towards Sangnir and Siao. Of 

 the western and less elevated zone the chief cone is that of Tool in 

 the province of Batnngos, tiring , r i3Q feet above lake Bombon and 

 1600 above sea- level. In the eastern stone the most important range 

 is that of Mayon, terminating at Point Engano in thy extreme north- 

 east of Luzon, and reappearing in the Babuyan isles. Southwards 

 this range culminates in Mount A] bay, at the south end of Luzon, 



