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CHAPTER VII. 
THE GEOGRAPHY OF PALAWAN. — SULUS. — THEIR CUSTOMS. — DUSUNS. — ORANG-UTAN. — THE 
‘ ROYALIST.’—BALABAC.—TAGUSO.—THE STORE.—CHINESE.— SULU THIEVES.— TRADE.—TRADE 
RELATIONS BETWEEN SULU AND DUSUN.—THE RANEE.—BIRDS.—A TROPICAL FOREST.—INLAND 
DUSUNS.—THEIR CHIEF.—BLEGI.—EXPEDITION INLAND.—SLAVES.—TWOSSONG’s VENDETTA.— 
RETURN TO BLEGI.—MEGAPODES. HEREDITARY RESEMBLANCE OF BUTTERFLIES.—MIMICS AND 
THEIR SURROUNDINGS.—CUCKOOS.—RETURN OF THE ‘ROYALIST.’—VISIT THE NORTHERN COAST. 
HE Island of Palawan, Palauan, or Paragua is situated some 
90 miles to the north of Borneo. Geographically speaking, Pala¬ 
wan belongs to the Philippine group, being, like those islands, of 
later volcanic origin. Its fanna, however, has been received from 
both Borneo and the Philippines, and the greater proportion of its 
zoological productions have undoubtedly been received from the 
first-named island. This has been carefully demonstrated by 
Mr. A. H. Everett, in a paper read before the Zoological Society 
(April, 1889). Thus we may conclude with a fair degree of 
certainty that Palawan has been, at some time or other during the world’s history, joined 
to Borneo and perhaps also to the Philippines, and for a considerably longer period formed 
part of the great island of Borneo. 
Palawan is about 275 miles long, the breadth varying from 6 to 26 miles. To the 
north it is connected with the Philippines by a collection of islands—the Calamianes. To 
the south the islands of Balahac, BaUimbanga'n, and Banguey may be mentioned as the 
connecting-links with Borneo. The depth of the sea at the southern end is only 
100 fathoms, while at the northern extremity a deep channel of 722 fathoms divides 
Palawan from the Philippines. 
The coasts are dangerous to navigators, being a network of coral reefs, over which the 
sea often breaks. These reefs rise like walls from the bottom of the sea, deep channels 
often running in close to the shore. 
Through the centre of Palawan run ranges of volcanic mountains, none of which, 
however, are active. The alluvial washings from these mountains have formed extensive 
plains on the southern coast; but the plains are not so great on the opposite side, where 
the mountains at times rise from the sea-coast: this is to be accounted for by the violence 
of the China Sea, which breaks with full force on this coast. 
The plains that extend in some places on the southern coast to a distance of four or 
