THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS 
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and geographically separates the Philippine Islands from 
Borneo. 
The Calamianes and Cuyos Islands. 
These islands form, with part of Palawan, the pro¬ 
vince of Calamianes, which has a population of about 
20,000. The principal islands of the first-named group 
are Busuanga and Culion, which are inhabited by a race 
of dark Bisayans. There is a certain amount of trade 
in birds’ nests and tripang, as well as wax and tortoise¬ 
shell, and a steamer puts the group in monthly com¬ 
munication with Manila. In many of the islands are 
found the burial caves to which allusion has been already 
made, and a colony of Chinese seem to have been estab¬ 
lished in Culion in ancient days. The Cuyos are for the 
most part of very small size, but the Spaniards have had 
settlements on them for a long period. The island of 
Cuyo, which is entirely under cultivation, is now the 
capital of the Calamianes province—the former capital, 
Tai-tai, in north Palawan, having had to be abandoned 
on account of its unhealthiness. The town is provided 
with a large square fort, whose walls are 30 feet high 
by 12 feet in thickness, with towers at each of the four 
corners; but in 1884 there was only a single cannon 
serviceable. The military force is of the Guardia civil. 
Cattle form almost the only article of commerce. 
Palawan. 
The long and narrow island of Palawan, known to 
the French and Spanish as Paragua, projects like a horn 
from the northern extremity of Borneo, running north¬ 
east towards Mindoro. It has a length of about 250, 
