TAYLOR Facts About The Philippines
TAYLOR Facts About The Philippines
TAYLOR Facts About The Philippines
Philippines
3m W. Caytor
ASIA
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John M. E:! : ts CoSaakm
on Soixti'.Ti^'i: Asia
KROCHUBRARY -
Cornell University
Library
http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924072210663
CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
BY
Mm W. Ti^TL©!
EX-SUPERINTENDENT CITY SCHOOLS, SAN FRANCISCO
SAN FRANCISCO
Cunningham, Curtiss & Welch.
1899
Copyright, 1899, by John W. Taylok.
NOTE.
Since my return from the Philippine Islands, in April of
this year, I have been impressed by the general desire ex-
hibited in this country for information regarding this new
possession of ours. So many mistaken ideas prevail in
regard to the Archipelago, its extent, its people, its re-
sources, climate, products and possibilities, that it has
seemed to me worth while to put into compact form the
salient facts on these points. I have purposely abstained
all
CHAPTER I.
HISTORIC.
FIRST APPEARANCE IN HISTORY. The first his-
toric mention which we have of the territory now known
as the Philippine Archipelago, occurs in a record of
1509, in which year certain Portuguese navigators, re-
turning from a voyage, reported having seen in the har-
bor of Malacca the ships of dusky traders from some
island country in the great Pacific. Not until twelve
years later, however, were the islands actually dis-
covered by Europeans.
DISCOVERY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO. On
October, 1520, the great navigator, Magellen, dis-
covered the long-sought-for seaway now known as
the Straits of Magellen, sailed through it, and on the
26th day of November entered the Pacific Ocean. On
March i6th, 1521, with a fleet of three vessels, he
reached the Ladrone Islands. Continuing their voyage,
Magellen and his captains came to the Island of Min-
danao, second in size of the Philippine group, and coasted
along the north shore until, in Easter week, they reached
the mouth of the Butuan River. Here they were kindly
received by the chief of Mindanao and his subjects, who
supplied them with provisions, of which they were
greatly in need. The voyagers landed and celebrated
mass, and shortly afterwards Magellen took formal
possession of the territory in the name of the king of
Spain. The fleet then proceeded north to the island
of Cebu, accompanied by the chief of Butuan. The
natives of Cebu were at first inclined to be hostile, but
the chief represented that the strangers were peaceful
people who sought to provision their ships, upon which
representation they received the travelers kindly.
6 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
ON MAY 1st, 1898, during the war between Spain and the
United States, an American fleet, under Admiral
George Dewey, entered Manila harbor and completely
destroyed the Spanish fleet lying at anchor there. On
the 13th day of August, of the same year, the United
States having sent an army to the assistance of Admiral
Dewey, an attack was made on the city of Manila,
FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. 7
Area
in Sq. Miles. Population.
Calamiines 339 16,380
Samar 5,337 200,753
Panay 4i47o i, 000,000
CHAPTER II.
THE PEOPI.E.
Filipinos.
THE.MACABEBES are a very fierce and warlike tribe in
the and eastern part of Luzon. They are
central
implacable enemies of thfe Spaniards and were regarded
by them as a formidable foe,
THE IGORROTE-CHINESE. In the latter part of 1574
a Chinese pirate named Li-rna-hong, who had made an
unsuccessful attack on Manila, was forced to flee,.with
his juaks, from the Spanish. In doing- this he aban-
doned a, number of his soldiers whom he had sent
inland to hold the attention of the enemy, while the
14 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
CHAPTER III.
PHYSICAL, GBOGRAPHY.
THE TOTAL AREA OF THE PHILIPPINE ARCH-
IPELAGO is about 114,356 square miles. The islands
unknown. The
vegetation is so dense that geologists
can only study the ppbbles of the alluvium, or surface
soil, without being able to form any idea of the under-
lying strata. There are, also, no deep cuttings made
by mining or other operations, such as help the geolo-
gist to a knowledge of the rocks and soils in "other
countries. , .
Madia-as.on feet.
i8 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
CHAPTER IV.
ANIMAL LIFE.
THE MAMMALS native to the islands are few in num-
ber,but the majority of them are species native to the
Archipelago. The only one really to be feared is the
wild buffalo, which here, as elsewhere, is fierce and un-
tamable. The natives do not hunt him much, but he
affords capital sport for the European hunter, and the
flesh is said to be very good eating. There is also a
domesticated buffalo in the islands, which is the sole
available beast for draught or heavy burden.
WILD PIGS are abundant, and hunting the wild boar is a
favorite sport on all the islands. Ihese pigs are sup-
posed to have descended from animals brought over in
very early days by the Chinese.
DEER. There are three varieties of deer. One of these is
the chevrotain, or mouse deer, a pretty little creature
smaller than the domestic cat. This is found chiefly in
Bataan, on Luzon. Of the others, one variety, Cervus
Philippensis, belongs exclusively to these islands.
CIVETS AND CATS. There are two varieties of civets
and one wild cat in the islands. The natives make a
musk-like perfume from the peculiar secretion of the
civet, and esteem it very highly. The odor of this per-
fume is one of the characteristic smells which new-
comers inManila notice.
RODENTS are few, two or three varieties of rats, a few
squirrels and a porcupine making up the number.
MONKEYS, ETC. One monkey (Chongo of the Tagols)
is found on all the islands, and on Mindanao is a pure
CHAPTER IV.
THE SUI,U ARCHIPELAGO.
EARLY SETTLEMENT. In the first part of the i6th
century, Paguian Tindig, a chief of Borneo, on account
of family quarrels, left that country, with a band of
warriors, and settled, first, on the island of Basilan.
Afterwards Tindig, leaving his cousin Adasaolan on
Basilan, went with his followers to the island of Sulu.
Here Tindig established his sultanate throughout the
six groups of small islands, now known as the Sulu
Archipelago. These, with the island of Basilan, really
constitute a continuation of the large island of Minda-
nao Adasaolan continued to reign over Basilan until,,
moved by ambition, he took up arms against his cousin
and undertook to conquer the Sulu Archipelago. In the
battle between his forces and those of the Sultan, Tin-
dig, the latter was killed. The victor, however, instead
of establishing his sway over Sulu, went back to Basilan
and Rajah Bongso reigned in Tindig's stead.
THE MOHAMMEDAN RELIGION haJ sometime pre-
vious been introduced into Mindanao by Arabian mis-
sionaries. Adasaolan married a daughter of the king^
of Mindanao, and embraced the faith, which he after-
wards introduced into Sulu. In course of time it spread
throughout the Archipelago, and at the present time-
there are, in the six groups, about 100,000 Mohamme-
dans, with more than twice that number on Mindanas,.
and several thousands on the island of Palawan. Over
all these the Sultan of Sulu has sovereignty. Although
nominally a vassal of Spain, he is practically an inde-
pendent ruler, Spain's sovereignty never having been
more than a name.
It is probably owing, in a measure, to the fact that^
unlike the Filipinos, these people of the south had a
deep-rooted religious faith not easy to be shaken, and,,
in still larger measure, to their own fierce, warlike
natures and their indifference to pain, even to death
itself,that they haVe never been really conquered
by the Spaniards.
34 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
CHAPTER VI.
THE CLIMATE.
THE GENERAL CHARACTER of the climate of the
Philippines is tropical, but owing to the extent of the
country, and to its position, a very wide range of tem-
perature and local conditions is to .be observed.
THE SEASONS. Generally speaking, there are three
seasons, cold, hot and wet. The first begins usually
about the first of November, and lasts until the end of
February. The temperature then is delightful; the air
balmy and springlike, with northerly winds, a clear sky
and bracing atmosphere. Fires are not needed, but in
the cool of the morning flannels are comfortable. The
hot season begins about March 1st, and lasts to until
June. The heat is very oppressive before the begin-
ning of the southerly monsoons, and in May and June
there are thunderstorms and typhoons. During July,
August, September and October it rains the greater
part of the time, the lakes rise, rivers .overflow and
much low country is flooded.
TEMPERATURE RECORDS.; The following records
of temperature, kept for the whole Archipelago, at the
'
Manila observatory, show' the mean temperature and
FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. 27
Da a
< Mean temperature 86°90" 88°7o" 87°! 1''
CHAPTER VI.
Tubao 12,000
ISABELA PROVINCE.
Ilagan (capital) 11,105
Gabagan 10,000
PANGASINAN PROVINCE.
Lingayan (capital) 17,612
San Carlos 26,000
Dagupan 10,932
Binnialey 13,767
Calasiao 12,319
Malasiqui 10,834
Several others of 10,000 or more inhabitants in this
Province.
NEW ECIJA.
Gapan 20,000
TARLAC PROVINCE.
Tarlac (capital) 10,000
Concepcion 10,000
Victoria 11,190
FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. 33
PAMPANGA PROVINCE.
City. Population.
Macabebe 19,472
Candava 1 3.1 35
Lubao 20,498
Mexico 16,639
BULACAN PROVINCE.
Bulacan (capital) 14,000
Balinag 15 ,000
San Miguel de Mayunio 20,418
CAVITE PROVINCE.
Indan 13,008
Bacoor 14,000
Imus 14,000
San Roque 10,692
LAGUNA PROVINCE.
Santa Cruz (capital) 13,656
Binan IS, 512
Calamba 11 ,597
BATANGAS PROVINCE
Batangas (capital) 37,35°
Villa de Lipa 38,701
Banang 38,416
Taal 33.000
Several others exceeding 20,000 population.
TAYABAS PROVINCE.
Tayabas (capital) 15.912
Lucban 12,200
NORTH CAMARINES.
Daet (capital) 11 ,640
SOUTH CAMARINES.
Libmanan 14,603
Nabua 16,572
Iriga 14.074
34 FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES.
ALBAY PROVINCE.
City. Population.
Albay (capital) 10,587
Tabaco 18,142
Cagsaua 20,263
Camalig 17,217
Gumobatan 18,889
Ligao ; 17.849
Several others with 10,000 inhabitants.
CHAPTER VIII.
THE FORESTS.
THE PRIMEVAL FOREST of the Philippines still
CHAPTER IX.
A-GRICULTURE AND FOOD PRODUCTS.
THE STAPLE FOOD of the natives in the Philippines is
rice. Besides this the plants of primary commercial
value are tobacco, manila-hemp, sugar cane, coffee and
cocoa.
THE BEST TOBACCO is grown in the Cacaygan Valley,
CHAPTER X.
COMMERCE AND MANUFACTURES.
THE SPANISH have never been a commercial people
and for this reason
Spain has not, in the whole course
of her history, made any attempt to develop the natural
resources of her colonies. Her policy has been rather
to restrict and hinder commercial enterprise in her
dependencies, while at the same time she has .system-
atically taken from them all revenues obtainable, even
those which, of very necessity, should have been de-
voted to the upbuilding of the colonies that they might
become a further source of revenue. The results of this
shortsighted policy are particularly manifest in the
Philippines, where even such enterprise as the natives
might be inclined to manifest is checked by their knowl-
edge that for them to acquire competence would be but
the signal for furthur extortion from the mother coun-
try.
FACTS ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES. 41