PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY OF THE ARCHIPELAGO.
One of the things which history should teach us is how to make the
future better than the past has been. History teaches people about the
brave deeds done by their ancestors, and about what has been suffered
for the good of the land by those who have passed away. It is well for a
people to consider from time to time what manner of country theirs has
been. Only by doing this can they know how to serve its interests, and
to secure for it the best future that is possible.
For the Philippine Islands a very bright future may be hoped. How soon
prosperity and happiness will come to the country depends, however, more
largely upon its own people than upon any outside influence. The
Americans in the Philippines can only advise and teach; the actual work
of building up the country, and of making it a power in the Orient, must
be done by the Filipinos.
Let us take a look at the country as it is to-day, and learn something
of its nature and of its resources. Of all the islands, Luzon is the
largest, and, at the present time, the most important. It is a
delightful place, with lofty mountains, fertile plains, and beautiful
rivers. But beautiful as it is to-day, it possesses possibilities which,
if developed, will make it indeed what the Spanish were wont so proudly
to call it, “the Pearl of the Orient.”
On the west coast of Luzon are two important bays, Lingayen (lin gī ān´)
and Manila, with several smaller ones, as Subig (sö´big), Balayan (bä
lī´än), Batangas, and Tyabas, on the west and south. On the northern
side most of the great mountain ranges sweep down to the sea, sending
out spurs of land that form little coves or harbors; while on the south
coast lies the safely sheltered harbor of Sorsogon (sȯr sō gōn´).
The mountains in the western part of the island are broken up into
practically three ranges, none more than thirty or forty miles long, and
all known by one name, Sierra de Ilocos (sē e´rä dā ē lō´cos). Short
spurs of hills run out from all these, so that there is very little
level land in this section. A plain of small extent lies about Vigan (vē
gän´), and there is also the valley of the Abra (ä´brä), which is long
and narrow. East of the central cordillera and stretching out toward the
Sierra Madres (mä´drās) hills, is a beautiful valley over a hundred
miles long, and in some parts very wide. Through it runs the Rio Grande
de Cagayan (kä gī än´), with several smaller streams emptying into it.
Here is some of the best tobacco land in the country, and tobacco is
about the only crop raised. It was made the main crop during the years
of government monopoly, so that the cultivation of rice, of cocoa, and
of all the native products was driven out. This has been a great
misfortune to the country. The land is adapted to a variety of crops. It
is rich and fertile, and could be made to raise nearly all the food
crops needed by its inhabitants. The people have come, however, to
depend entirely upon one crop, and in years when the tobacco crop fails
there is great need in the country.
Another great valley, the finest and richest in Luzon, stretches from
the bay of Lingayen to Manila Bay. It has some 3,000 square miles of
fine farming land. The provinces of Pangasinan, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija,
Pampanga, and Manila lie in this valley. It is a well watered region.
The Rio Grande, the Chico, the Agno, and the Dagupan rivers flow through
it, besides numerous smaller streams.
In the central part of the plain rises Mount Arayat (ä rī ät´), a
volcanic mountain which in a clear day can be seen from Manila. It is
claimed that this mountain rose suddenly from the plain in a single
night, during some earthquake disturbance in the year 1700. We find this
statement made in apparent good faith by some scientific authorities. We
know that the mountain is of volcanic origin, and that it was formed
only a few hundred years ago; but there is no reliable record of when it
made its appearance, or of how long it was in forming.
Southward, in Batangas Province, is Lake Bombon. In the middle of this
lake is Taal volcano, whose many eruptions have in times past worked
destruction in that neighborhood. The lake, also, is of volcanic origin.
There must once have been a great mountain here, which sank during some
upheaval, forming the lake and the present volcano of Taal.
The country all about the lake is very fertile, and under good
cultivation. The principal crop there is coffee, of which an excellent
quality is grown; and formerly it was produced in very great quantities.
Rice, Indian corn, cotton, and all kinds of vegetables common to the
tropics, grow there in great abundance. These can be made a source of
profit in supplying the markets of Manila. There is a great deal of alum
about Taal volcano, and it is said that a good quality of iron is found
in the mountains of this province.
In Laguna Province is Bay (bī) Lake, or Laguna de Bay. This is a body of
fresh water, with an outlet by the Pasig River, which flows down to
Manila Bay. Light draft steamers run up the Pasig and through the lake,
and on this beautiful waterway is a constant throng of craft, going up
and down with produce for the different ports.
There is very fine timber in the island of Luzon, particularly in
Tayabas, Camarines Norte, and Ilocos Norte. Some gold has been found in
the mountains about these provinces, and specimens of many other
minerals have been brought to Manila.
In Camarines Sur lies the valley of the Vigan, in which are several
small lakes. There are large rice fields here, and the quality of the
rice is very fine. Large quantities of it are sent to Manila.
One of the richest and most fertile parts of the whole island is Albay
(äl bī´) Province, in the southeastern corner. This is a particularly
beautiful part of the island. Here is Mayon volcano, which is called by
scientists the most beautiful volcano in the world. It is the most
perfectly formed and symmetrical, but it is no more desirable a neighbor
than are volcanoes anywhere. In past years it has wrought great
destruction in the country, but of late has been quiet, and seems to be
on its good behavior.
[Illustration:
MAYON VOLCANO.
]
The rich volcanic soil of this district will produce almost anything
that can be made to grow in a tropical country. Very fine hemp grows
here, probably the best that the islands produce. Cocoa, coffee, sugar,
and rice all do well. Cocoanuts, bananas, all the fruits and vegetables
of the islands, grow in Albay, with scarcely any cultivation. The
climate is mild, and very healthful, and near Tibi are hot sulphur
springs which are said to cure rheumatism and numerous other ills.
The most important of the smaller islands lying out from Luzon are
Mindoro (mēn dō´rō) and Masbate (mäs bä´tā). These are small and very
mountainous. Mindoro is deeply wooded, but only a little is known of the
interior of the island.
The great bay of Manila is twenty miles long and thirty-two miles wide.
It has a depth in some places of seventy feet. It is entered by two
channels, one on either side of Corregidor Island. The main one is
called the Boca Grande (bō´kä grän´dā); the other, which is smaller, the
Boca Chica (bō´kä chē´kä). The bay is so large that it is more like an
inland sea than a bay; in fact, it is too large to afford secure
anchorage for vessels during great storms.
The Visayas form the second large division of the Philippine
archipelago. This is a group of islands, six in number, which lie
between Luzon and Mindanao. They are very thickly populated. The Visayan
people seem almost a distinct race—different from those of Luzon, and
from their neighbors of Mindanao. They speak a language of their own,
and are inclined to regard themselves as a separate people. Now that new
conditions prevail in the islands, and there is better communication
between the Visayas and Luzon, much of this feeling of separation among
the people will probably soon be overcome. It is to be hoped that it
will be. The people of the Philippines must come to feel that they are
one people, with common interests, and that all must work together to
develop the whole country.
Iloilo, the principal city of the Visayas, is on the island of Panay. It
is an open seaport, and will in time become a very important city. It
was destroyed during the insurrection, but is now rapidly building up
again. Under good management it will some day be one of the main
shipping centers of the archipelago.
[Illustration:
WEAVING JUSI.
]
Iloilo Province is a great sugar and rice growing district. It is,
besides, noted for the fine fabrics which its people make. This is the
center for the manufacture of the cloth known as jusi. The women
manufacture also most exquisite piña cloth. Some of this is of so fine a
quality that it has to be woven in closed rooms, for the slightest
breeze would serve to break the delicate threads of which it is made.
Very beautiful silk and cotton goods are also made in this province.
Since the American occupation there has come to be a large demand in
America for these goods, so that the people engaged in the industry are
kept very busy.
The island of Negros, which lies to the southeast of Panay, is an
important agricultural island. A great deal of sugar is grown here, and
there is much wealth in the island. Many of the large sugar estates are
owned by Filipinos. Considerable modern machinery has been introduced
into the island. Steel plows are in use, and in many places sugar is
manufactured by improved modern methods. All of these things have helped
to make Negros very prosperous. If the planters here would combine and
introduce machinery for refining their own sugar they would come in time
to an even greater measure of prosperity and independence than they now
enjoy. Rice, hemp, and some tobacco are raised in Negros, and fine
cocoanuts and bananas grow wild.
The island of Cebu is little more than the top of a mountain rising from
the sea. A good deal of historic interest centers here, however. The
city of Cebu was the first seat of Spanish government, and remained the
capital of the archipelago until Legaspi went to Luzon and set up his
government in Manila. Cebu was made an open seaport by the Spanish, and
although its exports are not large now, when the resources of this
island are developed the city will become an important shipping center.
There is a large Malay population in the island. There are no rivers or
valleys; the land is broken up into small farms, and hemp is the
principal crop. The island produces also a good deal of copra and raw
sugar, and the people raise most of their own foodstuffs.
Bohol, Leyte, and Samar are all volcanic islands. They are mountainous,
and subject to frequent earthquakes and similar disturbances. There is
not much agricultural land in Bohol, and the soil is poor and thin; but
a good deal of hemp is raised, and some cocoa. The people are fishermen
and sailors, and earn their living from the sea. Although Bohol is much
smaller than Cebu, it has a larger population.
Leyte ships more hemp than does any other of the Visayan islands. There
are several good harbors on this island, but Tacloban is the chief
shipping point. Very little is known of the interior of Leyte, for the
country has not been developed.
Samar is the largest of the Visayan islands, but has the smallest
population. It is a very mountainous country, wind-swept and beaten upon
by the sea. It lies directly in the track of the northeast monsoons,
which visit it with great fury. Its chief port, Catbalogan, is well
sheltered and a safe harbor.
Between the north of Samar and the southern end of Luzon lies the famous
Strait of San Bernardino. This is one of the principal entrances into
the archipelago from the Pacific Ocean. It has been the scene of many a
famous sea battle, for here the Dutch and the English ships used to lie
in wait for the galleons of Spain which brought treasure from Mexico to
the Philippines and carried out rich freights for Acapulco.
Next in size to Luzon is the island of Mindanao. It was on the north
coast of this island that Magellan made his first landing in the
Philippines. There are four great mountain ranges in Mindanao, with many
high peaks. The island is rich in vast forests, and some day the world
will draw its main supply of fine building lumber from them.
[Illustration:
THE FALLS OF BOTOCAN IN LUZON.
]
Although Mindanao is of volcanic formation, and has even within historic
times undergone great changes, there is only one active volcano in the
island. This is Mount Apo (ä´pō), a few miles from the coast of Davao
(dä vä´ō) Gulf. The mountain has three peaks. The top is covered with
sulphur, which sometimes gleams white as snow in the sunshine and at
other times makes Apo look like a mountain of gold.
There are a number of fine rivers and lakes on Mindanao. The best port
in the island is Balanag (bä lä-näg´), in the Gulf of Davao. The harbor
of Zamboanga is very good, and there is a still better harbor at
Lindangan (lēn dän´gän). Nowhere on the island, however, are there such
sheltered harbors as are found on the southern coast of Luzon.
Very few storms visit this part of the archipelago. The typhoons only
touch one corner of it in the far northeast. The climate of Mindanao is
more healthful than it has in the past been supposed to be. The soil is
very rich and fertile, and almost any tropical crop can be readily grown
there. Hemp, sugar-cane, tobacco, coffee, cocoa, rice, Indian corn, and
many other things are raised, and all do well; but the island is
backward as regards development. No serious attempt has ever been made
to build up its agriculture or its commerce. There are many tribes
living among its mountains whose names, even, are not known to the
civilized people of the archipelago. There are few Malays in Mindanao,
and their manufactures and industries have never been encouraged. Some
gold has been found in the hills, and silver is plentiful. Coal has also
been discovered in the mountains.
It is likely, however, that when Mindanao is opened up and its resources
are better known, it will be found that its wealth consists less in
minerals than in vegetable growths. We already know that the vegetation
of the island, little as it has been developed, surpasses that of Luzon
and the Visayas. The soil is of excellent quality, and the rains are so
abundant and the climate is so favorable that the entire island is
covered with vegetation. In the forests are found India rubber vines,
mahogany, ironwood, teak, ebony, and other trees of great value. There
are immense tangles of bamboo and rattan; hemp and banana trees grow
well, and cloves, nutmegs, and cinnamon.
This great island is divided into seven districts—Zamboanga, Misamis,
Suragao (sö rä gä´ō), Davao, Cottabato (kot tä bä´tō), Basilan (bäs ē
län´), and Lanay (län ī´). Although the population is small in
comparison with the great extent of the island, seventeen different
dialects are spoken among its people. Zamboanga is the capital town of
Mindanao. It has a good port, although somewhat open to the sea, and in
the river Masdong, three miles to the southeast, is safe anchorage,
protected from all winds.
South of Mindanao lies the Sulu archipelago. It is made up of four
groups. The population of this archipelago is estimated at between
20,000 and 30,000; but so very little is known about it that this
estimate is not likely to be correct. Joló, the capital city, on the
island of Sulu, is the residence of the sultans. It is a beautiful town,
clean and well-kept. It has a good port, and a line of steamers runs
direct from Joló to Singapore, and another to Manila. The vegetation of
this archipelago is very like that of Mindanao. There is abundance of
teak, mahogany, cedar, and other highly prized woods. Horses, cattle,
buffaloes, and goats are plentiful. The people of Joló manufacture fine
knives and chisels. The pearl fisheries of the archipelago are also very
important.
[Illustration:
A RIVER SCENE ON THE ISLAND OF LUZON.
]
Lying far off to the west, with the Sulu Sea on one side and the China
Sea on the other, with Borneo on the south and the island of Mindoco to
the north, is the long, narrow island of Palaúan (päl ä-wän´). The
Spanish called it Paragua (pär´a gwā). This island is inhabited chiefly
by the wild tribes. There are some 10,000 or more of the native
Christian population, and perhaps 10,000 Moros.
Palaúan, on account of its geographical position, is very important to
the archipelago. It will become important also from a commercial point
of view, as it forms, with the island Balabac (bäl´ä bäk), the Strait of
Balabac. At certain times of the year sailing vessels are compelled to
pass through this strait to enter the archipelago.
The rattan grown in this island is very fine. It is the best that comes
to Manila, and the trade in it is enormous. The tree from which gum
mastic is obtained grows there in great abundance, as well as other
trees producing resin. The island has fine pasture lands, with large
numbers of cattle, carabao, goats, and wild hogs; and there are found
the famous edible birds’ nests so much prized by the Chinese that they
sometimes pay for them twice their weight in silver. The island has not
been very well explored, but it is said to be rich in minerals.
South of Palaúan lies the little island of Balabac. It is only
thirty-six miles long and eight or ten wide, with a population of 3,000
or 4,000. Its only town is Balabac. Its forest growths are like those of
Palaúan, and there is said to be an abundant deposit of coal there.
_Questions._—Name some of the principal rivers of Luzon. Where is the
best tobacco land in this island? Where does the finest hemp grow?
What minerals are found on Luzon? Where is Laguna de Bay? What is its
outlet? Where on Luzon is the best timber found? How large is Manila
Bay?
What are the Visayas? What is the principal city of this group? Where
is it? What are its manufactures? What are the principal products of
Negros? Why is Cebu of interest historically? What is the principal
crop on this island? What sort of soil has Bohol? How do the people
live there? What is the principal crop on Leyte? What is its chief
city? Which is the largest of the Visayan islands? How does its
population compare with that of the other islands of the group? What
sort of country is it? Where is the Strait of San Bernardino? Why is
it famous?
Where is Mindanao? Where, on Mindanao, did Magellan first land? Are
there any active volcanos on the island? What sort of climate has
Mindanao? Is it a well watered country? What are its products? What is
its capital city? Has it any good harbors? Where is the Sulu
archipelago? What is its capital city? What sort of town is it? What
do the people manufacture? Where is Palaúan? Where is the Strait of
Balabac? Why is this strait important? Where is the island of Balabac?
[Illustration]