Rensselaer Democrat, Volume 1, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 27 May 1898 — Facts About The Philippines. [ARTICLE]

Facts About The Philippines.

Few of us realize that the Philippines, which are attracting so much attention at present, comprise over 1,400 large and small islands, tha larger of which have never been thoroughly explored. Even Luzon, the chief island of the group, and where the capital city Manila is situated, is the home of savage tribes which inhabit the interior of the island unmolested and almost unknown.

The Philippines are of volcanic formation and are exceedingly rich in vegetable life. The mountains, some of which are 9,(XX) feet high, are covered with dense forests and wonderful tropical verdure. The hot season will soon begin to make all but the very shady places of the islands almost unbearable, and terrible thunderstorms will add to th.o discomfort of the residents.

In spite of the great woods, which might form ideal homes for wild animals, only a few species inhabit the islands. Perhaps the most interesting of these is a white monkey found in the island of! Mindanao. It is a great pet among j the islanders, often sold in the streets of Manila. For farm i work the natives use buffaloes al- i most exclusively. Among the curi-' osities of the Philippines are the great taclobo shells, which often are found as large as a bushel basket and weigh over 200 pounds. The natives, or Aetas, have some , queer habits. For instance, many ' of them smoke cigars with the burning end between the teeth. L They tattoo themselves and wear hardly any clothing and are usually very small. The islands have been j under Spanish dominion for 300 years.