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.

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.

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.

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.

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?