THE ISLAND OF BATANAS.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 10586, 15 October 1910, Page 3 (Supplement)

T HE ISLAND OF BATANAS.

lie capital of the northernmost pro,B of the Philippine Islands, Santo (le Basco, on "the Island of ianes, is an interesting place. The jtof the transports lies a few hours iming "est of the group, passing bean them and the Island of Formosa, ■ieir way to Nagasaki, yet compararov few have visited this group of

ids. it. Louis Ottofy, who lias recently creed to Manila from this part of girchipolago, states :t — •into Domingo has a population of at 2UOO and is entirely different 3 any other town in the Philippines. :ie first place all the buildings are •js-ae and. white-washed. The roofs = made of cogon grass, closely jtd so as to afford no purchase to L-svere typlioons which sweep over jjslands. -Tbe streets are about twelve feet -j. many of them paved.with stone. •■j trails extend along both sides of s streets their full length, giving 2 the appearance of lanes. The b arc about three to five feet in si:, broken at intervals for entrance E yards, which in turn are sepa■iirom each other by stone walls, sof the yards were clean and exEiill.v neat and attractive. .'provincial building, presidencia, idwiise, church, and the parochial are all built of stone, neatly Slashed, and the grass covered r. t'em-od by a low stone wall, was ;« of neatness. idikc most Filipino towns there snopijrs or goats at large; they are sad to walled-jn sections below tirel of the streets. I noticed but r 'k<3 and they seemed to be well s. There is not a single Chinaman in 3KHi: in fact for that matter not 2on any of the islands among a rJiiioii of about 8000. "There were >ko white men there, the priest, i-ikd been there for 27 years; the sanor. who, I was told, is a ami; tivo Spaniards who arc cattle ~p. and one American connected Sihe Bureau of Public Works. "fee is not a single storo in the > The sole industry is the raising 'Utile, which are called for by jctslYoiu Aparri or Manila. When - : « the .steamers anchors there the pare paid for in cash ranging from ?b £'B a head. Some of the resia> then take the steamer for the ~ port on the Island of Luzon, bring 5 anions and garlic with them, and :.fe purchasing for themselves and Sr mends. Jlte women wear a peculiar head's made of cogon grass to protect -a trom sun and rain, and without : ; exception each one lifted it in k ,f:!°"\ *' or three months of the ;j 'he islands are, typhoon swept, can approach them, and -rtimes, tliough a regular-mail serf,K now established, they are shut • ! »m outside contact." .- "