is one of the largest rivers of the island, and has its source in the range of mountains
called the Central Caraballos, disemboguing in the gulf of Lingayen.
Luzon, contrary to what is the case with Java and the other large islands of the
Malayan Archipelago, abounds in lakes, some of which are of great extent. By far
the largest is the Lago de Bay, already described, after which come those of Tâal,
Canaren, and Cagayan. But besides lakes, there are great periodical collections of
water, called in the native languages Pinag, produced by the overflowing of the rivers
in the low country during the rainy season, and which in the dry, either disappear or
are reduced to moderate sized lakes. The most extensive of these is the pinag of
Candava in the province of Bulacan, which, in some partB, is eight leagues broad at
the height of the rains, while in the dry season the greater part of it is dry land,
yielding rich pastures for numerous herds of cattle. Another of these periodical
lakes is that of Mangabol in the province of Pangasinan, and this has a circumference
of five leagues.
The coast line of Luzon is much broken by gulfs, bays, creeks, and estuaries.
Among the most remarkable bays on the western Bide are those of Lingayen, of
Manilla, of Balayan, of Batangas, of Ragay, and of Sorsogon. On the eastern coast,
we have those of Difun, of Lamon, of St. Miguel, of Lagonoy, and of Albay. Some
account of these will be found under their respective heads.
The geology of Luzon has not been explored by men of science, but it is certain
that a volcanic formation is very prevalent, although, not as in the case of Java and
several of the islands immediately east of it, where that formation is almost the
exclusive one. This is to be inferred by the existence, in considerable quantities, of
such minerals as iron, gold, copper, lead, coal and marble. The southern part of the
island, and especially the peninsula of Camarines, would appear, however, to be
for the most part volcanic, and here may be counted no fewer than nine different
volcanos, which, since the conquest, have been in a state of more or less activity.
The most formidable irruptions have proceeded from the mountain of Mayon in the
province of Albay, and from that of Taal or Bombon in that of Batangas. The lava
which has flowed from these has overwhelmed neighbouring towns, and the earthquakes
accompanying the irruptions have proved destructive, even in remote parts
of the island as well as in their neighbourhoods. See Bombon and Mayon. In some
instances mountains of considerable height have been swallowed up and disappeared,
as was the case in 1627 with one of the highest peaks of the Caraballos range in the
province of Cagayan, towards the northern end of the island.
The climate of Luzon may be inferred by its geographical position. I t is exposed
to the full influence of the monsoons that blow north of the equator. The north-east
prevails from November to March both inclusive, and corresponds with winter, and
the south-west from April to October, corresponding with summer. On the western
side of the island the rainy season begins in the middle of June and extends to the
middle of September, as in the greater part of continental India. On the eastern
side, on the contrary, the rains occur with the north-east monsoon, in consequence of
the great chain of the Caraballos, which produces, in this respect, the same results as
the chain of the Ghauts in Southern India. The annual fall of rain on the western
side of Luzon is very great. At Manilla it has been ascertained to be not less than
84 inches, nor to exceed 114, although the average fall throughout the island is
thought to exceed the medium of these numbers. At the same place, the thermometer
of Reaumur seldom rises above 29° or falls below 19°, so that the range is 10°.
Between the southern and northern ends of the island, there must be a considerable
difference of temperature, as the difference of latitude exceeds six degrees. : The high
lands also give rise to a considerable difference. Thus, in a beautiful mountain valley
called Benguet, about 12 leagues from the city of Manilla, Fahrenheit’s thermometer
falls from 47°to 45°. Two instances only are known of hail having fallen in Luzon,
viz., in May 1749 and in February 1803.
It is at the change from one monsoon to the other that typhoons or hurricanes
occur, and their violence is nowhere greater than in Luzon and the other more
northerly Philippines. In one of these, for example, which was felt at Manilla in
1831, several vessels were carried by the waves far above the beach inland, and a
corvette of 600 tons burthen, which lay in the port of Cavité, was actually cast on
the ramparts of the fort, while sheets of lead from the house-tops of Manilla were
carried by the force of the wind aci’oss the river Pasig.
The climate of Luzon is not an unhealthy one, nor is the greatest heat experienced
even equal to that of the summers of some temperate regions. Thus, Spaniards who
have had experience of both, assure us that the greatest heats of Manilla are short of
from the excessive fall of rain. The we Beason the lower parts of the
rain at times, without the eye can reac h ,-th e rivers
country are inundated, sh and the public roads become impassable,
overflow their banks, forming temp y in some parts, only by boats. The most
so that communication can be carried , d? orders from the most simple
frequent diseases are dysenteries and “" " " X U is of frequent occurrence,
affections of the skin up to leprosy, J? . looked for from much heat and
The vegetation of Luzon ^Th« mounUin sides and, indeed
moisture, acting on a soil usually o covered with a deep forest, many of
generally the greater portion of the country, are covereu b ship-building,
the trees of which furnish strong and durable timberfit tor houseana ip- .
Among these the Molavd and Dongon are consideied by the iSpmi P
even to the Teak, the first being used for and the
and spars. Other trees called the n o T S cultivation,
Banaba, are thought to be little inferior. P . g y none 0f which are
f u r n i s h pastures for numerous herds of ho > . n wdd to an extent
natives of the country, but which “ otwithstandmg a fact which
unknown in any of the great islands o _ y ^ Luzon_ The only cereals
would seem to attest the superior quali y & la dg wheat, all of them exotics,
cultivated are nee, maiz, and m some of the Ingher la farinaceous roots cul-
. S2 2 Z£SC‘.
The nipa yields materials for thatch, for matting, and for distillation. For fabro
materials, the plants cultivated are cotton, the abaca banana, and the or pme
apple. Indigo, coffee, and cocoa are the comparatively recent productions £ |" r o p ean
industry. The principal esculent fruits are the banana, of which the Spaniards reczon
no fewer than fifty-seven varieties,-the mango the orange,
musk melon. The mango is described as of excellent
Spanish writer who had visited other parts of India, superior to that, of any ot^the
anti indeed he adds superior to all fruits, except the melon of Valentia. iJesiaes
these, Spanish writers enumerate a hundred other fruits, most of them towever
either worthless or of small account. Neither the mangostin nor the dunan, the
choice fruits of the Malayan islands, are found in Luzon, the rather boisterous climate
of which is probably unsuited to them. j . r
The most remarkable wild animals of Luzon are several species of monkey and of
deer, with homes, oxen and buffaloes, become wil<L The r i g e r a n d e o p a r d so
frequent in the western islands of the Malay Archipelago d°. ! ^ d’ montfts’
which, of the feline family, possesses only one, called by the Spaniards gato de mo •
Of the weasel family there are two species, the Viverra musanga, known by its Malay
name musang; and one civet cat, both probably introduced Of the family of Pachy-
dermata, the hog is the only native, but of what species that native one is hiYS O
been ascertained. The rhinoceros, the tapir, and the elephant, are a l l wanting.
Spanish writers have come to the conclusion that the elephant must, at one time, have
existed, from their discovering a name for it in the native languages. This supposed
native name is, however, the Sanscrit one, gajah, evidently borrowed from the Malays
and Javanese, with whom it is in universal use, even where the elephant is
indigenous. This is like concluding that the lion was once a denizen of Rngland,
because we have a name for it taken from the Latin. __ , , ,,
The largest of the birds of Luzon is the gigantic crane, so well known to the
English in India under the name of the Adjutant, the Cicoma argela of naturalists.
I t produces also the swallow which furnishes the esculent nest, the common lowl in
the wild state, and a great number of species of the pigeon and parrot families, as yet
for the most part, undescribed. Among serpents, there are several which are poisonous,
and a python equal in size to those of any other part of India. Alligators an or-
toises are numerous, and among the latter both the esculent and that which yields t e
shell of commerce. Of all the countries of the east, Luzon seems to be the most a bun an
in fish, both of the sea and fresh water. They are especially abundant m the lakes an
rivera,—even, indeed, in the flooded fields during the periodical rains. Spanish wri ers
enumerate ten different kinds of esculent fish, as being the most abundant. Of these,