Islands, particularly in low and swampy lands, which they contribute by their density
and numerous prickles to render nearly impenetrable. They vary in size from a few
lines to a couple of inches in diameter, and creeping along the ground or climbing trees
they often extend to the length of several hundred yards. By the natives they are
used for almost every purpose of cordage. The greater number of those exported are
the produce of Sumatra and Borneo. The Malays, with a generic name for the whole
family, distinguish the different kinds, which are probably distinct species, by adding
an epithet to them. The general name is rotan, of which the European ratan is an
obvious corruption. I t is thought to be derived from the verb rawat, which in Malay
means “ to pare or trim,” in reference to the process by which the canes are prepared
for use.
CALANTAN. The name of a Malay state on the eastern side of the peninsula.
See Kalantau.
CALASUNGAY. The name of a wild or infidel tribe of the island of Mindano,
in the Spanish province of Misamis, lately brought under subjection by the Spaniards,
and among whom a Christian mission was established in 1849.
CALINGrAS. The name of one of the many wild tribes of the island of Luzon
inhabiting a range of mountains lying between the rivers Apayo and Tajo within the
province of Cagayan. The Calingas, a brown-complexioned people, with lank hair,
are among the most numerous and advanced of the wild tribes of the Philippines,
cultivating rice and raising fine tobacco. They are of a peaceful and docile character,
and by the indefatigable zeal of the Spanish missionaries a few of them have been
converted to Christianity.
CAM A TUNES. A province of the island of Luzon, divided in 1829 into two, a
northern and southern. The name is taken from the Spanish word Camarina, “ a
closet or dressing-room,” which, in Manilla, is applied to the porch or portico of
a house. The nipa-palms used in the construction of these, when Manilla was first
built, were obtained from that part of Luzon which now bears the name. The
Camarines constitute the principal portion of the peninsula which makes the southern
end of Luzon; the province of Albay forming its extremity, and that of Tayabas the
isthmus. It has three great bays, that of Ragay to the south, and of Lamon or Sogod
to the north-west, between which lies the isthmus while to the south and southeast
are the spacious gulfs of San Miguel and Logonay. The chain of the Caraballos
mountains which run from north to south through the whole island, necessarily
traverses it, and several of its peaks are active volcanos, the volcanic formation
prevailing throughout the whole of the two provinces. Within them are the large
lakes of Bato, Buhi, and Baao, and many rivers, of which the Naga is the largest.
This receives the waters of the lakes just named, empties itself in the bay of San
Miguel, and is navigable to a considerable distance by vessels of 200 tons’ burden.
On the* north-eastern coast, there are many small islands, but none of any consideration,
for Catanduanes belongs to the province of Albay. The two provinces of North
and South Camarines contain between them an area of 2845 geographical square miles.
The climate of the Camarines is considered by tbe Spaniards agreeable and
healthy. The soil is fruitful, yielding abundantly all the usual product's of the
Philippines, but rice and tbe textile banana or abaca are the staple products. The
more active ox is substituted for the heavy and slow buffalo generally used in
agricultural labour in the other provinces, a proof of a light and dry soil, as well as of
improved husbandry. The Camarines are traversed by good roads, and their rivers
well bridged, the bridges being sometimes of stone, but more frequently of bamboo.
In 1849 the province of North Camarines contained 28,329 inhabitants, of whom
3965 were subject to the capitation-tax, which amounted to 39,650 reals of plate.
In the same year the much more extensive province of South Camarines contained
115,575 inhabitants, of whom 26,649 paid the capitation-tax, which amounted to
266 490 reals of plate. By the census of 1818 the population of the two provinces
was only 113,893, so that in 30 years an increase of about one-fourth had taken
place. Taking the two provinces together, the rate of population to the square mile
gives 50’5.
CAMBOJA, o r CAMBODIA, in M a lay , c o rre c tly K am b o ja , w h ic h is b e lie v ed to
be a name derived from th e Sanscrit. T his is th e same cou n try which is b e tte r
known to th e Malays u n d e r th e name of Champa. The P ro p e r Cambojans a re a
people distinct in manners and language from those of Lao and Siam to th e north,
and from those of Anam to the south and east of them. Their proper country extends
along the eastern coast of the gulf of Siam up to the 12° of north latitude, and along
the shore of the China Sea up to about 107° of east longitude. When the Portuguese
first arrived in the Indian Seas, the Cambojans are described as being the most
potent people between Pegu and Tonquin. They have long ceased to be so most of
their country having been wrested from them by the Coehin-Chinese from the south
and the Siamese from the north, so that as far as the sea-coast is concerned thev aré
at present reduced to the single port of Kâmpot, lying on a small river which falls
into a bay, the head of which is in about 11° of north latitude. Much of Camboia is
an alluvial country, productive in rice. Its forests yield in greater perfection and
abundance than any others, the eagle wood or agila, and they alone furnish the well-
known drug gamboge, the name of which is a corruption of that of the country In
the early period of the commerce of Europeans with India, when from imperfect
w ^ “ ®P°rt was m , such commodities as these were of more
mport than the substantially more valuable ones of sugar, cotton, and corn, which
from their bulk could not bear the expensive freights of the time.
CAMEL This quadruped, fitted for the dry sands of the Desert, is wholly
unsuited to the humid climate and forest-clad islands of the Asiatic Archipelago,
case \vhhth™k,n°WI1 natlve3> exceP* by ife* Sanscrit name Unta, just as is the
CApiÍ?iTES' ■T1he ,f am,e °f a e r°uP of islets iQ the strait between the two large
Philippine islands of Çebu and Leyté. They are included in the province of the
latter name, but they are inconsiderable both in size and value. They take their
name from the Bisaya word for the sweet potato, or Convolvulus batatas
CAMPAR. The name of a Malay state on the north-eastern side of Sumatra
and nearly opposite to Malacca. See Kamfar. ’
CAMPHOR. The Malay camphor tree, the Dipterocarpus, or Dryabalanons
camphors, of botanists is a large forest tree, as far as is known, c o in e d to a few
parts of the islands of Sumatra and Borneo, but in these abundant. The oil both in
notin Ml'free*? ® The r M bl°dy °f the tree where not m all trees. The liquid oil, which is abundant, and littlet haep sparpe csihaoteudl db buet, bthu«t
concrete bears a very high price, which depends wholly on its scarcity m d t h e W
of the Chinese and Japanese, who ascribe high medicinal virtues to it, which it nro
o b ti^ h v tO É r v u lV gber degree than the cheap article which they themselves
bo w Ü m dlstlllatl0111 of tbe wood of the Cinnamomum camphora, and which mav
b® ln the same markets for about “ one hundredth ” part of the price. The Malav
name is a slight corruption of the Sanscrit one, Karpura. To distineni-b it from +1
camphor of China and Japan, the word Barusis annexed, being the n a rS of tL eTnort
thaHsrard% T om ^ the ^ e x p o ^ d f?om
I k - s « a s ïÆ g j r f r i s a , s a s s ? s
the úfrul "l é 7, th* ey6S (oanfora da mangiar, e per gl’ occhil 1360 defies
Ï Ï f nce °.{ th e last. These two must have been Malay campLr whife the first
tree ^
p r ™ 0f ? a “ 1 ? Pake iU th e - ÍSí a“ d ? Luzon- and iying between tbe
about 6 1?tltu.de 15° 40 • > the dry season it is
sheet of water. Liketfie o th e r T ’ ■. 10 tbe 7 et> becomes an extensive CANEABA a ^ la0 tbe other lakes of Luzon it abounds in fish.
in the Philippine^1 títu^ted^n^he1, aS collections of water are called
the left side of thé river of P»™ Prov“ f . Pampanga, in the island of Luzon, on
flowing of the Pampanga rivei^ anT^f f 18 r -u th® **“ * season by the overin
length, and 21 in breadth a n d d o tributaries. It is then 4 J leagues,
sea. In October the waters w f ? 1, 6 by Spanish writers as a little fresh-water
of the lake, with the exccution^f ‘ a“ d b7 the end of January, the whole bed
exception of a few pools, is dry land, on which spring up rich
a