the first about 161, and the last 41 geographical miles distant. In form Qebu is long
and narrow, its northern half being its broadest. Its length from north-east to southwest
is 80 geographical miles, its average breadth 15, and its superficies 1843 square
miles. A chain of mountains traverses the island through its whole length, and in it are
stated to be found veins of gold and beds of mineral coal. The northern and broadest
end of Cebu terminates in two projecting head-lands; between which is a deep and
spacious bay, which gives occasional shelter to the coasting vessels of the Philippines.
But the best harbours are those of the chief town of Dalaguet5, and of Argao—both on
the eastern coast. The rivers are numerous but small, and generally unfit for navigation
or irrigation. The climate is healthy, but the heat would be suffocating but
for the regularity of the sea breezes; for the quantity of rain which falls in Cebu is
ascertained to be less than in any other of the islands of the Archipelago.
The surface of this island is generally sandy, stony, and uneven; and from this,
and the unfitness of its rivers for irrigation, the produce of its soil does not answer
to the extent of its surface. With the exception of a few fertile valleys, cultivation
is generally confined to the sea-board. Of the geological formation of the island
nothing is stated, but there is no indication of any portion of it being volcanic. In
the history of the Philippines it is celebrated as the first place in which Christianity
was preached to the natives. The people are of the Bisayan nation, and speak a
dialect of the far-spread language of this name. It contains no wild races, negro or
brown-complexioned.
(JEBU, the chief town of the province of the same name, is situated on the
eastern shore of the island of £ebu, opposite to the little island of Mactan, celebrated
for the death of Magellan. I t lies on a small river, or rather estuary, which divides
it into two parts. Its situation is picturesque, but the climate sultry, though healthy.
I t contains 929 houses and 5576 inhabitants. The principal buildings are the episcopal
palace, the cathedral, and the beautiful church of San Augustine, called also
the Church of “ the Holy Infant of C,’obn,’' after an image discovered by a Biscayan
soldier of the army of Miguel Lopes de Legaspi, the conqueror of the Philippines.
This is supposed to have been the very image of Christ given to the natives of Qebu
by Magellan, and miraculously preserved for four-and-forty years. The natives call
it Batala, which, in their language, means “ a god.” The word seems to be an easy
corruption either of the Malay word barala, “ a graven image ; ” or of the Sanscrit
one Avatara, “ a descent,” which the Malays and Javanese write batara, and is a
genuine term with them for any of the principal Hindu gods. Besides this image,
the Cebuans have preserved the first cross, erected by Magellan in 1521, which they
venerate as a holy relic.
The town of £ebu is a place of considerable trade, earned on with almost all parts
of the Philippines. This is in the hands of a few Chinese, but especially of the
Spanish mestizos of the place, amounting to 500, who live in a quarter of the town
apart from the rest of the inhabitants. £ebu, besides being the seat of the civil and
military administration, is also that of a bishopric, the bishop having ecclesiastic
jurisdiction over 13 out of the 35 provinces of the Philippines. The bishopric was
founded in 1592, and the town itself in 1574.
£EBU. The province of this name, besides the principal island, includes the considerable
island of Bohol or Bojol, with those of Sigujor or Isla del Fuego, Mactan,
Olango, Davis or Dauis, Mino, and Panglao. The total population of the province
in 1850 was 389,073, of whom 67,309 paid tribute, which amounted to 678,295 reals
of plate. According to the Spanish enumerations, a great increase has taken place
since the first of them was made in 1735, when the population was no more than
39,702. In 1799 it was 100,000; and in 1818 it rose to 154,902.
CELEBES. The fourth island in magnitude of the Malay, and the fifth of the
Asiatic Archipelago. I t lies between latitudes 1° 45' and 5° 45' north, and longitudes
113° 1 0 'and 116° 4 5 'east. Its greatest length from north to south has been computed
at 768 geographical miles; its greatest breadth at 100; and its area at 57,250
square geographical miles, which makes it by above one-half part larger than Java.
Deeply indented by three spacious gulfs, it consists of an irregular central body and
of four long peninsulas, which gives it a grotesque appearance on the map, very
unlike any other island, except the neighbouring one of Gilolo. The Portuguese
historian, De Couto, compares its form to that of a grasshopper. Two of these gulfs
penetrate the island from the east; Gorongtalu or Tomini, and Tolo or Tomaikoo,
the first or most northerly to the extent of about 3£°, and the second to 2J°. The
third gulf, that of Boni, penetrates it from the south to the depth of 3°. These
names, it may be noticed, are not native ones, but such as have been imposed by
European navigators from the names of places on their coasts. The peninsulas have
no names, either native or European ; but from their position may be designated the
northern, the eastern, the south-eastern, and the south-western.
The Northern Peninsula, reckoning from the Bay of Palos to its extremity, extends
over 6° of longitude,—being a long and narrow strip of land, in some places not
exceeding 10 miles in breadth, and nowhere exceeding 40. A range of mountains runs
through it, the general height of which does not exceed 2000 feet, while some peaks
rise to 4000, 5000, and even 6000. The great volcanic band passes through this
part of Celebes alone, but to what extent is not ascertained; although, most probably,
to a small portion only of its extremity, in which several volcanic craters, some
extinct and some in activity, exist. The whole of this peninsula is rugged and mountainous.
Most of its valleys are transverse; and it is said to contain no more than
three longitudinal ones of any extent, and but a single plateau, 300 feet above the
level of the sea. The volcanic portion contains one lake, seemingly the crater of an
extinct volcano. This, which is 2000 feet above the level of the sea, is about three
leagues in length, and from one-third of a league to a league in breadth, varies in
depth from 90 to 100 feet. The rivers are numerous, but small and of short course
so as not to be navigable even for native boats. See Menado.
The least known of the peninsulas of Celebes is the eastern, or that which has
the Gulf of Tomini to the north, and that of Tolo to the south. Its length extends
to four degrees of longitude, and its average breadth is probably not less than 80
miles. A chain of mountains is represented as passing through it, but of its geological
formation or height nothing is known. Both its coasts are unbroken by
considerable bays or inlets. Towards its junction with the body of the island an
extensive lake is stated, on native authority, to exist. The south-eastern Peninsula,
or that which has the Gulf of Tolo and the Molucca Sea to the east, and the Gulf of
Boni to the west, extends over 2 | degrees of latitude, and is from 30 to 80 miles in
breadth. On its eastern shore it has many islets, and at its extremity are the large
islands of Boeton, Muna, and Wowoni. A range of mountains is represented as
passing through ft, but of its nature nothing is known; and the same thing is true of
its interior, the most recent Dutch maps of Celebes being hardly marked by a single
name.
By far the best known and the most important of the Celebesian peninsulas is the
south-western, or that which has the Gulf of Boni to the east, and the strait which
divides Celebes from Borneo to the west. Reckoning from the bottom of the Bay
of Boni, its length is not less than 180 miles, but its average breadth does not exceed
70, giving thus an area of 12,600 square geographical miles. A chain of mountains runs
through this, as through the other Peninsulas, which towards its southern extremity,
contains the peak of Lompo-bhtang, 8200 feet high above the level of the sea and said
to be the most elevated point of the whole island. The geological formation of this
range is not stated, but probably it is plutonic and sedementary, and, at all events, is
known to exhibit no traces of volcanic action. About the centre of this Peninsula is
found the large lake called that of Labaya or Tttparang-dano, which discharges its waters
by a river navigable for native vessels into the Bay of Boni. I t is reported to be about
25 miles in length, with a breadth varying from 8 to 10, and having an average depth
of 30 feet. This portion of Celebes is distinguished from Sumatra and Borneo by
the existence of extensive prairies or grass plains, unencumbered with heavy timber,
and yielding pasture for horses and oxen, some of the first of which are wild.
On the western side of Celebes there is no deep gulf as on the eastern, so that the
last-named peninsula may be considered as part of the main body of -the island; but
reckoning the latter as only from the Bay of Mandar to that of Palos, and from
the western shore to the head of the Gulf of Tolo, it is 4 degrees in length and 2^
m breadth. Little is known of it except its western coast, and that washed by the
head of the Bay of Boni, and even of these our information is chiefly founded on
native authority.
The rivers of Celebes are of short course, none of them navigable for vessels of
burden, and few of them even for native craft. The largest is the Sadang, said to
ave i s source m the mountains in the northern part of the south-western peninsula,
f ai l°- j 1 ln*°. Straits of Macassar, but it does not seem to be of much
i • lyV .er for navigation or irrigation. The most useful river is the
Ctunrana, which has its source in the lake of Labaya and falls into the Bay of
n r w navigable up to the lake by native vessels of 40 tons burthen.
e me a s, copper and tin are stated to be found in Celebes, and mines of both