CHAPTER IV.
HISTORY OF THE MALAYO-POLYNESIAN RACE CONTINUED.
NATIONS OF THE IN MAN ARCHIPELAGO. ‘
S ection I.—0 / the Natives o f the Philippine Islands.
I n ow proceed to describe more particularly5 the several
branches of the Malayo-Polynesian rbeej aM in the present
chapter I purpose to survey those nations of this family
who are spread through the Indian ArehipelagO'y teaching
eastward from Sumatra to the most1 remote offthe Philippine1
Islands. These tribes appear to be more nearlyrelated among
themselves"*than- to the Polynesian nations he Great
Pacific Ocean.
The survey of the Indian Ocean may properly be commenced
with that of the- Archipelago of the Philippines.
These islands fill an important place in the history of the
nations and languages belonging to the Malayts- Polynesian
stock. It is there that the Tagala language was originally
cultivated and is still spoken. The Tagala, as we have
remarked, has been proved to be the most complete form of
the common language of the race, which in the remote
Philippines, at a distance from Java, the resort of Hindu
colonists and other foreigners, was brought in the process of
time by genuine and indigenóus culture to the most perfect
developement. The Tagala seems likewise to be a sort of
middle term to which we may refer the varieties of the
Malayan and Malecassian on orte side, and those of the
Polynesian languages on the other.
The Tagala is the principal language of the-Philippines,
but other dialects are likewise spoken in some parts of that
Archipelago^ - We . must in this .place1' -stn’veÿ collectively the
whole groupe^of th e^aâlands -and theft- "inhabitants, those
especially who1 belong to the Malayo-Polynésian family,
b -;Th©* Archipelagdof the Phi#]p|)MÉÉtis situated between the
fifth and nineteenth 9djigreSe^I ©fl north la titu d e It reaches
about 3£)0> leagues fVöiÉï'Aiorth, td, South, andVtSfMrom east to
west. It Contains a great''numb'e^dfidMahds- of various extent,
.of, which Luzon and -Magind ano^or» Mindanao -arc the 'largest.
In ordfer to form -a igeographicaf ideapfAhis igroupe, wè must
^consider theldng-'island of Lufcon, whieMëf-rétches from north
tojbôuth, as ai continuation -of the gleat- chaiUTpf mountains
which, further to the. northward, and running in the’ same
direction .from north '-to* Southforms thêuntèriof lofithe" Irslând
î*of Formosa. Stretching then southward to the^^ÉtheTn
(extremity1 o f Luzon y i t separates -tinto two tchaine imnain^
towards the ^outh-eas>t^ and -sputh-West,1 Thedsouth^Wesfen
chain traversing: the Island of Palawan, ' ’'Vf ''Y,.' ' ' • / . y ... .. on. © o» f thre ?. . s-j outh_e. Ur4 n■
Philippines, ç'0tér& ;th c 'great Island o f Borneo, which -it «
-supposed! to^tflaversewA, The .south-easternt branch forms"-the
Isle ©&Samar, runs along-the - eastern cp&st o f Magiiîdané,
and ftbeheekby- chains o f .small i îèletsf whicho jaÉtrk>itèB©wiÉe
* through the mid-channel, passé^off mto the sMokiteeas a ffi
-scatters'’ itse lf > in many branches, fsdme.fofhwbich; form fthe
Archipelago o f the Moluccas, while * others; | stretch UsAar -as
.<^new Guinea and the Papua Islands-.'
The Philippine Islands abound in lbftyimountainsj©nseVeral
o f which arecFatersyet emittingdsmoke. The soil of/thèse
islands, watered byufeafidanbtó
magnificence of tropical; vegetation* and produces Uhëofinest
fruits. - The orange,- the citron, the- mango,! as- well as the
more useful growth of cotton, coffee;.>sugan and above all
rice/ which is the principal food of the - inhabitâutsy comè in
;these islands to perfection.. The; forests.-!contain many wild
animals, as gazelles and deer/ and thfe paâture lands support
oxen, sheep,- goats, swine,'and buffaloes;
The whole Archipelago is divided into fivefprincipal groupes,
Luzon, the Bisayan Islands, Paragoa, Mindanaoy and the
Archipelago of Sooloo.