in combination with copper, arsenic and iron in abundance, mercury and saltpeter are also found. The fine forests which cover the mountains are filled with ebony, ironwood, sapenwood, cedar, gum trees, etc. Fruit trees are many and various, orange, citron, bread fruit, mango, cocoa nut, guava, tamarind and rose apple. The vegetable kingdom is represented by banana, plantain, pine apple, sugar cane, cotton, tobacco, indigo, coffee, cocoa, cinnamon, vanilla, cassia, areca nut, ginger, pepper, and the cereals, rice, wheat and maize are common. The animals with the exception of the wild cat, are harmless, while there are buffaloes, oxen, sheep, goats, swine, harts, squirrels and a great variety of monkeys. The jungles are alive with reptiles; insects of all kinds and birds with beautiful plumage are common through the islands. CAPTURE OF MANILA. The question is often asked, "what brought this country in contact with the Philippines and its people?" The move was one of the exigencies of war. The Spanish nation had a large fleet of war vessels, as a guard to her possessions, stationed in Manila Bay. This fleet in case the war with Spain was prolonged could be turned against our merchant marine and perhaps might menace even the seaboard cities. This situation was immediately grasped by our president and his advisers and it was decided to order Admiral Dewey, who was in command of our Asiatic squadron, stationed at Hong Kong, China, to proceed immediately to Manila and sink the Spanish fleet, under command of Admiral Montojo. This, too, was necessary for England had by her declaration of neutrality forced our squadron from the port of Hong Kong, and since is was not possible to make the journey to the United States without coaling, this alone was reason enough for attacking the Spanish fleet. The risks which Admiral Dewey took were many and perilous. He was forced to engage a fleet superior in strength to his own. The water on which he must fight was unknown to him and all seamen except the Spanish on account of the inaccurate charts of Manila Bay. However, like the other great naval heroes, he knew no fear, and on Saturday night, April 30th, 1898, the United States fleet reached Manila Bay and with lights out steamed on up the Bay, Admiral Dewey's flag ship in advance. Every man was at his post ready at the word to fire the shots which afterward proved so effective. The night was bright and clear, though, in spite of this fact, the flag ship was a mile above the island of Corregidor and well up the bay before the presence of the Americans was discovered. Immediately the Cavite forts opened fire, and were replied to, without stopping the advance. Our ships passed over torpedoes, two of which exploded right in front of the flag ship, for the Spaniards had mined the harbor. No stops were made and at six o'clock, Sunday morning, the flag ship Olympia fired a shell, a distance of 5,500 yards, into the Cavite fortifications. The firing then became fierce, and, on the side of the Americans, effective. It was plain to see what Vice-President Roosevelt termed, "the personnel of the navy," for every shot nearly, fired by our gunners hit its mark, while the Spanish shells went wide. Our gunners depended, not entirely upon the theoretical drill of the past, but used individual discretion and good judgment. When Hon. Theodore Roosevelt was Assistant Secretary of the Navy, he was severely criticised for what was called "his lavish expenditure of funds" for the amunition used by the battleships in target practice. Now was seen the wisdom and foresight of such a course; all Americans rejoiced that "Teddy" Roosevelt had held, at so critical a time, this position. Five times our ships passed Admiral Montojo's flag ship and continued to deliver into the enemies' vessels their telling shots, and, at eight o'clock, as the Spanish fleet slackened fire somewhat, Admiral Dewey withdrew a safe distance to inspect his ships and armament and to breakfast. Not a man had been killed and no serious damage was done to the vessels. After three hours' rest the battle was renewed and in just one hour and thirty minutes, the Spanish fleet was sunk and the white flag was raised by the enemy. It was at this juncture Admiral Dewey sent his characteristic message to Washington which aroused a storm of enthusiasm through the United States. "Manila, May 1st, Squadron arrived at daybreak this morning. Immediately engaged the enemy and destroyed the following Spanish vessels: Reina Christina, Castilla, Don Antoniode, Ulla Islade Luzon, Isle de Cuba, General Lezo, Marquis de Duero, Cano Velasco, Islade Mindano, a transport and a water battery at Cavite. The squadron is uninjured and only a few men slightly wounded. Only means of telegraphing is to the American Consul at Hong Kong. I shall communicate with him." And three days later the following: "DEWEY." “Cavite, May 4th.—I have taken possession of naval station at Cavite, on Philippine Islands, have destroyed the fortifications at bay entrance, patrolling the garrison. I control bay completely and can take city at any time. The squadron is in excellent health and spirits. Spanish loss not fully known, but very heavy. One hundred and fifty killed including captain of Reina Christina. I am assisting in protecting Spanish sick and wounded; two hundred sick and wounded within our lines. Much excitement at Manila. Will protect foreign residents." "DEWEY." History does not record a naval battle of such prominence where a greatly inferior force encountered a superior force, superior according to the judgment of the best experts of England, for English experts all along had written how far the Spanish war ships excelled the American. Yet not a man was sacrificed, not a ship disabled. If these distant island possessions prove worthless, the taking of them was a feat which should make our citizens proud to be called Americans. There future use or misuse, time alone can decide, but a careful study of causes which led to their possession and a careful study of their resources, cannot fail to make all see the judicious move of our executive and his able advisers. GUAM HOW OBTAINED. Guam was ceded to the United States by the Spanish as a result of the Spanish-American war. Captain Glass, commander of the United States cruiser Charleston, entered the harbor of San Luis, and landed on the 21st of June. The troops stationed on the island were few and this attack was wholly unlooked for. The people living on the island were ignorant of the fact that a war was going on between Spain and the United States. Consequently the attack was easily made, and several officers and the Governor General were taken prisoners. The treaty of peace at the close of the war entitled the United States to the island Guam and on December 23 the Bennington, which was at Honolulu, came to take possession of the island. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION. Guam is the largest of the Ladrones or Marianne Islands. It is in the Pacific about midway between the Philippines and Yokohama. It is 900 miles from Manila and 5,200 miles from San Francisco. Guam is about thirty-two miles long and from three to ten miles in breadth and covers an area of about one hundred square miles. This group is in 13 1-2 deg. to 20 1-2 deg. north latitude and 144 degrees to 146 degrees east longitude, and is the farthest northwest of the Australasian groups. The Ladrones were discovered in 1521 by Magellan. They were settled later, in 1667, by Jesuit missionaries. The whole group is mountainous, well watered and wooded. In Guam the surface of the northern part is level and without vegetation. The soil in the southern part of the island is more fertile, but of a clayey nature. A coral reef surrounds the island. On the northeast coast there are no harbors, but on the other sides channels divide the reef so that a ship can land on the island. The harbor Caldera de Ajra, Umalak Bay and the capital, Agana, are all on the western coast. Agana is a fortified town and has a population of 3,000. POPULATION. The population of the whole island of Guam is estimated to be 10,000. PEOPLE. Nearly all of the inhabitants are descendants of immigrants that have come from the Philippines, and two-thirds of the people live in Agana. The natives are Christianized Malays. The original race of this group is extinct. The natives speak the Spanish language. Nearly all of the inhabitants can read and write. CLIMATE. The climate is mild and is well adapted for the production of rice, maize, sugar, cocoa, indigo and cotton, which are the chief products of the island. Domestic animals are now very common, having been introduced by Europeans. These islands were very important to the Spaniards from a commercial point of view. Guam will be used as a coaling station and landing for a telegraph cable. The government will erect shops and dry docks for use in repairing vessels. The Governor who was appointed by the President in 1900 is Lieutenant Commander Seaton Schroeder, U. S. N. WAKE ISLAND HOW OBTAINED. While Commander Taussig was on his way to Guam in February, 1899, he raised the stars and stripes of the United States over Wake Island. Our title to it arises from the fact that in 1851 it was surveyed and laid claim to by Admiral Wilkes. LOCATION AND DESCRIPTION. This is an atoll in mid-ocean about two-thirds of the distance from Hawaii to Guam. It is about 2,000 miles to Hawaii from Wake Island and 3,000 miles from Hong Kong. The island is about three miles in length. The latitude is 19 degrees North and 166 degrees East. It has no inhabitants. The island will be used as a coaling station and may be of value as a landing place for the ocean cable which it has been proposed to lay across the Pacific. Like the rocky island on which Hong Kong is built, and at which the Chinese laughed when they gave it to the English, Wake may some day become as important and useful to the United States. |