Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIII.djvu/431

 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS which the congregation at Philippi sent him through Epaphroditus (iv. 10-18). Epaphro- Jitus was taken sick in Kome (ii. 27), and after his recovery was sent back with this epistle to the Philippians. The epistle may be divided into three parts. In the first (ch. i. and ii.) the apostle refers at length to his sufferings in Rome; in the second (ch. iii.) he warns the Philippians against the doctrines of false Judaizing teachers ; and in the third (ch. iv.) he addresses some exhortations to individual members, refers again to his personal circum- stances, and concludes with salutations and ben- edictions. Throughout the epistle he exhorts the Philippians to humility and steadfastness in the faith. Separate commentaries on this epistle have been written by Eheinwald (1827), Mathies (1835), Holemann (1839), Hengel (1839), Killiet (1841), Neander (1849; English translation by Mrs. H. 0. Conant, New York, 1851), Ellicott (1861), Karl Braune in Lange's Bibelwerk (1867), and J. B. Lightfoot (1868). PHILIPPINE ISLANDS, the most northern group of the Indian archipelago, belonging chiefly to Spain. They embrace an area of 112,500 sq. m., from lat. 5 24' to 19 38' N., and from Ion. 117 21' to 126 8' E., and are bounded N. and E. by the Pacific, S. by the Celebes and Sooloo (or Mindoro) seas, and W. by the China sea. The group consists of 9 larger and nearly 1,200 small islands, most of the latter being little more than bare rocks, raised to the sur- face by volcanic action. The larger islands (exclusive of Palawan), with their area and population, as estimated by Dr. Meyer in 1871, are as follows : ISLANDS. Area in sq. m. Population. Luzon 41,121 4,540,191 Panav 4742 1,052 586 Cebu 2215 427 856 Leyte 8,592 285,495 Bohol 1 190 283 515 Negros 8480 255873 Sainur 5028 250,062 Mindanao 33 377 191 802 Mindoro 3,940 70,926 The entire group is divided into 43 provinces, subdivided into 852 cantons, with a total popu- lation of 7,451,352. Luzon, the largest and best known island, is separated from the island of Samar by the strait of San Bernardino. (See Luzox, and MANILA.) Mindanao, the most southern of the islands, has a coast line ex- ceeding 1,000 m. Irregularly shaped, as are most formations of the group, it has a penin- sula which stretches upward of 150 m. from the main part ; its length from N". to S. is 275 m. ; greatest breadth, exclusive of the penin- sula, 140 m. In the interior is a large lake, about 30 m. long and 18 m. wide, of which little is known on account of the mountain- ous character of the country. The Spanish settlements are chiefly on the N. slopes. Min- doro is about 100 m. long, with an average breadth of 40 m. It has high but gently sloping mountains, the coasts being lined with low forest hills. The Malay settlements on the coast are few and insignificant. Panay is about 100 m. long, and its greatest breadth is 80 m. ; its "W. coast is well populated and cul- tivated ; the interior is intersected by a steep mountain range. Negros is 130 m. long and 25 m. broad ; it is mountainous, and has but few settlements. Cebti measures 140 m. from N. to S., but averages little more than 15 m. in width; it is well cultivated by a considerable number of settlers. Bohol, or Bojol, E. of Cebu and W. of Leyte, extends about 45 m. from W. to E., with an average width of 25 m. Leyte extends about 120 m. from N. to S., with an average breadth of 30 m. Samar is 150 m. long, and its greatest breadth is 75 m. The greater part of this island is covered with high mountains. Masbate, the largest of a group called the Bisayan islands, measures about 85 by 15 m. ; area, 1,225 sq. m. Pala- wan or Paragua, only the N. E. portion of which is included in the Spanish government of the Philippines, is 275 m. long with an average width of 20 m. The geological fea- tures of the whole group are the same. Many mountainous parts abound in metals ; gold is found in the sand of the rivers ; iron, copper, coal, and sulphur may be obtained in most of the islands ; mercury has been found in Luzon. The climate is hot, but tempered by great and fertilizing moisture. The rainy season lasts from May to November. The heaviest rains fall in July. The mean summer temperature is between 80 and 82, the mean winter tem- perature between 70 and 72. On the W. coasts very heavy rains fall during the S. W. monsoon, frequently flooding the soil and causing great damage; on the E. shores the mountain ranges keep the atmosphere clear and dry. The returning monsoon, on the oth- er hand, which begins in October, moistens and fertilizes the E. slopes. A great part of