Page:The National Geographic Magazine Vol 16 1905.djvu/146

Rh rine hydrography have found indications of reefs and even islands. One of the last of them is De Graves's Island of 1859. Almost anywhere in this area, itself larger than some of the smaller planets of the solar system, the bones of the Leva?it may lie. In this region, as the map on page 479 of the National Geographic Magazine shows, five degrees of longitude and two of latitude have now been searched in vain.

Mr Hague, however, is kind enough to assure me that if my fictitious character, Philip Nolan, ever had some subliminal form he or his spirit, if they were on the Levant, may still haunt the reef or atoll under the shadow of cocoanuts or bananas or bread-fruit trees. Nolan would have been twenty-five years old in the year 1805. Thus his one hundred and twenty-fifth birthday

would be found in this year. If the climate is healthy for subliminal people, Dr Hague assures me that if I will land with him on that reef I may meet for the first time in the flesh and blood the somewhat bended form of my old hero. He will forgive me that I placed him on the Andes, where men do not live so long. dD

It may be well to repeat Mr Hague's summary:

"The cruise of the Tacoma has therefore negatively and conclusively disposed of half a dozen or more reported islands as charted in certain defined po- sitions, and it has definitely eliminated from further consideration of doubtful reports an area of about 10,000 square miles, leaving a still questionable region of twice or three times that area open to further search."

Edward E. Hale.

PROGRESS IN THE PHILIPPINES

NDOUBTEDEY that part of the Report of the Philippine Com- mission for 1904 which will most strongly appeal to us is the account given of what is being done to develop the resources and capability of the people. Scientific agriculture, which is doing so much for the United States, will soon, at small expense, increase many times the return of every farmer in the islands. The government experts are introducing American machinery, improved varieties of plants, and new animals and new crops. The natives seem to appreciate very quickly that greater intelligence in their work means not only greater returns in money, but also shorter hours of work.

Filipino labor is abundant and satisfactory. The chief of the Bureau of Agriculture was at first ridiculed when he insisted that Filipinos must drive the teams and do the plowing on the government farms, but they are now doing it on every farm controlled by the bureau. Furthermore, they are doing it as well as Americans ever did and at prices amounting to but 6 to 10 per cent of what it formerly cost to get Americans to perform the same work.

A steam thresher, introduced by the bureau, got so much more rice from the stalks than the natives had been accustomed to obtain by tramping it out under foot after it had stood for weeks and been subject to the depredations of thieves and rats that they at first con- ceived the idea that rice hidden inside the separator was allowed to flow from the spout of the machine, thus aug- menting the real output.

A period of three months is ordinarily consumed in threshing rice by native methods, and 25 per cent of the crop is often lost. Native methods of hulling and cleaning are very crude and the