As seen in the provinces of Cavite and Manila, the natives (Tagalos) are of small stature, averaging probably 5 feet 4 inches in height, and 120 pounds in weight for the men, and 5 feet in height, and 100 pounds in weight for the women.  Their skin is coppery brown, somewhat darker than that of the mulatto.  They seem to be industrious and hard-working, although less so than the Chinese.  By the Spaniards they are considered indolent, crafty, untruthful, cowardly and cruel, but the hatred between the Spaniards and the native races is so intense and bitter that the Spanish opinion of the natives is of little or no value.  To us they seem industrious and docile, but there are occasional evidences of deceit and untruthfulness in their dealings with us.  The bulk of the population is engaged in agriculture, and there were hardly any evidences of manufactures, arts or mining.  The greater number seemed to be able to read and write, but I have been unable to obtain any exact figures on this subject.  They are all devout Roman Catholics, although they hate the monastic orders.

In Manila (and doubtless also in Cebu and Iloilo) are many thousands of educated natives, who are merchants, lawyers, doctors and priests.  They are well informed and have accumulated property.  They have not traveled much, but there is said to be quite a numerous colony of rich Filipinos in Madrid, as well as in Paris and London.  The bibliography of the Philippines is said to number 4,500 volumes, the greater part of which have been written by Spanish priests and missionaries.  The number of books on the subject in the English language is probably less than a dozen.

Climate.

The climate is one of the best known in the tropics.  The islands extend from 5 to 21 deg. north latitude, and Manila is in 14d. 35m.  The thermometer during July and August rarely went below 79 or above 85.  The extreme ranges in a year are said to be 61 and 97, and the annual mean, 81.  There are three well-marked seasons, temperate and dry from November to February, hot and dry from March to May, and temperate and wet from June to October.  The rainy season reaches its maximum in July and August, when the rains are constant and very heavy.  The total rainfall has been as high as 114 inches in one year.

Yellow fever appears to be unknown.  The diseases most fatal among the natives are cholera and smallpox, both of which are brought from China.  Low malarial fever is brought on by sleeping on the ground or being chilled by remaining, without exercise, in wet clothes; and diarrhea is produced by drinking bad water or eating excessive quantities of fruit.  Almost all of these diseases are preventable by proper precautions, even by troops in campaign.  The sickness in our troops was very small, much less than in the cold fogs at camp in San Francisco.

Mineral Wealth.