Northern Luzon, Philippines
By R. A. Caldwell
USING such modern facilities as the railroad as far as it is operated, I began my longest and hardest trip yet experienced in the Philippines. As vehicles are few and costly, I repaired my old bicycle for covering the two hundred miles of highroad. Many rivers were crossed, usually on rafts, sometimes on ponyback, and occasionally by man-back. In some places there was a well-formed road; in a few parts, sand and stones prevailed. Many of the towns are poor, as they are near the ocean, and the available land for cultivation is narrowed down by the mountains. These reach in most places almost to the water’s edge. As little could be carried on my bicycle, I fared poorly when there was no American in town. The Filipino teachers are accommodating, as they all are, and will give you their best with apologies, showing they realize that their fare is poor for the foreigners. The worst feature is the lack of good drinking-water. Several provinces were covered where the dialect is Ilocano. The United Brethren and the Campbellites have the district portioned off by the Evangelical Union, and many churches are in evidence. In the larger towns they have structures of cement and iron. These people are more industrious than those of the south, and they have a better reputation. We hope a worker will soon be provided for this portion of the island of Luzon, so that we can direct our efforts to the populous islands of the south. When shall this be?