ity at present existing is that established by the
Taft Commission. The Press, in the days of the Spaniards, was poorly
represented by a little news-sheet, styled the _Boletin de Cebu_. There
are now two periodicals of little or no interest.

There are two large cemeteries at Guadalupe and Mabolo. In 1887 a
shooting-butts was established at the end of the Guadalupe road,
and the annual pony-races take place in January. On the Mabolo road
there is a Leper Hospital, and the ruins of a partly well-built jail
which was never completed.

Cebu is a port of entry open to foreign trade, with a Custom-house
established since the year 1863. The channel for vessels is marked by
buoys, and there are two lighthouses at the north and two at the south
entrance to the port. The environs are pretty, with Magtan Island
(on which Maghallanes was killed) in front and a range of hills in
the background. There are excellent roads for riding and driving a
few miles out of the city. The climate is very healthy for Europeans;
the low ranges of mountains running north to south of the Island are
sparsely wooded, some being quite bare of trees, and the atmosphere is
comparatively dry. The cactus is very common all over the Island, and
miles of it are seen growing in the hedges. About an hour and a half's
drive from Cebu City there is the little town of Naga, the environs
of which are extremely pretty. From the top of Makdoc Mountain,
at the back of the town, there is a splendid view of the Pandan Valley.

The Cebuanos are the most sociable of the Visaya population, whilst
the women are the best-looking of all the Filipinas of pure Oriental
descent.

Of all places in the Philippines Cebu will please the conchologist. An
old native named Legaspi once had a splendid shell collection, which he
freely exhibited to foreigners. At one time he had a _Gloria Maris_,
which he sold for $150, and some Russian naval officers are said
to have offered him $5,000 for a part of his collection. At certain
seasons of the year the _Euplectella speciosa_, Gray, or Venus baskets,
locally known as _Regaderas_, can be obtained in quantities; they are
found in the Cebu waters. The _Eup. spec_, is the skeleton secretion of
an insect of the Porifera division. The basket is a series of graceful
fretted spirals. Also fine _Pina_ stuffs can be purchased here.

The population of Cebu City was 9,629 in 1888; 10,972 in 1896; and
18,330 in 1903. The inhabitants of the whole I