The capital of Negros is Bacólod. It contains, besides a church and a government house, some handsome residences belonging to the chief traders and to the government officials. The town is on the coast, but, as the water is very shallow, steamers are obliged to anchor a half-mile from the shore. Bacólod is a good field for investors, as it is in the very heart of the sugar and rice-district of Negros, and its trade is constantly growing. Mataban, Talisay, Silay, Sarávia and Victoria are rising towns in the same province. Cádiz Nuevo, a small town just beyond Victoria, has some fine streets, and many large shops owned by the irrepressible Chinamen. The new stone church and convent of the town are the handsomest on the island. In the country round about live many wealthy native-planters, famed for their hospitality. Cebú: a Mecca for Many Filipinos. Cebú is the capital of the island of Cebú, and ranks next to Iloilo among the ports of the Philippines. The town is well-constructed, and is surrounded by fine roads. The people are conservative, and lack thrift and enterprise. The principal exports are hemp and sugar, most of which comes from the large plantations of the neighboring islands of Leyte, Camaguin, and Mindanao. The cathedral of Cebú is one of the most celebrated in the islands. It contains the shrine of the Holy Child of Cebú, which thousands of pilgrims visit yearly. General Topography of the Islands. The Philippines, with the Sulu Protectorate, number about 600 habitable islands, that lie all the way from 4° 45' to 21° N. latitude. The area of the eleven largest islands is variously computed to be somewhere between 55,000 and 150,000 square miles. It is probably not far from the latter sum. All the islands together are about as large as the combined area of New York, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland, and Delaware. The eleven largest islands are: Luzon, Mindanao, Sámar, Panay, Negros, Palaúan, Mindoro, Leyte, Cebú, Masbate, and Bojol. Luzon and Mindanao are probably as large as all the others combined. All the islands are mountainous and of volcanic formation. Here is a list of the principal peaks: Halcon, (Mindoro) 8,868 feet above sea. Apo, (Mindanao) 8,804 feet above sea. Mayon: active volcano, (Luzon) 8,283 feet above sea. San Cristobal, (Luzon) 7,375 feet above sea. Isarog, (Luzon) 6,443 feet above sea. Banájao (Luzon) 6,097 feet above sea. Labo (Luzon) 5,090 feet above sea. South Caraballo, (Luzon) 4,720 feet above sea. Caraballo del Baler (Luzon) 3,933 feet above sea. Maquiling, (Luzon) 3,720 feet above sea.