Gold in the Philippines. From the notes of Henry G. Hanks [pp. 141-144]

GOLD IN THE PHILIPPINES
FROM HISTORICAL NOTES MADE BY HENRY G. HANKS
FE\w things stir the imagination of men
in the Anglo-Saxon state of civilization
more than the announcement of the discovery of extensive gold fields. The whole
West coast is a witness to the transforming
effects of such a discovery, from California
to the wintry wilds of the Klondike. Australia was set on the road to greatness
when gold was there discovered available
to Anglo-Saxon enterprise.
It is not so with all races, and with the
Spanish race in particular, its 7maian(tloving habits overcome the sacra fj't?ies so
far that they may dwell long in a gold country oblivious to its possibilities. California
herself is a striking example of this fact.
The Philippine islands are, this article
will endeavor to show, an equally marked
case, where men of Spanish blood have
allowed large possibilities of wealth to go
unexploited; for it can be abundantly
proved that there is gold in the Philippines
and that it has been known for centuries.
The spirit of enterprise and of acquisition, which made the Klondike the goal of
a countless army of the country's best but
this spring, has turned its current and become the martial ardor that is winning victory in the war with Spain. That has
taken a multitude of young men from the
West coast to the distant islands, and among
them many familiar all their lives with the
methods of the prospector and the miner.
It is hardly possible but that when the war
is over, and leaves, as it surely will, a
chance for developing the Philippines to
Americans, these men will open their
eyes to the possibilities of profitable gold
mining in the islands. It will not matter
whether they are formally annexed to our
territory or not, a native government under
American or under joint American and
European tutelage can hardly shut out such
development, and no American administration will be likely to consent to a settlement of any kind that will allow the islands
to bar out American enterprise. So, if the
gold veins are really there, it is quite certain that they will be found and worked by
Americans, and that the Philippines will
141
attract more attention than the Klondike
and be developed faster.
Let us address ourselves to the historical
proofs of the presence of gold in the
islands. It is necessary to be mindful of
the fact that placer deposits always argue
the existence of greater quartz lodes in the
rocks below, as such lodes disintegrated are
the source of the float gold. The fact that
the natives with their limited knowledge
and imperfect tools have been able to take
out much gold proves great richness
under the application of modern skill and
machinery.
It will be small wonder if the "gold
fever" arises in the Americans in the Philippines and if this new field shall enter
upon the rapid development of all resources
that follows such an excitement.
The historical records of the auriferous
character of the mountains of the Philippines are of easy access in San Francisco
libraries, and with them are included references to many other mineral discoveries
that will doubtless prove of value, but here
we deal with gold alone.
For many years a great trade was carried
on between New Spain and the Philippines,
and the annual galleon-sometimes called
the "Manila ship" crossed and recrossed
the Pacific, bearing costly goods, gold, and
passengers, from the Philippines. Sailing
westward from New Spain, she kept to the
southward, to take advantage of the trade
winds, but in returning was obliged to steer
a northerly course, and! after a long, tiresome, and sometimes disastrous passage,
she at last made Cape Mendocino and coasted
Upper and Lower California to Cape St.
Lucas. There she frequently made a long
stay to recruit her scurvy-stricken crew
and passengers, before continuing the passage to New Spain. This ship was generally the bearer of a large quantity of bullion, both of silver and gold. The capture
of this ship was the day dream of privateer
and pirate, and it was the hope of intercepting this golden stream which caused
the English privateer of the Anson, Drake,
and Rogers type to brave the dangers of