Introductory.
Reading edition
Bisaya, or Visaya, generic name for Titles.
1. Cebuano, Isle of Cebú 352
2. Panayano, Hiligayno and Harayo, Isle of Panay
3. Leyte, or Leite, and Sámar Isles
4. Tagalo, Isle of Luzon 230
5. Ilocano, ibid. 143
6. Bícol, or Vícol, ibid. 61
7. Pangasinán, ibid. 24
8. Pampango, ibid. 22
9. Ibanag, ibid. 15
10. Moro-Maguindánao 8
11. Cuyono 7
12. Tiruray 6
13. Bagobo 3
14. Aeta, or Negrito, Isle of Negros 2
15. Gaddan, Isle of Luzon 2
16. Isinay, ibid. 2
17. Joloano 2
18. Manobo, Isle of Mindanao 2
19. Tagbanúa, Isle of Paragua 2
20. Tino, or Zambale, Isle of Luzon 2
21. Batanes, or Vatanes, Isle (of same name) 1
22. Bilaan 1
23. Bisaya-montés, Isle of Mindanao 1
24. Calamiano 1
25. Egongot, or Ilongote, Isle of Luzon 1
26. Samal 1
27. Tagacaolo 1
Wherefore, subtracting these nine foreign localized idiom-groups along with Malay (presumably ancestral tongue of the Philippines, as of other western Polynesian languages), though herein many scholars hold that Aeta, or Papuan, is mother, I have reduced the idioms peculiar (in large measure) to that archipelago itself to the number (given ahead)—twenty-seven.
As concerns the Philippines themselves, neither have their isles all been numbered, nor their sub-races and branch-idioms classified, except in what we may style a generic scheme.
Back now to our bibliographer. No study in mere humanities, it seems, could be more fascinating to your all-round scholar, and more fruitful especially to anthropologist, than with the guidance of Retana and other like gifted students of Philippina, to enlarge somewhat on this bibliographical theme, since in letters chiefly do men of upright mind find equipment for meditation of spirit, main source of all healthful, sober, intellectual recreation and work.
Our list of Philippina, as you will notice, although given merely in outline, embraces in its sweep across the literary horizon of that quarter of Malaysia many works of recognized merit in the several lines of intellectual energy—of history, archæology, ethnology, philology and natural philosophy; books, all of them, which, if perchance not masterpieces according to the higher standard of Caucasian scholarship, will yet be acknowledged of much interest, nay, of great value in the inspiration and development of scientific thought.
In this bibliographical skeleton, then, I shall point out those sources of information anent the Philippine Islands, wherein the scholar can best find a general description or history of them, the most trustworthy works on their very varied and multiform language, as well as other topics cognate with these. Hence these sub-sections into which my paper is split: (1) Works of General Information; (2) Authorities on Philippine Dialects; (3) Some Literary Curios among Philippina; (4) Philippine Presses; (5) Introduction of Printing into the Philippines.