First, he gives the area and the population of the island, when he should concern himself with the province.

The area of the island is 4027 square miles; that of the province, 5238 square miles.

According to the 1903 census, the population of the island was 10,918, while that of the province, which contains such thickly settled and fertile islands as Cuyo and Agutaya, was 39,582.

Of course, if one wishes to emphasize the unimportance of Palawan, it is more convenient to take the figures for the island.
Blount says:-- "Paragua, [327] the long narrow island seen at the extreme lower left of any map of the archipelago, extending northeast-southwest at an angle of about 45 deg., is practically worthless, being fit for nothing much except a penal colony, for which purpose it is in fact now used." [328] I must deny the truthfulness of his statements, even if we limit our consideration to the island of Palawan.

Only 159 of its 4027 square miles are utilized for a penal colony.