Among the other industries at the time of discovery and conquest were: the manufacture of gun-powder; hunting for edible birds' nests, and exporting them to China; preparing hides, especially of deer, for export to Japan. [66] "As they possess many civet cats, although smaller than those of Guinea, they make use of the civet and trade it. [67] They also carved the statues of their anitos." [68] Conclusion. To quote Rizal, "All the histories of those first years, in short, abound in long accounts about the industry and agriculture of the natives. Mines, gold-washings, looms, farms, barter, naval construction, raising of poultry and stock, weaving of silk and cotton, distilleries, manufactures of arms, pearl fisheries, the civet industry, the horn and hide industry, etc., are things encountered at every step, and, considering the time and the conditions in the islands, prove that there was life, there was activity, there was movement." [69] Other evidences could be presented to strengthen the conclusion advanced here. [70] The only question that remains to be answered is that asked by Rizal: "How then, and in what way, was that active and enterprising infidel native of ancient times converted into the lazy and indolent Christian, as our contemporary writers say?" In connection with the discussion of ancient industries we had occasion to see that the Filipinos had neglected and even forgotten many such industries. Of this fact there is plenty of reliable proof. [71] What were the causes that led to the decay of these old industries? "First came the wars, the internal disorders which the new change of affairs naturally brought with it." [72] Then, as already pointed out, the effect of shipbuilding was fatal to the very lives of the people. [73] Add to these the abuses practiced by the encomenderos, and it is easy to understand the reason for the decline of the industries at the time. [74] However, in this connection, the benefits arising out of Spanish conquest should not be forgotten. [75] III. TRADE AND COMMERCE AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST