The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55: 1521-1569; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55: 1521-1569; Explorations by Early Navigators, Descriptions of the Islands and Their Peoples, Their History and Records of the Catholic Missions, as Related in Contemporaneous Books and Manuscripts, Showing the Political, Economic, Commercial and Religious Conditions of Those Islands from Their Earliest Relations with European Nations to the Beginning of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
a good reception, and set before them a breakfast and some liquor,
in which consists their way of making merry." They brought other
chiefs who submitted to the Spaniards, and later still other chiefs
came in. Trade began to flourish as the natives recovered from all
fear and returned to their former haunts. Among other things the
natives traded "a great quantity of palm wine, to which the Spaniards
gave themselves with good appetite, saying that they did not miss
the wine of Castilla. But because of the risk and trouble that
might arise therefrom, the governor ordered that wine should not be
brought or sold within the camp, and that the Spaniards should not
buy it. He told Tupas and the chiefs that, as the Spaniards were
not accustomed to this land, and were but recently come thither,
it was not good for them to drink this wine, and that some of them
had become sick. And he asked that Tupas neither consent to it, nor
bring wine to the Spaniards." The traffic still went on nevertheless,
"secretly and at night," and the Spaniards gave themselves up to it
entirely, saying "that it was better than that of Castilla." Moreover,
the women prostituted themselves freely throughout the camp, an
evil which Legazpi, although he posted sentinels, was unable to
stamp out. Finally he announced to the native chiefs that only men
should do the trading in the camp; and if the women did any trading
he would assign them a public place as a market, and the latter
should enter none of the Spanish houses. The chiefs replied "that
those who came to sell and trade were slaves and not married women,
and that he should not concern himself about it nor take it ill,
for such was their custom, and that married and honorable women
did not go to the camp; although the contrary of this was seen and
understood afterwards. For the Indians going outside the village, as
they do continually, to trade beside the sea, many of the wives and
daughters of the chiefs came to the camp along with the other women,
and thus went through the camp, visiting with as much freedom and
liberty as if all the men were their own brothers. Thus it was seen and
discovered later that this is one of their customs, and is exercised
with all strangers from the outside. The very first thing they do is
to provide them with women, and these sell themselves for any gain,
however slight" The natives are described as covetous and selfish,
without neatness and not cleanly. "It has not been ascertained whether
they have any idols. They revere their ancestors as gods, [71] and
when they are ill or have any other necessity, they go to their graves
with great lamentation and commendation, to beg their ancestors for
health, protection, and aid; They make certain alms and invocations
here. And in the same manner they invoke and call upon the Devil, and
they declare that they cause him to appear in a hollow reed, and that
there he talks with their priestesses. Their priests are, as a general
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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