The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 03 of 55: 1569-1576; 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 03 of 55: 1569-1576; 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
12. The kinds of gold that are found among the natives of the city
and vicinity of Manila are: Bizlin, which is worth two pesos a
tael. The weight of a tael is one and one-eighth ounces. The second
kind is Malubay, and the third is Linguinguin. These are the kinds
of gold with which the natives trade and barter. The Malubay gold
is worth the same as the Bizlin. The Linguinguin gold is worth
four pesos. There is another kind of gold which the Spaniards call
_orejera_ [earring], which is worth five pesos. The Indians call it
_panica_. There is another finer sort of gold which they call _ylapo_
and another which they call _guinuguran_. From what I have heard this
last is the standard, because in assay it is equal to the wrought
gold of Spanish jewelry. All these fine golds in the possession
of the natives are never used by them except for some marriage or
other important affair. For goods for which they trade and barter,
they use Malubay and Bizlin and Linguinguin.
13. And if your Majesty attempt henceforth other and more important
things in this land, it will be necessary to have towns and ports here,
because this land is in the near neighborhood and almost in the midst
of other lands--Japan, China, Jaba, Borney, Malucos, and Nueva Guinea,
so that one can go to any of those regions in a short time. It is
a healthy land of tolerable climate, and it has sufficiently good
harbors where there is abundance of wood and timber, and other things
necessary for the building of ships; and it would cost but little
to bring workmen, sails, and some articles which are not to be had
there. It is also necessary to make a good harbor there, in order
that ships from outside may find anchorage. It is very dangerous for
large and deep vessels to pass among so many islands, with their
shoals and tides. It would therefore be necessary to build there
galleys and light-draught oared vessels, in order to go to those
regions that I mention above, and to carry cargoes which the heavy
vessels would have to carry to this Nueva España; the latter would
not leave any port of those islands which might be settled for this
purpose. They could thus cruise and trade in all places in a very
short time; and the heavy ships would only have to go to the harbor,
to take on their cargoes and return.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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