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
I say women, for some are to be
found living in this island of Luzón. These Chinese live among these
natives because they have fled from their own country, on account
of certain events which took place there. They brought their wives
with them; all of them, both men and women, number about one hundred
and fifty. They became Christians after coming here. They are a very
unassuming and modest people; they clothe themselves with long robes
of cotton cloth and with silk. They wear wide breeches, and sleeves
and stockings, like the Spaniards. They are a very ingenious and
cleanly people. This, is in brief what we have seen. They wear their
hair very long, men as well as women, tied up and well arranged upon
their heads. I have treated thus far of various matters; I come now
to speak of the fertility of these islands, of what is gathered and
sown in them, mainly with regard to those in which I have been.
The island of Mindanao is very large and poorly populated, at least
in the part in which I have been, which is from the river of Butuan
to the cape of Calamita, about eighty leagues along the coast. It is
an extremely rough country. The natives there obtain very pure gold,
for the mines are numerous and very rich. The cape of Caahuite,
located in this island, and where cinnamon is gathered, lies in
five degrees of latitude, and is toward the southeast. It is a very
unhealthy country. As I remarked above, I have been at that cape. From
the cape to the river Grande de Mindanao, the distance is about sixty
leagues. We were very near this river of Mindanao with the small boat
of the flagship which was lost in the Ladrones. Up to the present day
none of the Spaniards of our number who were in that ship, have been
in that river. Near this cape there is an island called Taguima,
[46] and between the island and the said cape the vessels of the
Portuguese pass on their way to Maluco for cloves. Therefore if
the king our lord take Maluco for his own (for people say that his
Majesty has a right to it), the ships sent out will be able to carry
out two commissions in one voyage, taking on a cargo of cloves and
of cinnamon, for Maluco lies in the course, and is a very good port,
where they must of necessity touch. I have called attention to what I
have seen in this island. Finally, I shall now speak of all the others
which are on terms of peace, at least as far as concerns those where
the Spaniards have been. The second is the island of Negros, which is
absolutely peaceful. It contains about twenty thousand inhabitants,
and is divided among the Spaniards who remained in Çubú. There are
said to be gold mines there. Next is the said island of Çubú, which
is poorly populated. Between these three islands there are many
insignificant islets, some of them inhabited and some not. These I
shall not mention, in order to avoid prolixity, but in all of them
there are mines. Farther to the northwest from Çubú are Baybay, Bayugo,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account