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
South of [that island of] Zubu, between it and Mindanao, is another
small one, called Bohol; between Bohol and Matan lie [as already
mentioned] many small islands--uninhabited, except for game; for which
reason they contain many deer and wild boars, as is generally true
in most of the islands. However, this is so warm a region that the
game spoils on the very day when it is killed. This island contains
many palms and roots, on which the natives live. Rice is lacking.
Southwest by south from the port of Cavite, which is in six and
one-half degrees of latitude in the island of Mindanao where
cinnamon grows, lies a small island, called Taguima. [63] There
the natives captured from the Portuguese a small vessel, killing or
making prisoners many of its crew. The latter were ransomed by the
people of Jolo, with whom the Portuguese are on friendly terms. We
have not seen this island of Jolo. Its inhabitants are pirates. [64]
It lies to the southwest. Goats are found in Taguima, but no rice is
harvested. Civet cats are found there. While we were bartering for
cinnamon, men from two towns of that island came to us, and asked
to be received as subjects and tributaries of your Majesty. One of
these towns lies in seven degrees of latitude.
There are no lords in these islands. Each man is master of his
own house and slaves; and the more slaves one owns, the greater
and more influential is he reckoned. The people are divided into
three classes. The _Datos_, who correspond to knights, are the most
important; the _Tigamas_ [S: _Timaguas_] are the freemen; and the
_Orispes_ are the slaves. The _Datos_ boast of their old lineage. These
people rob and enslave one another, although of the same island and
even kindred. They are cruel among themselves. They do not often dare
to kill one another, except by treachery or at great odds; and him
who is slain his opponents continue to strike even after he is dead.
The word for mourning is _marabae_ [S: _marahaze;_ margin:
_magarihe_]. Among their customs is this: that when some relative
is killed, they do not cease mourning until they have avenged him
[(on the Spaniards)]. If the dead person is a near relative, they
quit mourning, when they have either killed a man or taken captive a
woman. They cut their hair. In time of mourning, they withdraw into the
house of the principal and nearest relative; and there, covered with
old and filthy blankets, they crouch on the floor and remain in this
position without talking or eating, for three days. During this time
they only drink. After the three days, they eat nothing which has come
in contact with fire until they have taken vengeance or observed their
custom [S: ceremony]. They place on their feet and wrists some rings
of a certain wood, called _bejuco._ [65] When the reasons for mourning
are not so serious, they are released from it by striking with a lance
or a dagger a deer or a wild boar, even if the animal be already dead.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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