The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 04 of 55: 1576-1582; 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 04 of 55: 1576-1582; 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
[38] Reference is here made to the starchy food procured from the
sago-palm, called by the natives _burí (Corypha umbraculifera)_. This
tree gives name to the island of Burias, where it grows abundantly. By
tapping the tree, as is done with the American maple, the sweet
sap (called by the natives _tuba_ or "water-honey") is obtained,
from which are made a syrup and a dark sugar; also the natives
manufacture from it wine and brandy. The young shoots or buds are
edible, as is the entire inner part or pith of the tree. This pith
is placed in troughs, wherein it is soaked in water, which washes
out certain bitter substances; it is then pounded, which causes
the starchy grains to separate from the tissues of the pith. These
grains are collected and dried, and made into a flour called sago
(or sagú), which furnishes a nutritious and healthful food; in the
islands where this tree abounds, the sago takes the place of rice. The
leaves of the sago-palm are used as a covering for houses, sails for
vessels, and many other purposes. See Delgado's _Hist. de Filipinas_
(Manila, 1892--but written in 1753-54), pp. 660-662, for a long and
detailed description of this tree and its uses; also Blanco's _Flora
de Filipinas_, p. 160, and _U.S. Philippine Gazetteer,_ p. 74.
[39] The lagoon of Liguasan, the waters of which are discharged into
those of the Pulangui River at its "great bend," thus forming the
Rio Grande. The Pulangui rises in the northern part of the island,
about half-way between the present towns of Cagayan and Butúan. The
Tirurey or Ytilurey River of our text apparently indicates a southern
tributary of the Rio Grande, flowing from Mt. Tiruray.
[40] A tribe inhabiting the western part of Mindanao, but mainly
located on other islands--Basilan, Sulu, Piragua, and others; they
were Mahometan Malays.
[41] The ganta contains 3 litros, a little more than 1/3 of a peck
(U.S.).
[42] At the top of the sheet is written, on the original MS.,
"Guadalupe, March 26, 1580," which apparently indicates that the
decree was sent to New Spain, and promulgated by the viceroy there.
[43] "A fleet on which were some Franciscan missionaries being at
Sevilla in 1576, ready to sail for the Solomon Islands, Felipe II
obtained permission from Pope Gregory XIII that they should be sent
to evangelize the Philippine Islands--where they arrived on June 24,
1577. They were received in Manila with enthusiastic demonstrations
of joy, and soon founded a religious province, which they named San
Gregorio Magno ["St. Gregory the Great"--named in honor of Pope Gregory
I (A.D. 590-604)]. The marshal, Don Gabriel de Rivera, built for
them the convent of San Francisco in that same year, 1577."--_Algue_
(_Archipiélago filipino_, i, p. 250).
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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