The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 05 of 55: 1582-1583; 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 05 of 55: 1582-1583; 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
_Observations on the Island of Mindanao._ But those who live along
the shore are very few, and are called Lutaos--a name applied to
a tribe of people in this land, whose only means of sustenance is
derived from fishing; and who take their wives, dogs, cats, and all
their possessions in their boats. The fish that they catch they trade
with the people of the mountains.
_Tree-dwellings of the mountaineers of Mindanao._ The mountaineers
of this island build their houses in certain trees, so large that in
each one a house is built which can contain forty or fifty married
men and their families; the tree serves as a fortress against the
enemy. As far as seen this region abounds in wax. The land is very
rough and mountainous, and the inhabitants dress in medinaque cloth.
Forty leagues from Dapitan, on the side facing Maluco, is Cavite
Point, where there is abundance of cinnamon; this is the district
which extends toward Maluco.
_Island of Taguima._ Not far from this Cinnamon Point, lies the island
of Taguima, which is about fourteen leagues in circumference, and
four leagues wide. It has a population of about five hundred Indians,
with two encomenderos. In all parts of Mindanao are found a great
many civet-cats. The Portuguese ships, on their way from Malaca to
Maluco for cloves, pass by this island, and formerly did much harm
to the natives, often committing acts of treachery while making that
passage. Civet-cats are found in all parts of the island of Mindanao;
but the people are poorly supplied with food and clothing.
_Island of Soloc_. Twenty leagues from this Cinnamon Point lies
the island of Soloc. Its inhabitants are Moros from Burney. It
was discovered at the same time as was the river of Burney. The
island is about twenty-four leagues in circumference, and is said
to have somewhat more than one thousand inhabitants. It is said to
have elephants and a fine pearl-fishery. It belongs to one of the
encomenderos of Cubu, and is within the jurisdiction of that city.
_Island of Mindanao, continued_. All the region northeast of
Dapitan, as far as the river of Butuan, is under one encomendero,
except the villages of Gonpot and Cagayan. These two villages,
on account of their production of cinnamon, are under his Majesty,
although their population is small, not exceeding two hundred men. The
same encomendero has charge also of the district between Dapitan and
almost to the Cinnamon Point, so that his encomienda in this island of
Mindanao is of nearly sixty leagues' extent; he is also encomendero of
the above-mentioned island of Soloc, and holds another encomienda in
the island of Cubu. With all this, he is poor [and dying of hunger:
_crossed out in original MS_.], and cannot help laying hands on all
the discovered land of Mindanao
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