The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55: 1609; 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 Close of the Nineteenth Century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
These vessels return to Japon at the season of the vendavals, during
the months of June and July. They carry from Manila their purchases,
which are composed of raw Chinese silk, gold, deerskin, and brazil-wood
for their dyes. They take honey, manufactured wax, palm and Castilian
wine, civet-cats, large tibors in which to store their tea, glass,
cloth, and other curiosities from Espana.
Some Portuguese vessels sail to Manila annually during the monsoon of
the vendavals, from Maluco, Malaca, and India. They take merchandise
consisting of spices--cloves, cinnamon, and pepper; slaves,
both blacks and Cafres; cotton cloth of all sorts, fine muslins
[_caniquies_], linens, gauzes, _rambuties_, and other delicate
and precious cloths; amber, and ivory; cloths edged with _pita_,
[240] for use as bed-covers; hangings, and rich counterpanes from
Vengala [Bengal], Cochin, and other countries; many gilt articles
and curiosities; jewels of diamonds, rubies, sapphires, topazes,
balas-rubies, and other precious stones, both set and loose; many
trinkets and ornaments from India; wine, raisins, and almonds;
delicious preserves, and other fruits brought from Portugal and
prepared in Goa; carpets and tapestries from Persia and Turquia,
made of fine silks and wools; beds, writing-cases, parlor-chairs,
and other finely-gilded furniture, made in Macao; needle-work in
colors and in white, of chain-lace and royal point lace, and other
fancy-work of great beauty and perfection. Purchases of all the above
are made in Manila, and paid in reals and gold. The vessels return
in January with the brisas, which is their favorable monsoon. They
carry to Maluco provisions of rice and wine, crockery-ware, and
other wares needed there; while to Malaca they take only the gold or
money, besides a few special trinkets and curiosities from Espana,
and emeralds. The royal duties are not collected from these vessels.
A few smaller vessels also sail from Borneo, during the vendavals. They
belong to the natives of that island, and return during the first part
of the brisas. They enter the river of Manila and sell their cargoes
in their vessels. These consist of fine and well-made palm-mats, a few
slaves for the natives, sago--a certain food of theirs prepared from
the pith of palms--and tibors; large and small jars, glazed black and
very fine, which are of great service and use; and excellent camphor,
which is produced on that island. Although beautiful diamonds are found
on the opposite coast, they are not taken to Manila by those vessels,
for the Portuguese of Malaca trade for them on that coast. These
articles from Borneo are bought more largely by the natives than by
the Spaniards. The articles taken back by the Borneans are provisions
of wine and rice, cotton cloth, and other wares of the islands,
which are wanting in Borneo.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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