The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 18 of 55: 1617-1620; 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 18 of 55: 1617-1620; 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
[40] Probably the lauan (also called lauaan and sandana; _Dipterocarpus
thurifera_--Linn.), a reddish white or ashy wood with brown spots,
used chiefly in the construction of canoes, and producing logs 75 feet
long by 24 inches square (_U.S. Gazetteer_). Blanco says that this
tree yields a fragrant, hard, white resin, which is used instead of
incense in the churches. San Agustin, quoted by Blanco, says that the
planks of the sides of the ancient galleys were of lauaan, for balls
do not chip this wood. Delgado mentions two species: lauaan mulato,
in color almost dark red; and lauaan blanco (white), which was used
as planking for boats.
[41] That is, the cubit; a measure of length equal to the distance
from the elbow to the end of the middle finger. The _codo real_,
or royal cubit, is three fingers longer than the ordinary codo. The
geometrical codo is equivalent to 418 mm., and the codo real to 574
mm. See Velasquez: _New Dictionary of Spanish language_ (New York,
1902).
[42] The banaba (_Lagerstroemia speciosa_--Pers.; _Munchausia speciosa;
Lagerstroemia flos reginae_--Retz.) grows to a height of thirty to
fifty feet, and varies in color from reddish white to dull red. Its
flowers are red and very beautiful, and bloom in March. The tree is
very common and used for many things, especially for ship and house
construction, particularly the red variety. It is strong and resists
the elements well. See _U.S. Gazetteer_ and Blanco's _Flora_.
[43] Perhaps a colloquial name given by the Spaniards, or a corruption
of the native name.
[44] See _ante_, note 39.
[45] Also called the dungol and dungon (_Sterculia cimbriformis_;
D.C.). It yields logs 50 feet by 20 inches square. It is pale reddish
in color, and is used for roof-timbers and the keels of vessels. It
is strong but does not resist the seaworms. It blooms in March and
December. See _ut supra_.
[46] _U.S. Gazetteer_ mentions the various woods used for shipbuilding
as follows: Yacal or saplungan (_Dipterocarpus plagatus_--Bl.),
betis (_Azaola betis_--Bl.), dungon, and ipil or ypil (_Eperua
decandra_--Bl.), for keels and stern-posts; antipolo (_Artocarpus
incisa_--Linn.), for keels and outside planking; molave (_Vitex
geniculata_--Bl.), for futtock-timbers and stem-crooks for frame-work;
banaba, for outside planking and beams; _guijo_, for beams, masts, and
yards; batitinan (_Lagerstroemia batitinan_), for keelsons and clamps;
mangachapuy or mangachapoi (_Dipterocarpus mangachapoi_--Bl.), for
water-ways and decktimbers; amuguis (_Cyrtocarpa quinquestila_--Bl.),
for upper works and partitions; palo-maria, for futtock-timbers,
masts and yards.
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