The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 38, 1674-1683: 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 38, 1674-1683: 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
The Weather at Mindanao is temperate enough as to heat, for all
it lies so near the Equator; and especially on the borders near
the Sea. There they commonly enjoy the breezes by day, and cooling
Land Winds at Night. The Winds are Easterly one part of the Year,
and Westerly the other. The Easterly Winds begin to blow in October,
and it is the middle of November before they are settled. These Winds
bring fair Weather. The Westerly Winds begin to blow in May, but are
not settled till a Month afterwards. The West Winds always bring Rain,
Tornadoes, and very Tempestuous Weather. At the first coming in of
these Winds they blow but faintly; but then the Tornadoes rise one in
a Day, sometimes two. These are Thunder-showers which commonly come
against the Wind, bringing with them a contrary Wind to what did blow
before. After the Tornadoes are over, the Wind shifts about again,
and the Sky becomes clear, yet then in the Valleys and the sides of
the Mountains, there riseth a thick fog, which covers the Land. The
Tornadoes continue thus for a Week or more; then they come thicker,
two or three in a Day, bringing violent gusts of Wind, and terrible
claps of Thunder. At last they come so fast, that the Wind remains
in the quarter from whence these Tornadoes do rise, which is out of
the West, and there it settles till October or November. When these
Westward Winds are thus settled, the Sky is all in mourning, being
covered with black Clouds, pouring down excessive Rains sometimes mixt
with Thunder and Lightning, that nothing can be more dismal. The Winds
raging to that degree, that the biggest Trees are torn up by the Roots,
and the Rivers swell and overflow their Banks, and drown the low Land,
carrying great Trees into the Sea. Thus it continues sometimes a week
together, before the Sun or Stars appear. The fiercest of this Weather
is in the latter end of July and in August, for then the Towns seem
to stand in a great Pond, and they go from one House to another in
Canoas. At this time the Water carries away all the filth and nastiness
from under their Houses. Whilst this tempestuous season lasts, the
Weather is Cold and Chilly. In September the Weather is more moderate,
and the Winds are not so fierce, nor the Rain so violent. The Air
thenceforward begins to be more clear and delightsome; but then in the
Morning there are thick Fogs, continuing till 10 or 11 a Clock before
the Sun shines out, especially when it has rained in the Night. In
October the Easterly Winds begin to blow again, and bring fair Weather
till April. Thus much concerning the natural state of Mindanao.
(To be concluded.)
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DATA
The documents in this volume are obtained from the following sources:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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