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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898—Volume 39 of 55, 1683-1690: 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 — John Shaqi

History

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898—Volume 39 of 55, 1683-1690: 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

We stay'd here till the 10th of February, 1687, and then having
compleated our Business, we sailed hence with the Wind at North. But
going out we struck on a Rock, where we lay two Hours: It was very
smooth Water, and the Tide of Flood, or else we should have lost
our Ship. We struck off a great piece of our Rudder, which was all
the damage that we received, but we more narrowly mist losing our
Ships this time, than in any other in the whole Voyage. This is a
very dangerous Shoal, because it does not break, unless probably it
may appear in foul Weather. It lies about two mile to the Westward,
without the small Batt Island. Here we found the Tide of Flood setting
to the Southward, and the Ebb to the Northward.

After we were past this Shoal, we Coasted along by the rest of the
Philippine Islands, keeping on the West-side of them. Some of them
appeared to be very Mountainous dry Land. We saw many Fires in the
Night as we passed by Panay, a great Island settled by Spaniards,
and by the Fires up and down it seems to be well settled by them;
for this is a Spanish Custom, whereby they give Notice of any Danger
or the like from Sea; and 'tis probable they had seen our Ship the
day before. This is an unfrequented Coast, and 'tis rare to have any
Ship seen there. We touched not at Panay, nor any where else; tho'
we saw a great many small Islands to the Westward of us, and some
Shoals, but none of them laid down in our Draughts.

The 18th Day of Feb. we anchored at the N.W. end of the Island
Mindora, [23] in 10 Fathom-water, about 3 quarters of a Mile from
the Shore. Mindora is a large Island; the middle of it lying in
Lat. 13. about 40 Leagues long, stretching N.W. and S.E. It is High
and Mountainous, and not very Woody. At this Place where we anchored
the Land was neither very high nor low. There was a small Brook of
Water, and the Land by the Sea was very Woody, and the Trees high
and tall, but a League or two farther in, the Woods are very thin and
small. Here we saw great tracks of Hogs and Beef, and we saw some of
each, and hunted them; but they were wild, and we could kill none.

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