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
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
Luconia I have spoken of already: but I shall now add this further
account of it. It is a great Island, taking up between 6 and 7
degrees of Lat. in length, and its breadth near the middle is about
60 Leagues; but the ends are narrow. The North end lies in about
19 d. North Lat. and the S. end in about 12 d. 30 m. This great
Island hath abundance of small Keys or Islands lying about it;
especially at the North-end. The South-side fronts towards the rest
of the Philippine Islands: Of these that are its nearest Neighbours,
Mindora, lately mentioned, is the chief, and gives name to the Sea
or Streight that parts it and the other Islands from Luconia: being
called the Streights of Mindora.
The Body of the Island Luconia is composed of many spacious plain
Savannahs, and large Mountains. The North-end seems to be more plain
and even, I mean freer from Hills, than the South-end: but the Land
is all along of a good heighth. It does not appear so flourishing
and green as some of the other Islands in this Range; especially
that of St. John, Mindanao, Batt Island, &c. yet in some places it
is very Woody. Some of the Mountains of this Island afford Gold,
and the Savannahs are well stockt with herds of Cattle, especially
Buaffaloes[sic]. These Cattle are in great plenty all over the
East-Indies; and therefore 'tis very probable that there were many of
these here even before the Spaniards come hither. But now there are
now also plenty of other Cattle, as I have been told, as Bullocks,
Horses, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, &c. brought hither by the Spaniards.
It is pretty well inhabited with Indians, most of them, if not all,
under the Spaniards, who now are masters of it. The Native Indians do
live together in Towns; and they have Priests among them to instruct
them in the Spanish Religion.
Manila the chief, or perhaps the only City, lies at the foot of
a ridge of high Hills, facing upon a spacious Harbour near the
S.W. point of the Island, in about the Lat. of 14 d. North. It is
environ'd with a high strong Wall, and very well fortify'd with
Forts and Breast-works. The Houses are large, strongly built, and
covered with Pan-tile. The Streets are large and pretty regular;
with a Parade in the midst, after the Spanish fashion. There are a
great many fair Buildings, beside Churches and other Religious Houses;
of which there are not a few.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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