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
Leagues long, and a League wide, lying as the other. Between Monmouth
and the South end of Orange Island, there are two small Islands of a
roundish Form, lying East and West. The Eastermost Island of the two,
our Men unanimously called Bashee Island, [25] from a Liquor which
we drank there plentifully every day, after we came to an Anchor at
it. The other, which is the smallest of all, we called Goat Island,
from the great number of Goats there; and to the Northward of them all,
are two high Rocks.
Orange Island, which is the biggest of them all, is not Inhabited. It
is high Land, flat and even on the top, with steep Cliffs against the
Sea; for which Reason we could not go ashore there, as we did on all
the rest.
[Some general remarks on high and low lands and anchorages nearby
follow, in which the author states almost as an axiom that good
anchorages are found near low lands, while high rocky lands have
poor anchorages.]
But to return from this Digression, to speak of the rest of these
Islands. Monmouth and Grafton Isles are very Hilly, with many of
those steep inhabited Precipi[c]es on them, that I shall describe
particularly. The two small Islands are flat and even; only the Bashee
Island hath one steep scraggy Hill, but Goat Island is all flat and
very even.
The Mold of these Islands in the Valley, is blackish in some places,
but in most red. The Hills are very rocky: The Valleys are well watered
with Brooks of fresh Water, which run into the Sea in many different
places. The Soil is indifferent fruitful, especially in the Valleys;
producing pretty great plenty of Trees (tho' not very big) and thick
Grass. The sides of the Mountains have also short Grass; and some of
the Mountains have Mines within them, or the Natives told us, That
the yellow Metal they shewed us, (as I shall speak more particularly)
came from these Mountains; for when they held it up they would point
towards them.
The fruit of the Islands are a few Plantains, Bonanoes, Pineapples,
Pumkins, Sugar-canes, &c. and there might be more if the Natives would,
for the Ground seems fertile enough. Here are great plenty of Potatoes,
and Yames, which is the common Food for the Natives, for Bread-kind:
For those few Plantains they have, are only used as Fruit. They have
some Cotton growing here of the small Plants.
Here are plenty of Goats, and abundance of Hogs; but few Fowls,
either wild or tame. For this I have always observed in my Travels,
both in the East and West Indies, that in those Places where there
is plenty of Grain, that is, of Rice in one, and Maiz in the other,
there are also found great abundance of Fowls; but on the contrary,
few Fowls in those Countries where the Inhabitants feed on Fruits and
Roots only. The few wild Fowls that are here, are Parakites, and some
other small Birds. Their tame Fowl are only a few Cocks and Hens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account