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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

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

Sources: The first document is concluded from VOL. XXXVIII, q.v. The
second is obtained from a rare pamphlet in the British Museum; the
third and fifth, from the Ventura del Arco MSS., iii, pp. 625-638,
727-732; and 589-596, 641-673; the fourth, mainly from the same
volume, with additions from Retana's Archivo, i, no. iv, and Salazar's
Hist. Sant. Rosario,  pp. 490-513.

Translations: All save the first document are translated by Emma
Helen Blair.






DAMPIER IN THE PHILIPPINES

(CONCLUDED)


CHAP. XII

    Of the Inhabitants, and Civil State of the Isle of
    Mindanao. The Mindanayans, Hilanoones, Sologues, and
    Alfoorees. Of the Mindanayans, properly so called; Their
    Manners and Habits. The Habits and Manners of their Women. A
    Comical Custom at Mindanao. Their Houses, their Diet, and
    Washings. The Languages spoken there, and Transactions with
    the Spaniards. Their fear of the Dutch, and seeming desire
    of the English. Their Handy-crafts, and peculiar sort of
    Smiths Bellows. Their Shipping, Commodities, and Trade. The
    Mindanao and Manila Tobacco. A sort of Leprosie there, and
    other Distempers. Their Marriages. The Sultan of Mindanao, his
    Poverty, Power, Family, &c. The Proes or Boats here. Raja Laut
    the General, Brother of the Sultan, and his Family. Their way
    of Fighting. Their Religion. Raja Laut's Devotion. A Clock
    or Drum in their Mosques. Of their Circumcision, and the
    Solemnity then used. Of other their Religious Observations
    and Superstitions. Their abhorrence of Swines Flesh, &c.


This Island is not subject to one Prince, neither is the Language
one and the same; but the People are much alike, in colour, strength,
and stature. They are all or most of them of one Religion, which is
Mahometanism, and their customs and manner of living are alike. The
Mindanao People, more particularly so called, are the greatest
Nation in the Island, and trading by Sea with other Nations, they
are therefore the more civil. I shall say but little of the rest,
being less known to me, but so much as hath come to my knowledge,
take as follows. There are besides the Mindanayans, the Hilanoones,
(as they call them) or the Mountaneers, the Sologues and Alfoores. [1]

The Hilanoones live in the Heart of the Country: They have little
or no commerce by Sea, yet they have Proe's that row with 12 or 14
Oars apiece. They enjoy the benefit of the Gold Mines; and with their
Gold buy forreign Commodities of the Mindanao People. They have also
plenty of Bees-Wax, which they exchange for other Commodities.

The Sologues inhabit the N.W. end of the Island. [2] They are the
least Nation of all; they Trade to Manila in Proes, and to some of
the neighboring Islands, but have no Commerce with the Mindanao People.

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