The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55, 1690-1691: 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 40 of 55, 1690-1691: 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
Delgado says (p. 309): "This I absolutely deny, for I have more than
once seen that after the Indians have traversed the whole Parian of
the Sangleys to sell their goods, if they are not offered more than
four they immediately carry their goods to the Spaniards or to the
fathers, in order to get eight for them; and this must be tongod
sa calooy, that is, for charity, which the Spaniard and the father
always practice with them."
"This is a fact, but it needs explanation. The Filipino is by nature
phlegmatic, and especially when it is a question of buying or selling
anything; for he exerts himself to get the largest profit possible,
and the calculation of that costs him much trouble. A countryman
comes, for instance, to sell two or three quintals of indigo to a
merchant. Thereupon, he does not come alone, but is accompanied
by relatives and friends, and sometimes women. Very often the
indigo belongs to four or five owners, who all come in the wake of
the seller. Each proposition must be communicated to the society
that is squatted there in a circle on their heels. The matter is
discussed at length, and then it is decided to lower the price one
peso per quintal. The buyer claims that the price should be three
pesos. Finally this point is settled. Then another discussion begins,
namely, that the indigo is damp, and that some pounds must be allowed
for waste. In short the transaction is so tiresome and so eternal,
that there are very few Spaniards who have the patience to endure so
much impertinence and importunity; and they generally end by saying
dryly, 'Will you or will you not give it?' And then they order them
angrily into the street. The Chinese and mestizos do not hurry them,
but on the contrary invite them to eat, and keep them in their houses
for three or four hours, and sometimes days. Finally they get the goods
for what they wish to give, and more often cheat them like Chinese. For
the Filipino is very stupid even in matters of self-interest. Once
I was with a Spaniard who was buying indigo. After the trading had
cost him more patience than Job must have had, the indigo was weighed
before him, the account was reckoned, the money made ready and placed
on the table in piles of 20 pesos, while there was one of 7, which
was placed separately, and another of reals and copper coins. The
man who had been most attentive to everything took the piles of 20's
and left the pile of 7. We called him back to tell him to take that
money which he had left. Thereupon he took the seven pesos, and it
was necessary to call him back the third time to tell him that all
the money on the table belonged to him. He himself had determined
that the price should be 52 or 53 per quintal, and then he took what
was given him. The majority are the same. Then it is learned that
a Chinese has bought for 20 the same quantity of indigo for which a
Spaniard offered 25. It is said that a Filipino would rather receive
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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