The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 44, 1700-1736: 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 44, 1700-1736: 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
[77] It is apparently a lapsus calami by which the consulate of Cadiz
is mentioned in nos. 61-64, and that of Sevilla in nos. 45-50, here
cited in the text; but the commerce of both cities was included under
the former consulate.
[78] Linens (Spanish, lienzos and lencería) have always been one of the
chief products of China, especially around Canton; and the term "Canton
grass linen" is often used to define the particular kind of linen
most commonly produced there, which very closely resembles the linen
produced from flax. The European languages have always defined these
Chinese textiles as "linen." The term "elephant" must here refer to the
mark or brand of a certain kind of linen goods; the Chinese are greater
devotees of the "trademark" idea than perhaps any other people. The
mark of a kind of goods to which they are accustomed is known today
as the "chop," and it is exceedingly difficult to induce them to try
a new "chop" if the old one has established itself. "Cambayas" are
cotton cloths from Cambaya. "Chitas" (more generally spelled "chites")
mean India calicoes, and sometimes chintzes. The Filipinos knew how to
weave in colors, although not to figure goods (as they do not yet);
and the Spaniards would be apt to designate by the words lienzos and
lienzos pintados (perhaps also by elefantes) the Philippine fabrics
woven from hemp and banana fibers, which have somewhat that texture,
and which have stripes of red, blue, and other colors run through them
more often by far than they are left plain. Strictly speaking, these
are neither linens nor cottons; but they have the feeling of linen
rather than of cotton. The goods thus designated probably included
not only those of Philippine manufacture, but those made in India
and other Eastern countries and traded in at Manila. Sayasaya was the
Spanish name for a kind of Chinese silk; and I would conjecture that
pitiflores meant some kind of Chinese brocade.--James A. LeRoy.
The term "Canton grass linen" mentioned above apparently means
the fabrics made from the so-called "China grass" (see VOL. XXII,
p. 278). Note the statement in sec. 92, post, that the lencería sent
to Acapulco "are all of cotton," evidently being made in imitation
of the real linen goods; cf. the statement in Casa-Fuerte's letter,
in VOL. XLV, sec. 164. The name "chimones" in the text suggests,
especially in view of its context, the Japanese garment called
"kimono," so generally adopted in America for negligé wear.--Eds.
[79] In the text, mantas de hilazos, evidently misprinted for
Hilocos. On fol. 61 a similar list has mantas de Ilocos.
[80] i.e., of the vessel and carge, in case of attack by enemies--whom
the seamen would resist more valiantly if they also had property of
their own to defend.
[81] In all, making 3,500 piezas, as in sec. 79, post; the same
explanation is given on fol. 110 verso of the Extracto.
[82] A marginal note in the text adds to this name "y Ossorio."
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