The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898: Volume 48, 1751-1765: 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 48, 1751-1765: 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
The Augustinians carry on their missions among the Ilocans, the
Tinguians, the Igorots, the Zambals, and the Negritos--this last
having stations throughout the islands; also in Cebú and Panay,
and in China. Mozo narrates the progress of these missions, but
devotes much of his space to accounts of the wild tribes and their
peculiar customs and beliefs; this is especially fortunate for our
purpose in regard to the Negritos, about whom less has been known than
about the other Philippine peoples, Mozo's residence of three years
among them rendering his observations extremely valuable. He also
gave particular attention to the practices and medicines used by the
natives in sickness, and to the plants which are useful therein. Among
these missions the most arduous, according to our writer, was that
to the "apostates" and infidels who had taken refuge in a certain
mountainous and densely-wooded district; these renegades and heathen
dwelt together, each making the other worse. Among these people were
preserved many of the ancient pagan customs which the missionaries
had in most places been able to extirpate; and these are described by
Mozo. Even in this hard field, "multitudes of infidels were baptized
and hundreds of apostates reclaimed." The Augustinians also conduct
missions in the interior of Cebú and Panay, where not only are the
mountains rugged and the forests dense, but there are wizards among
the natives who "by conversing with the demon do things which cause
terror;" some account of their practices is given, as also of the
converts gained by missionaries among those people. He then describes
some of the medicines that are used by the natives. Among these are the
gall and fat of the python; a stone which, when applied to a woman's
thigh, would facilitate childbirth; and a plant which intoxicates
and infuriates those who go into battle. Another plant temporarily
paralyzes the muscular system. Mozo concludes with an account of the
Augustinian missions in China, which does not concern our work.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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