Hamilton’s account of the east indies.

512

and I know no more of it, but that it is divided into many finall principalities, and thatthe fea-worm eats fo greedily {hip’s bottoms, that in three or four months they eat quitethrough ; and that there is abundance of rice and other provifions to be had very cheapthere, and that it produces very good caffia-lignum, or baftard cinnamon. It is about140 leagues in length, but of a very unequal breadth, having many large deep baysrunning into it, which afford many harbours for (hipping.

Papa-goa, or little Borneo , is a very long narrow ifland, being 90 leagues long, andbut 14 or 15 broad. It breeds the beft foldiers and feamen that the Spaniards have inthe Philippines , but produces nothing for exportation. The Spaniards have a fort onthe north-eaft end of it, andfo they have on the iflands ofPanay, Negrofs, Cobu, Leyte,and Samar. They are all large iflands, but have no commodities for export. AndMindora, that lies clofe to the ifland Luconia , affords nothing for trade.

Luconia is the Iargeft of all the Philippine iflands, and is richefl in its productions, forit affords corn, fruits, and roots in great plenty, as well as wild game and fowl. It pro-duces gold, but of a low touch. It is not half conquered yet by the Spaniards, thoughthey are poffeffed of all the fea-coaft, as the Dutch are of Zealoan; and the natives lofeno opportunity of cutting off their lords, the Spaniards, w’hen they can do it withoutdanger. They have fortified their mountains and vallies fo well with thick hedges ofbamboos, that the Spaniards cannot eafily molefl them, though they have fecret waysto fally out and difturb their enemy.

The chief city in Luconia is Manhila or Manilla, the refidence of the Spanifh Viceroy,and the port where all the galleons that come yearly from New Spain, refort to. Theharbour is fpacious, commodious, and fafe. They admit of trade from India andChina , but not with any European nation. The Mahometans are tolerated in theirreligion, but not the Pagans , fo that all Chinefe that go there for commerce, get a littlebrafs image hung about their, neck, with a firing of beads in their hands, and learningto crofs themfelves, cry Jefu fanfla Malia, (for they cannot pronounce Maria, becaufethe letter R is excluded the Chinefe alphabet"); I fay, when they have got all thofe fore-named qualifications, they are good Spanifh Chriftians.

And when they have feathered their nefl by cheating the Spaniards, and taken theirleave of Manilla or Manhila, at their palling by a mountain dedicated to the VirginMary , they throw their beads over board, and thank the Virgin for her kindnefs tothem.

In anno 1719, there happened a mutiny in Manilla, wherein the Viceroy loft hislife; and he had a fon that might have faved his, but was obftinate, and would needsfollow his father. It was occafioned by oppreflion arid avarice, for the Viceroy havinga mind to.fill his coffers at any rate, fet up a tribunal, wherein the richefl merchants inthe city were impeached for high crimes and mifdemeanors, by fuborned informers.Evidences were not wanting to prove things that never were done by the innocent mer-chants, and on thofe falfe informations and evidences their perfons were imprifoned, andtheir eftates feized. Thofe that had not been profecuted feeing their danger, carriedtheir goods and money into the churches and convents for fecurity, and fled into thecountry themfelves, till the times fhould amend ; but thofe places of fanftuary wereviolated, and when the merchants were fummoned, and did not appear, their eftateswere confifcated, and brought out of the churches and convents by force.

The archbifhop, and his army of priefts, went to him, and laid the people’s grievancesand his own oppreffions and crimes before him; but he treated them rudely, whichfoon put the whole city in an uproar. A cunning and bold prieft of the Auguftin order

feeing