Chapter Third
Of the Island of Luçon
Island of Luçon. The island of Luçon is the most important island of the whole group which has been discovered. It is thickly populated and well-provided with rice and gold-mines. These mines have yielded much gold, especially in the province of Ylocos. This island is divided into three provinces, the chief of which is that wherein was founded the city of Manilla, the capital of this kingdom and the seat of the governor. Hither flock more Spaniards than are found in all the other islands. One league and a half from this city is the port of Cavite, where the ships from Nueva España anchor. The ships from Çhina enter also through the river of this city, for they usually come in great numbers to carry on their trading. His Majesty has a fortress here, with its governor, three royal officers, one major, and one royal standard-bearer—all appointed by his Majesty. There are also two alguaçils-mayor—one of court and one of the city, one government secretary, one notary for the cabildo, and four notaries-public. Manila is also the seat of the bishop of all the islands; in this city he resides and has his cathedral church. There are also seven regidors in this city; three of them are proprietary magistrates, and are appointed by his Majesty—namely, Captain Juan de Moron, Don Luis Enrriquez, and Pedro de Herrera. The other four are appointed by the governor—namely, Captain Graviel de Ribera, Captain Joan Maldonado, Captain Bergara, and Captain Rodrigo Alvarez. There is also a convent of Augustinian monks, one of descalced friars, and one house of the Company [of Jesus].
The city is situated midway on the shore of a large bay, about twenty leagues in circumference. The region all about this bay is fertile, and well-provisioned. The inhabitants are Moros, instructed in that faith by those of Burney. The river has a fresh-water lake, about five leagues above this city; it is more than twenty leagues in circumference. The district abounds in rice and cotton. The people possess much gold in the way of trinkets, but there are no mines in this region. This same race of Moros have made settlements as far as the villages of the Batangas; their number will be told later. They have also peopled the island of Mindoro and that of Luban, but they are to be found in no other region of these islands. The inhabitants of the province of Camarines at the eastern end of this island, through whose strait arrive the ships from Nueva España, resemble the Pintados; and even those at the other and southeastern [sc. northern] end of this island, toward the Japanese, also closely resemble the Pintados—although they do not tattoo [pintan] themselves as the latter do, and bore their ears differently; for in these two provinces there is but little tattooing. The Pintados tattoo the whole body very gorgeously; but the Moros do not tattoo themselves at all, nor do they bore their ears. Unlike the men of Visaya, the Moros wear their hair short, although their women bore their ears, but in a very ugly manner. The Moros inhabit only this district of the bay of Manilla. with a fifteen-league coast, the most fertile land of this island. The following encomiendas are to be found in the neighborhood of this city:
The encomienda of Vatan, eight hundred men.
The encomienda of Vitis, with about seven thousand men.
The encomienda of Macabebe, with two thousand six hundred men.
The encomienda of Calonpite, with about three thousand men.
The encomienda of Candava, with two thousand men.
Near this encomienda is a village which, on account of its antiquity, is called Little Castilla. It belongs to his Majesty, and has a population of seventy.
The encomienda of Pale, with three hundred men.
The encomienda of Binto, with four hundred men.
The encomienda of Malolos, eight hundred men.
The encomienda of Guiguinto, four hundred men.
The encomienda of Catangalan, with eight hundred men.
The encomienda of Caluya belongs to his Majesty, and has six hundred men.
Formerly all the above-mentioned encomiendas had one alcalde-mayor, but since Don Gonzalo came he has appointed the following officials:
Corregidor of Batan. In Batan, a corregidor, with a salary of one hundred and fifty pesos.
Alcalde-mayor of Lubao. In Lubao, another, with a salary of three hundred pesos.
Alcalde-mayor of Calompite. In Calompite and Macaveve, another, with a salary of three hundred pesos.
Alcalde-mayor of Candava. In Candava and two other encomiendas, another, with a salary of two hundred pesos.
Alcalde-mayor of Bulacan. In Bulacan and its vicinity, another, with a salary of two hundred pesos.
One language is spoken in all these encomiendas. Quite near the city, and along the coast from Tondo, which is situated on the other side of the river of this city, another language is spoken. This village of Tondo belongs to his Majesty, and possesses a population of one thousand three hundred and fifty Indians.
The village of Quiapo also belongs to his Majesty.
The village of Pandacan, which is held by an encomendero, has one hundred and fifty men.
The village of Santa Maria is under an encomendero, and has a population of [blank space in MS.].
The village of Capaques has two hundred men, and belongs to his Majesty.
The encomienda of Pasic has one encomendero, and contains two thousand men.
The encomienda of Tagui is under one encomendero, and has six hundred and sixty men.
The encomienda of Taytay is inhabited by five hundred Indians. All these encomiendas are situated along the river of Manilla, from Tondo to the lake, and are under the jurisdiction of one alcalde-mayor, who appoints a deputy for Tondo. The alcalde-mayor has a salary of two hundred pesos; and his deputy, one hundred.
Around the lake the following settlements are under the jurisdiction of another alcalde-mayor:
The encomienda of Maribago, three hundred men.
The encomienda of Tabuc, with [blank space in MS.].
The encomienda of Vahi, with two thousand five hundred men.
The encomienda of Pila, with one thousand six hundred men.
The encomienda of Mayay, with four hundred men.
The encomienda of Lumban, with one thousand five hundred men.
The encomienda of Maracta belongs to his Majesty, and has six hundred men.
The encomienda of Balian, with six hundred men.
The encomienda of Sinoloan, with seven hundred men.
The encomienda of Moron, with one thousand one hundred men.
The last two encomiendas have a much larger population; but they are hostile, and live in the mountains. All the above-mentioned encomiendas are found around the lake. Turning toward the coast of Manilla, on the other side of Tondo, we find the following villages:
On the coast near Manila are Laguo, Malahat, Longalo, Palañac, Vacol, Minacaya, and Cavite. All these villages are in the neighborhood of Cavite, and belong to his Majesty, to whom they pay tribute. On entering the bay opposite the other point, which is called Batan, is:
Alcalde-mayor for the coast. The encomienda of Maragondon, with four hundred and fifty men. This encomienda of Maragondon, together with all the above-mentioned coast villages which belong to his Majesty, is under the jurisdiction of one alcalde-mayor, who receives a salary of three hundred pesos.
Outside of the bay of Manilla, on the east, are the villages of the lowlands of Tuley, which belong to his Majesty and pay him tribute.
Corregidor of Balayan. The encomienda of Balayan has six hundred men, with one encomendero; one corregidor is appointed here, who receives a salary of one hundred and fifty pesos.
Alcalde-mayor of Vonvon. The district around the lake of Bombon has a population of about three thousand four hundred. Then come the villages of the Batangas district, with one thousand men and one encomendero. These two encomiendas are under the jurisdiction of another alcalde-mayor. All the land between Tuley and Batangas is inhabited by Moros, who, as we have said above, have abundance of cotton, and possess much gold handed down to them by their ancestors.
Proceeding about three leagues from the settlement of Batangas, which we mentioned above, along the coast toward Camarines, we come to the river of Lobo, on which are about a hundred Indians. Two leagues from Lobo is Maribago, where there are gold mines; here dwell about one hundred Indians. Farther on is the village of Biga, with a population of about one hundred and fifty Indians. Next is Galvan, with about another hundred and fifty Indians. All these villages have one encomendero. Farther along the coast is the river Dayun, with about six hundred Indians; and next, the river Tubi, on which, in the tingues [hills], are about five hundred Indians.
Next are the river Carilaya and other small settlements, with a total population of about five hundred Indians.
Still farther is the river Caguayan, with about two hundred Indians. All this territory has three encomenderos, and is all under the jurisdiction of the alcalde-mayor of Mindoro. Here begins the province of Camarines, although a few settlements of little importance may be found between the two regions.