In his own village, Silangan, there are about two hundred Indians, counting slaves and timaguas; in the village of Sinurey, two hundred; in the village of Caracan, one hundred; in Catituan, one hundred and fifty; Vindanao, seven hundred; Vitala, one hundred and thirty; Vinuruan, four hundred; Luçon, one hundred and sixty; Tanpacan, one thousand; Atalayan, seventy; Burruan, two hundred; Balabaca, seventy; Caburundan, one hundred; Macapan, eighty; Corocoan, one hundred and forty; Buayen, eight hundred; Tuoca, one hundred; Balete, one thousand; Batunan, one hundred; Baluaquen, one hundred; Ybalen, one hundred and eighty; Tolendin, six hundred; Salunbun, one hundred; Quibaca, two hundred; Cacaren, two hundred and fifty; Matinguaguanen, four hundred; Cabacan, one hundred and eighty; Bagaygaran, one hundred and forty. Total, seven thousand nine hundred and fifty.
The said Dato Bahandil declared that all the above villages were on the said river, swamps, and lake of this province of Mindanao. He said that a river called Ytilurey flowed into this lake, [39] which comes from the mountains of Butuan and Caragan, and it has places where gold is washed. When he was asked how much gold each person could wash daily, he said that he had not seen it, but he had heard that they got sometimes one-half a tae, and from that down to six, four, or two maes. This river contains six thousand men, and near by is another branch of the river called Dumanen with about seven hundred Indians. From the said river of Esirey is another branch called Sula with about one thousand Indians living at its confluence with the large river which flows into the lake. There is a settlement called Megatan, under a chief Cacopi, with two thousand men. It is near the junction of the three branches, which form a cross. This lake is about one-half league wide. In summer it dries up and is then full of sedges. In the rainy season it is quite full of water. From this river of Mindanao to the tingues [mountains], whence flows the said river of Tirurey, it is a twenty days' journey up the lake.
He was asked how many people the coast of this said river of Mindanao contained. He said that a day's journey along the shore of this river by which we came is a province called Tabungao. It has about three thousand Indians, who harvest a great quantity of rice. They live inland a distance of four leagues. Farther on and adjacent to this province is another settlement, called the province of Picon. It has one thousand five hundred Indians, who are well supplied with food.
Along the coast two days' journey eastward, is a settlement called Bilan. It is a river with gold mines. He says that along the entire river dwell ten thousand Ytingues [mountaineers] Indians who are not settled, and that they are at peace with a village at the mouth of the river, called Canipaan. With all others they are at war. The people are very rich. All the rest of the coast is settled by Lutaos. [40]
The chief food of the river of Mindanao is landan, which is made from certain palm-trees very abundant in that land, called buri. After soaking this substance they make from it a sort of flour which is their food. For this reason they do not sow much rice although they have rice-fields. The rice harvest is in October and November. They have exceedingly large palm-groves and abundance of cocoanuts both green and dry; also many swine, which are as large as those in Castilla. The bar is covered with three to four brazas of water, or four at full tide. Upon entering there is a good depth of water all the way to the lake, a distance of eighteen leagues. This is the deposition of the said Dato Bahandil, and what he has seen hitherto. The captain signed it; and Francisco Gomez, Lope de Catalinaga, and many other soldiers were witnesses.
Gabriel de Ribera
Before me:
Benito de Mendiola, notary of the fleet
In the said river of Mindanao, on the second day of the month of April of the said year, an Indian said to be a native of the village of Dato Bahandil of this river, appeared before the said captain Gabriel de Ribera, and before me, the present notary, and witnesses. Through the interpreter Laquian, he said that his name was Simangary and that he was one of the messengers despatched in accordance with the captain's orders by the said Dato Bahandil, with the reward given him, in order to confer and treat with Limasancay and his people, as is contained in the above record. In regard to this, he deposed that he went in a baroto with four Indians to the village of Tanpacan, where he found Dato Sibatala, to whom he related the object of his journey. The said Dato Sibatala told him that he did not care to be the ally of the Castilians, even should they burn the natives' houses and cut down their palm-trees. He told him also not to go farther for the purpose of talking with the said Limasancay; for, if he knew that Simangary was coming from the lord of the Castilians, he would behead him. Upon this he returned to notify the captain. The latter ordered it set down in the records and signed it. Witnesses, Joan Lopez, Francisco Velazquez, and many other soldiers.
Gabriel de Ribera