When any person entered the house of a chief by night, against the will of the owner, he incurred the death penalty. It was their custom that when such an offender was caught he was first tortured, to ascertain whether any other chief had sent him. If he confessed that he had been thus sent, he was punished by enslavement; and he who had sent him incurred the death penalty, but might be released therefrom by paying a certain amount of gold for the crime.
He who committed adultery was, if he were one of the chiefs, punished with death; the same penalty was inflicted upon any man who was caught with the concubine of a chief. Similarly, the husband might kill the adulterer, if caught in the act. If perchance he escaped by flight, he was condemned to pay a fine in money; and until this was done there was enmity between the two families concerned. The same law was in force among the timaguas.
This relation was written by order of the governor of these islands.
Miguel de Loarca
of the town of Arevalo.
was also one of the first, among those who came to these islands, who showed any curiosity regarding these matters; and therefore I consider this a reliable and true account.
[Endorsed at end: “A memoir regarding the peculiarities of these islands, written in obedience to a decree of his Majesty. To the royal Council of the Indies.”]
[Endorsed on outside wrapper: “Relation of the Filipinas Islands, their discovery, the Spanish settlements, the usages and customs of the natives, their religion, etc.; written, in virtue of a royal decree, by Miguel de Loarca, a citizen of the town of Arevalo, one of the earliest conquerors and settlers.” A similar endorsement is written on the inside cover of the MS.]
[1] Pasacao River is a small stream on the western side of the (old) province of Camarínes Sur. The overland journey here mentioned is to Nueva Cáceres, capital of the province, which is ten miles above the mouth of Naga River (although farther by the windings of the river). This river has its source only four miles from the Pacific coast of Albay, whence it flows N.W. into Bató Lake; this part of its course is called Inaya River. Another N.W. course of about the same length (about 25 miles) carries the waters of the lake as far as Nueva Cáceres, in a stream known as Bicol (the Vicor of our text) River. From that city to its discharge in San Miguel Bay, it is called Naga River.