[31] Manungal (Samadera indica): “the wood is used in making cups which turn liquid placed in them bitter; the bitter substance has certain medicinal properties.” (Official Handbook of the Philippines, p. 353.) Blanco (who named this tree Manungala, but later Niota) says that this bitter principle is successfully used in cholera morbus; and Montero y Vidal (Archipiélago filipino, p. 77), that “it was as efficacious as Peruvian bark in fevers.” In the same work (pp. 389, 391) manungal is, apparently by some oversight, identified with the macabuhay (Tinospora), which latter name is also applied, according to Merrill’s Dictionary of Plant Names (p. 76) to Lunasia amara. [↑]
[32] In this connection should be cited the account of the Ceylon cinnamon published by Forrest in his Voyage to New Guinea, pp. 338–349; it was “communicated by the chief inspector of the Cinnamon Trade, and Manufacturer in that Island, to Albertus Seba, a noted Druggist at Amsterdam. Translated by the late Dr. Scheucher; F. R. S.” Some notes on the medicinal uses of the leaves are added by Seba, and there is an engraving illustrating the appearance of the leaves, of which nine are represented, presumably those of the nine different varieties of cinnamon which are enumerated in the inspector’s description. Of these but one is mentioned as having a glutinous character, and that seems to be one of the sorts inferior in quality. Some of these varieties are said to yield “camphire” [i.e., camphor]. [↑]
[33] The map of Mindanao made by Norton Nicols, here reproduced, is accompanied by the following inscription: “The island of Mindanao, whose inhabitants are the fatal enemies of our holy Catholic faith and who, together with the islanders of Jolo, cause the horrible ruin, martyrdoms, and thefts in the other islands belonging to his Catholic Majesty, which have cost him so huge a sum of money, and so much blood of his faithful vassals, the Indians, although as yet fruitlessly. Said island is about 150 leguas away from Manila, and about 23 from Jolo. It lies between six degrees nine minutes and nine degrees one minute, north latitude, a distance of 44 leguas from north to south. East and west it extends 128⅓ leguas. Its most western point is 127 degrees 17 minutes east of Cadiz, which counting 20 leguas per degree, amounts to 2,555⅔ leguas. Reckoning 15 degrees of longitude, for each hour of time, there is a time difference of 8 hours, 31 minutes, 8 seconds, so that 12 o’clock in the day here is 8 seconds 31 minutes past 8 at night there.
Map of Mindanao, 1757; by Nicolás Norton Nicols
[Photographic facsimile from original MS. in Archivo general de Indias, Sevilla]
| Presidios with forts are marked | |
| Without forts, | |
| Captured and ruined by the Moros, | ” |
[This map is drawn on a scale of 20 Spanish leguas to 6 cm., and the size of the original MS. map is 41 × 27 cm.] [↑]
[34] A parallel case: “Before 1744, the Philippines had not beheld on their fertile soil the growth of any of our [European] vegetables. At that time, Mahé de Villebague carried thither seeds of them, and all these useful plants had prospered, when, eight months later, the cultivator, whom the interests of his business called to go elsewhere, left his garden to another Frenchman, who was settled in these islands. The Spaniards, who could not see without jealousy that a foreigner should point out to them the path which they ought to have entered two centuries ago, rose against the inheritor of his cares, with so much violence that, in order to restore peace, the authorities felt constrained to order that these wholesome plants be torn up by the roots. Fortunately the Chinese, who are continually occupied with what can contribute to their own success, secretly preserved the plants. By degrees the people became accustomed to an innovation so beneficial; and this [sort of] cultivation is now one of the chief resources of the colony.” (Raynal, Établissemens et commerce des Européens, i, pp. 607, 608.) [↑]