55.  The smallest province has more inhabitants than Nueva Espana and Piru together.  The cities are large, but contain mean little houses.  The people are generally poor.  There are no gold or silver coins, but everything is sold by weight.  There are some copper and bronze coins for small change.  There is gold and a great deal of silver.  One peso [weight] of gold is worth four pesos of silver, according to their calculation.  For so many pesos of silver so many of silk are obtained, and so with other things.

56.  Everything is sold by weight, even wood and chickens, and all other things; they are sold very cheaply, for land is very cheap.

57.  Wheat and rice are raised abundantly.  There are mines of gold, silver, quicksilver, copper, lead, tin, and all the metals.

58.  It takes a week, generally, to make the voyage from Manila to Chiunchiu [the modern Chwan-Chow-Foo], a distance of about one hundred and forty leagues.  It is said that the journey has been made in fair weather in six days, and has never required more than ten.

59.  These people never travel by water except during the months of the bonancas, which I have explained.  Their ships cannot stand the wind astern, because both bow and stern have the same form and are flat, like a square table; they are so made in order that either end can be used.  They navigate always, in either direction, by means of side-winds.  These vessels rock to and fro, like cradles with oars.

60.  The sails of their ships are made of bamboo, like matting.  They do not use a yard on the mast, but raise the mainsail on the mast fastened to a pole as an infantry flag is placed on a pike; and the sheets hang down from the other side with which the sail is turned to this or that side, according to the direction of the wind.  The sail is half the width of the ship, and the mast is large and high.  The sail is raised by means of a windlass, which contrivance is used also for a capstan.  The rigging is made of reeds and grass, which grow wild.  The mast is stepped about two-thirds of the length of the ship nearer the prow, in order that the ship may pitch forward.  The foremast is not stationary, being moved to port or starboard, according to the weather or other requirements.  The sheets are worked in the same way.  The compass is divided for fewer directions than ours.  They also use stern-masts as mizzen-masts, which, like that at the bow, are changed from one side to the other, so that they do not need quadrants.  They go from one side to the other with the wind which helps them.  They use two oars at the bow to turn the ship, and two others at the stern that assist the sailing.  The compass consists of a small earthenware jar, on which the directions are marked.  This jar is filled with water and the magnetized needle placed in it.  Sometimes before they happen to strike it right, they could go to the bottom twenty times, thus, although it is marvelous, considering that they are a barbarous people, that they should understand the art of navigation, it is very surprising to see how barbarous are their methods.