which consists their way of making merry.”
They brought other chiefs who submitted to the Spaniards,
and later still other chiefs came in. Trade began
to flourish as the natives recovered from all fear
and returned to their former haunts. Among other
things the natives traded “a great quantity
of palm wine, to which the Spaniards gave themselves
with good appetite, saying that they did not miss
the wine of Castilla. But because of the risk
and trouble that might arise therefrom, the governor
ordered that wine should not be brought or sold within
the camp, and that the Spaniards should not buy it.
He told Tupas and the chiefs that, as the Spaniards
were not accustomed to this land, and were but recently
come thither, it was not good for them to drink this
wine, and that some of them had become sick.
And he asked that Tupas neither consent to it, nor
bring wine to the Spaniards.” The traffic
still went on nevertheless, “secretly and at
night,” and the Spaniards gave themselves up
to it entirely, saying “that it was better than
that of Castilla.” Moreover, the women
prostituted themselves freely throughout the camp,
an evil which Legazpi, although he posted sentinels,
was unable to stamp out. Finally he announced
to the native chiefs that only men should do the trading
in the camp; and if the women did any trading he would
assign them a public place as a market, and the latter
should enter none of the Spanish houses. The chiefs
replied “that those who came to sell and trade
were slaves and not married women, and that he should
not concern himself about it nor take it ill, for
such was their custom, and that married and honorable
women did not go to the camp; although the contrary
of this was seen and understood afterwards. For
the Indians going outside the village, as they do
continually, to trade beside the sea, many of the wives
and daughters of the chiefs came to the camp along
with the other women, and thus went through the camp,
visiting with as much freedom and liberty as if all
the men were their own brothers. Thus it was seen
and discovered later that this is one of their customs,
and is exercised with all strangers from the outside.
The very first thing they do is to provide them with
women, and these sell themselves for any gain, however
slight” The natives are described as covetous
and selfish, without neatness and not cleanly.
“It has not been ascertained whether they have
any idols. They revere their ancestors as gods,
[71] and when they are ill or have any other necessity,
they go to their graves with great lamentation and
commendation, to beg their ancestors for health, protection,
and aid; They make certain alms and invocations here.
And in the same manner they invoke and call upon the
Devil, and they declare that they cause him to appear
in a hollow reed, and that there he talks with their
priestesses. Their priests are, as a general
rule, women, who thus make this invocation and talk
with the Devil, and then give the latter’s answer