The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 316 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55.
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
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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 — Volume 02 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.