The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 326 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 326 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55.

[118] This industry must now be forgotten, for it is never heard of.—­Rizal.

[119] Perhaps Morga alludes to the sinamay, which was woven from abaka, or filament of the plant Musa textilis.  The abaka is taken from the trunk and not the leaf.—­Rizal.

[120] This name seems to be Malay, Babu-utan, wild swine.—­Stanley.

[121] The men of these islands were excellent carpenters and ship-builders.  “They make many very light vessels, which they take through the vicinity for sale in a very curious manner.  They build a large vessel, undecked, without iron nail or any fastening.  Then, according to the measure of its hull, they make another vessel that fits into it.  Within that they put a second and a third.  Thus a large biroco contains ten or twelve vessels, called biroco, virey, barangay, and binitan.”  These natives were “tattooed, and were excellent rowers and sailors; and although they are upset often, they never drown.”  The women are very masculine.  “They do not drink from the rivers, although the water is very clear, because it gives them nausea....  The women’s costumes are chaste and pretty, for they wear petticoats in the Bisayan manner, of fine medrinaque, and lamboncillos, which resemble close-fitting sayuelos [i.e., woolen shifts worn by certain classes of religious].  They wear long robes of the same fine medrinaque.  They gather the hair, which is neatly combed, into a knot, on top of the head, and place a rose in it.  On their forehead they wear a band of very fine wrought gold, two fingers wide.  It is very neatly worked and on the side encircling the head it is covered with colored taffeta.  In each ear they wear three gold earrings, one in the place where Spanish women wear them, and two higher up.  On their feet they wear certain coverings of thin brass, which sound when they walk.” (The citations herein are from Colin.) These islands have also retrograded.—­Rizal.

[122] Cavite derives its name from the Tagal word cavit, a creek, or bend, or hook, for such is its form.—­Stanley.

[123] This province had decreased so greatly in population and agriculture, a half century later, that Gaspar de San Agustin said:  “Now it no longer has the population of the past, because of the insurrection of that province, when Don Sabiniano Manrique de Lara was governor of these islands, and because of the incessant cutting of the timber for the building of his Majesty’s ships, which prevents them from cultivating their extremely fertile plain.”  Later, when speaking of Guagua or Wawa, he says:  “This town was formerly very wealthy because of its many chiefs, and because of the abundant harvests gathered in its spacious plains, which are now submerged by the water of the sea.”—­Rizal.

[124] Now the port of Sorsogon.—­Rizal.

[125] Now the port of Mariveles (?).—­Rizal.

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The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 16 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.