The land is well shaded in all parts by trees of different kinds, and fruit-trees which beautify it throughout the year, both along the shore and inland among the plains and mountains.  It is very full of large and small rivers, of good fresh water, which flow into the sea.  All of them are navigable, and abound in all kinds of fish, which are very pleasant to the taste.  For the above reason there is a large supply of lumber, which is cut and sawed, dragged to the rivers, and brought down, by the natives.  This lumber is very useful for houses and buildings, and for the construction of small and large vessels.  Many very straight thick trees, light and pliable, are found, which are used as masts for ships and galleons.  Consequently, vessels of any size may be fitted with masts from these trees, made of one piece of timber, without its being necessary to splice them or make them of different pieces.  For the hulls of the ships, the keels, futtock-timbers, top-timbers, and any other kinds of supports and braces, compass-timbers, transoms, knees small and large, and rudders, all sorts of good timber are easily found; as well as good planking for the sides, decks, and upper-works, from very suitable woods. [72]

There are many native fruit-trees, such as the sanctors, mabolos, tamarinds, nancas, custard-apples, papaws, guavas, and everywhere many oranges, of all kinds—­large and small, sweet and sour; citrons, lemons, and ten or twelve varieties of very healthful and palatable bananas. [73] There are many cocoa-palms bearing fruit of pleasant taste—­from which is made wine and common oil, which is a very healing remedy for wounds; and other wild palms of the forests—­that do not yield cocoa-nuts, but serve as wood, and from whose bark is made bonote, a tow for rigging and cables, and also for calking ships.  Efforts have been made to plant olives and quinces, and other fruit-trees of Espana, but as yet they have had no success, except with pomegranates and grapevines, which bear fruit the second year.  These bear abundance of exceedingly good grapes three times a year; and some fig-trees have succeeded.  Vegetables of every kind grow well and very abundantly, but do not seed, and it is always necessary to bring the seeds from Castilla, China, or Japon.

In the Cagayan provinces are found chestnut-trees, which produce fruit.  In other districts are found pines and other trees which yield certain very large pine-nuts, with a hard shell and a pleasant taste, which are called piles. [74] There is abundance of cedar which is called calanta, a beautiful red wood called asana, [75] ebony of various qualities, and many other precious woods for all uses.  The meat generally eaten is that of swine, of which there is a great abundance, and it is very palatable and wholesome.