than one and one-half leguas wide, for the ingress and egress of vessels.  All the shores of this bay are well provided with abundant fisheries, of all kinds.  They are densely inhabited by natives.  Above Manila there is a province of more than twenty leguas in extent called La Pampanga.  This province possesses many rivers and creeks that irrigate it.  They all flow and empty into the bay.  This province contains many settlements of natives, and considerable quantities of rice, fruits, fish, meat, and other foods. [123]

The bar of the river of Manila, which is in the same bay, near the colony of Manila on one side and Tondo on the other, is not very deep because of certain sand shoals on it, which change their position at the time of the freshets and obstruct it.  Consequently, although the water is deep enough for any vessel past the bar, still, unless they are fragatas, vireys, or other small vessels, they cannot pass the bar to enter the river.  In respect to galleys, galliots, and the vessels from China, which draw but little water, they must enter empty, and at high tide, and by towing.  Such vessels anchor in the bay outside the bar, and, for greater security enter the port of Cabit.

There is another good port called Ybalon, [124] twenty leguas from the channel of the same island of Luzon, which is sheltered from the vendavals, and has a good entrance and anchorage.  There the vessels that enter to escape the vendaval find shelter, and wait until the brisa returns, by which to go to Manila, eighty leguas away.

On the coasts of Pangasinan, Ylocos, and Cagayan, there are some ports and bars, where ships can enter and remain, such as the harbor of Marihuma, [125] the port El Frayle ["the friar"], [126] that of Bolinao, the bar of Pangasinan, that of Bigan, the bar of Camalayuga, at the mouth of the Tajo River (which goes up two leguas to the chief settlement of Cagayan)—­besides other rivers, bars, harbors, and shelters of less account for smaller vessels throughout the coasts of this island.

Quite near this large island of Luzon, many other islands, large and small, are located; they are inhabited by the same natives as Luzon, who have gold placers, sowed fields, and their trading.  Such are Marinduque, Tablas Island, Mazbate, Burias, Banton, Bantonillo, and others of less importance.  The nearest of them to Manila is the island of Mindoro.  It is more than eighty leguas long and about two hundred in circumference.  It has many settlements of the same natives, and the side lying next the provinces of Balayan and Calilaya is so near and close to the island of Luzon, that it forms a strait which contains powerful currents and races, through which the ships going to and from Manila enter and leave.  The winds and currents there are very strong.  It is about one-half a legua wide.  In that part is the chief town of this island of Mindoro.  It has a port that is called El Varadero ["the place for laying up ships”] for large vessels.  There are also other anchorages and bars throughout this island for smaller vessels; and many settlements and natives on all the coasts of this island.  All of the settlements abound in rice, food, and gold-placers, and all kinds of game and timber. [127]