It is also said that the wealth of these mines lies in certain mountains, in a district of four or five leguas in extent, and included between two large rivers which flow into the province of Pangasinan.  The natives do not cultivate the land—­for one reason, because of its great sterility, and the lack of ground to cultivate; and, on the other hand (which can more easily be believed), because, confident in their gold mines, they have thereby sufficient to purchase whatever they wish from Pangasinan, where the nearest abundant supply of provisions is to be found.  The richest and chiefest among them is he who has more heads hanging in his house than the others; for that is a sign that he has more food, and gives more banquets.  These mountains contain large pines, and other trees found in Castilla.  Don Luis Dasmarinas, as above stated in the relation of Captain Miranda, sent Captain Clavijo to discover those mines; but he did nothing therein, because his guide was wounded on the road.

It is not known that these people have as yet received any evil religious sect.  Accordingly they are pagans, and but little given to pagan rites, at that.  On the contrary they are very lukewarm in their idolatry, and consequently it will be easy to inculcate in them the holy Catholic faith, as they are a race uncorrupted with pagan rites.  One may greatly hope, with the divine aid, that their souls will be stamped with the faith, like a clean tablet.  The same is said of the inhabitants of Tuy.

Don Gonzalo Ronquillo, former governor of these islands, sent Juan Pacheco Maldonado to discover those mines.  It was said of this man that he was of little diligence and intelligence, and that he remained two months amid those mountains, in which period he could not catch a single Indian except only two women.  At the end of that time, he returned because his provisions were all consumed.  He brought a quantity of earth with him, which he declared to be from the mines.  A charlatan—­who had been brought from Espana, at a salary of one thousand ducados, as an assayer—­having made the test, found no gold in this earth.  They say that the reason was, that he threw salt into the mass that he was about to smelt; and that salt should not be thrown into gold as is done in smelting silver.  As then but few men knew of that, they did not investigate this difficulty.  That test was, accordingly, worth nothing, since the experience of so many centuries and that of the present prove that those mines contain quantities of gold, most of it of twenty-two carats; for almost daily those Ygolotes go to a village of the province of Pangasinan, as to an emporium, to buy provisions in exchange.  Of this one cannot doubt in the least.

This race and the inhabitants of Tuy, and those of many other provinces and mountains, have a cruel, barbarous custom, which they call “the cutting off of heads.”  This is quite usual among them, and he is considered as most valiant who has cut off most heads in the civil wars waged among themselves and with their neighbors.  This race are ruled by certain superiors whom they call “chiefs,” who are the arbiters of peace or war.