The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 301 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55.

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55 eBook

This eBook from the Gutenberg Project consists of approximately 301 pages of information about The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55.

There are certain birds that possess remarkable characteristics.  The one called tabon is found on the coast of Caragha. [43] It is smaller than a domestic hen, and very like it [in appearance], although not in affection for its young.  It lays its eggs, which are three times larger than those of our hens, in sandy places, and easily buries them in a hole about one braza deep.  That done, it abandons them, and never returns to examine them again.  Thereafter, the preservation of those birds being in the care of divine Providence, the heat of the sun quickens and hatches them, and the chicks, leaving the shell, also break out of the sand above them, and gradually get to the surface in order to enjoy the common light; and thus, without any further aid, they fly away.  If it happens that the chick in the egg is buried with its head down, it does not get our, for upon breaking the shell and the sand, it continues to dig always downward, as that is the direction that its head has; and as it misses the road it gets tired and dies, and its cradle serves as its tomb.

Quite different from the tabon is another bird called cagri, which is not found outside of Mindanao. [44] Its shape resembles that of the bat, although it is much larger.  It has no wings, but only a membrane resembling a cloak, which falls from its shoulders and covers it even to its feet.  That enables it to pass from one tree to another, but it cannot soar like other birds.  It spreads out that membrane when it wants to, and it is not without a tail.  Its eyes and head resemble those of a very graceful little dog, and its hair is very soft, and at times colored with various colors, pleasing to the sight.  It bears so great affection to its young that it carries them hanging to its breasts, just as women do, without leaving them, although it climbs, flees, or runs.

The reader will not be wearied with knowing the characteristics of another animal called hamac.  It resembles a monkey, although the head is very round.  Its eyes are golden, and very beautiful and large.  Its tail is very large and serves it as a seat, and it neatly wraps itself about with it.  It does not use its feet to walk; for, in order to go from one part to another, it lets its tail drop, and supporting itself on it, leaps as it wishes.  It is not seen by day, because it keeps quiet until night, when it looks for its food, which is only charcoal. [45] All its friendship is with the moon.  Accordingly, seated on a tree, it awaits the moon, until the time when it shines.  It looks at it fixedly without winking, from the time when it begins to shine until it hides itself.  When the dawn comes, that animal loses its sight and returns to its dwelling.  If anyone discovers it, that animal takes pains to look at him, and measures and takes note of his person with his sight, from top to toe.  That is usually a cause for fear, to those who do not know that characteristic; but, if he knows it, that threatening causes him no fear.  Finally, concluding the description of that island, the reader must know that it is called Cesarea, in memory of the unconquerable Charles Fifth—­a name that was given it by Bernardo de la Torre, captain and master-of-camp of Ruy Lopez de Villalobos, in the year 1543; and under that name it was designated by the documents and writings of that period.

Copyrights
Project Gutenberg
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 21 of 55 from Project Gutenberg. Public domain.