Serpents.  There are in this land enormous serpents, as large as palm-trees; they are, however, sluggish.

Crocodiles.  There are enormous numbers of crocodiles, which are water-lizards.  They live in all the rivers and in the sea, and do much harm.

Civet-cats. In many of these islands are civet-cats.

Tabon birds.  In this land there is a kind of bird, smaller than a Castilian fowl; its eggs is larger than that of a goose, and is almost all yolk.  This bird lays its eggs in the sand, a braza deep, at the edge of the water.  There the young ones are hatched, and come up through the sand, opening a way through it with their little feet; and as soon as they gain the surface they fly away. [16]

Palms.  In all these islands are great numbers of cocoa-palms.  In some of the nuts are found stones as large as filberts, which the natives prize, although thus far it is not known what efficacy they have.  They draw a great quantity of wine from the palm-trees; one Indian can in one forenoon obtain two arrobas of sap from the palm trees that he cultivates.  It is sweet and good, and is used in making great quantities of brandy, excellent vinegar, and delicious honey.  The cocoanuts furnish a nutritious food when rice is scarce.  From the nut-shells they make dishes, and [from the fibrous husk?] match-cords for their arquebuses; and with the leaves they make baskets.  Consequently this tree is very useful.

In these islands are very many swine, and goats of excellent quality.  There are also a great many wild buffaloes, which, if caught when young, can be easily tamed.  There are ducks, and some geese which have been brought from China.  There are also a great many fowls of excellent quality, which are similar to those of Castilla.  There are some fowls which have no tails, for which reason the natives superstitiously refuse to eat them; but these are better than the other sorts.

As for fruits like those in Castilla, they were formerly not to be found in this land, because of its proximity to China, where there are so many fruits peculiar to that country.  There are here some tolerably good fruits, such as excellent bananas [17]; nancas, a very fragrant fruit, and larger than the largest Spanish melon; macupas, which resemble apples; and santors, which taste like the quince.  There are also many good oranges and lemons.

In the province of Ylocos is found a large tree whose blossoms resemble the white lily, and taste like fish.  The Indians gather the blossoms in the morning, cook them, and eat them in place of fish.  And, wonderful to relate, on the next morning the tree is again full of blossoms; and this occurs day after day.

In the mountain region, where there is scarcity of water, are found certain bejucos, six or eight brazas high, and larger around than the thumb.  When this stem is cut, there gushes forth a great quantity of water, of excellent taste; and this liquid supplies the lack of water.  Each bejuco will yield two or three cuartillos of water. [18]