Departing from The River Of Mindanao

On January 14, 1687 at 3pm we sailed from the river of Mindanao, designing to cruise before Manila.

THE TIMESPAN SAILING ROUND THE WORLD: WITH A CAUTION TO SEAMEN, ABOUT THE ALLOWANCE THEY ARE TO TAKE FOR THE DIFFERENCE OF THE SUN’S DECLINATION.

It was during our stay at Mindanao when we were first learned of the change of time in the course of our voyage.

For, having travelled so far westward, keeping the same course with the sun, we must consequently have gained something insensibly in the length of the particular days, but have lost in the tale the bulk, or number of the days or hours.

According to the different longitudes of England and Mindanao island, being west from the Lizard, by common computation, about 210 degrees, the difference of time at our arrival at Mindanao ought to be about 14 hours: and so much we should have anticipated our reckoning, having gained it by bearing the sun company.

Now the natural day in every particular place must be consonant to itself: but this going about with or against the sun’s course will of necessity make a difference in the calculation of the civil day between any two places. Accordingly at Mindanao and all other places in the East Indies we found them reckoning a day before us, both natives and Europeans; for the Europeans, coming eastward by the Cape of Good Hope in a course contrary to the sun and us, wherever we met they were a full day before us in their accounts. So among the Indian Mohammedans here their Friday, the day of their sultan’s going to their mosques, was Thursday with us; though it were Friday also with those who came eastward from Europe.

Yet at the Ladrone Islands we found the Spaniards of Guam keeping the same computation with ourselves; the reason of which I take to be that they settled that colony by a course westward from Spain; the Spaniards going first to America and thence to the Ladrones and Philippines. But how the reckoning was at Manila and the rest of the Spanish colonies in the Philippine Islands I know not; whether they keep it as they brought it or corrected it by the accounts of the natives and of the Portuguese, Dutch, and English, coming the contrary way from Europe.

One great reason why seamen ought to keep the difference of time as exact as they can is that they may be the more exact in their latitudes.

For our tables of the sun’s declination, being calculated for the meridians of the places in which they were made, differ about 12 minutes from those parts of the world that lie on their opposite meridians in the months of March and September; and in proportion to the sun’s declination at other times of the year also.

And should they run farther as we did the difference would still increase upon them, and be an occasion of great errors. Yet even able seamen in these voyages are hardly made sensible of this, though so necessary to be observed, for want of duly attending to the reason of it, as it happened among those of our crew; who after we had passed 180 degrees began to decrease the difference of declination, whereas they ought still to have increased it, for it all the way increased upon us.

THE SOUTH COAST OF MINDANAO

We had the wind at north-north-east, fair clear weather and a brisk gale. We coasted to the westward, on the south side of the island of Mindanao, keeping within four or five leagues of the shore. The land from hence trends away west by south. It is off a good height by the sea and very woody, and in the country we saw high hills.

CHAMBONGO TOWN AND HARBOUR, WITH ITS NEIGHBOURING KEYS.

The next day we were abreast of Chambongo, a town in this island and 30 leagues from the river of Mindanao. It has a good harbour and a great settlement with plenty of beef and buffalo.

The Spaniards were formerly fortified here also. It has 2 shoals, two or three leagues from the shore. From hence the land is more low and even; yet there are some hills in the country.

About six leagues before we came to the west end of the island Mindanao we fell in with a great many small low islands or keys, and about two or three leagues to the southward of these keys there is a long island stretching north-east and south-west about 12 leagues. This island is low by the sea on the north side and has a ridge of hills in the middle, running from one end to the other. Between this isle and the small keys there is a good large channel: among the keys also there is a good depth of water and a violent tide; but on what point of the compass it flows I know not, nor how much it rises and falls.

GREEN TURTLE

On January 17, we anchored on the east side of all these keys in eight fathom water, clean sand. Here are plenty of green turtle, whose flesh is as sweet as any in the West Indies: but they are very shy.

RUINS OF A SPANISH FORT

A little to the westward of these keys, on the island Mindanao, we saw abundance of coconut-trees: therefore we sent our canoe ashore, thinking to find inhabitants, but found none nor sign of any; but great tracts of hogs and great cattle; and close by the sea there were ruins of an old fort; the walls thereof were of a good height, built with stone and lime, and by the workmanship seemed to be Spanish. From this place the land trends west-north-west and it is of an indifferent height by the sea. It runs on this point of the compass four or five leagues, and then the land trends away north-north-west five or six leagues farther, making with many bluff points.

THE WESTERMOST POINT OF MINDANAO.

We weighed again the 14th day and went through between the keys; but met such uncertain tides that we were forced to anchor again.

The 22nd day we got about the westermost point of all Mindanao and stood to the northward, plying under the shore and having the wind at north-north-east a fresh gale. As we sailed along further we found the land to trend north-north-east. On this part of the island the land is high by the sea with full bluff points and very woody. There are some small sandy bays which afford streams of fresh water.

TWO PROAS OF THE SOLOGUES LADEN FROM MANILA.

Here we met with two proas belonging to the Sologues, one of the Mindanayan nations before mentioned.

They came from Manila laden with silks and calicoes.

We kept on this western part of the island steering northerly till we came abreast of some other of the Philippine Islands that lay to the northward of us, then steered away towards them; but still keeping on the west side of them, and we had the winds at north-north-east.

AN ISLE TO THE WEST OF CEBU

On February 3, we anchored in a good bay on the west side of the island in latitude 9 degrees 55 minutes, where we had 13 fathom water, good soft oaze.

This island has no name that we could find in any book but lies on the west side of Cebu island Sebo.

It is about 8-10 leagues long, mountainous and woody. At this place Captain Read, who was the same Captain Swan had so much railed against in his journal and was now made captain in his room (as Captain Teat was made master, and Mr. Henry More quartermaster) ordered the carpenters to cut down our quarter-deck to make the ship snug and the fitter for sailing. When that was done we heeled her, scrubbed her bottom, and tallowed it. Then we filled all our water, for here is a delicate small run of water.

WALKING-CANES

The land was pretty low in this bay, the mould black and fat, and the trees of several kinds, very thick and tall. In some places we found plenty of canes, such as we use in England for walking-canes.

These were short-jointed, not above two foot and a half, or two foot 10 inches the longest, and most of them not above two foot. They run along on the ground like a vine; or, taking hold of their trees, they climb up to their very tops. They are 15 or 20 fathom long, and much of a bigness from the root till within five or six fathom of the end. They are of a pale green colour, clothed over with a coat of short thick hairy substance of a dun colour; but it comes off by only drawing the cane through your hand. We did cut many of them and they proved very tough heavy canes.

We saw no houses nor sign of inhabitants. But while we lay here there was a canoe with six men came into this bay; but whither they were bound or from whence they came I know not. They were Indians, and we could not understand them.

ISLE OF VERY LARGE BATS, NUMEROUS TURTLE AND MANATEE

In the middle of this bay about a mile from the shore there is a small low woody island, not above a mile in circumference; our ship rode about a mile from it. This island was the habitation of an incredible number of great bats, with bodies as big as ducks, or large fowl, and with vast wings: for I saw at Mindanao one of this sort, and I judge that the wings, stretched out in length, could not be less asunder than 7 or 8 foot from tip to tip; for it was much more than any of us could fathom with our arms extended to the utmost.

The wings are for substance like those of other bats, of a dun or mouse colour. The skin or leather of them has ribs running along it and draws up in 3 or 4 folds; and at the joints of those ribs and the extremities of the wings there are sharp and crooked claws by which they may hang on anything.

In the evening as soon as the sun was set, these creatures would begin to take their flight from this island in swarms like bees, directing their flight over to the main island; and whither afterwards I know not. Thus we should see them rising up from the island till night hindered our sight; and in the morning as soon as it was light we should see them returning again like a cloud to the small island till sun rising. This course they kept constantly while we lay here, affording us every morning and evening an hour’s diversion in gazing at them and talking about them; but our curiosity did not prevail with us to go ashore to them, ourselves and canoes being all the daytime taken up in business about our ship. At this isle also we found plenty of turtle and manatee but no fish.

A DANGEROUS SHOAL

We stayed here until February 10, 1687. After completing our business, we sailed hence with the wind at north.

But going out we struck on a rock, where we lay for 2 hours: it was very smooth water and the tide of flood, or else we should there have lost our ship.

We struck off a great piece of our rudder, which was all the damage that we received, but we more narrowly missed losing our ships this time than in any other in the whole voyage. This is a very dangerous shoal because it does not break, unless probably it may appear in foul weather. It lies about two miles to the westward, without the small Bat Island. Here we found the tide of flood setting to the southward, and the ebb to the northward.

SAILING BY PANAY BELONGING TO THE SPANIARDS

After we were past this shoal we coasted along by the rest of the Philippine Islands, keeping on the west side of them. Some of them appeared to be very mountainous dry land. We saw many fires in the night as we passed by Panay, a great island settled by Spaniards, and by the fires up and down it seems to be well settled by them; for this is a Spanish custom whereby they give notice of any danger or the like from sea; and it is probable they had seen our ship the day before. This is an unfrequented coast and it is rare to have any ship seen there. We touched not at Panay nor anywhere else though we saw a great many small islands to the westward of us and some shoals, but none of them laid down in our charts.

MINDORO ISLAND

On February 18, we anchored at the north-west end of the island Mindoro, in 10 fathom water, about 3 quarters of a mile from the shore.

Mindoro is a large island. The middle of it lying in latitude 13, about 40 leagues long, stretching north-west and south-east. It is high and mountainous and not very woody.

At this place where we anchored the land was neither very high nor low. There was a small brook of water, and the land by the sea was very woody, and the trees high and tall, but a league or two farther in the woods are very thin and small. Here we saw great tracks of hog and beef, and we saw some of each and hunted them; but they were wild and we could kill none.

While we were here there was a canoe with 4 natives came from Manila. They were very shy of us a while but at last, hearing us speak Spanish, they came to us and told us that they were going to a friar that lived at an Indian village towards the south-east end of the island. They told us also that the harbour of Manila is seldom or never without 20 or 30 sail of vessels, most Chinese, some Portuguese, and some few the Spaniards have of their own. They said that when they had done their business with the friar they would return to Manila, and hope to be back again at this place in four days’ time.

We told them that we came for a trade with the Spaniards at Manila, and should be glad if they would carry a letter to some merchant there, which they promised to do. But this was only a pretence of ours to get out of them what intelligence we could as to their shipping, strength, and the like, under colour of seeking a trade; for our business was to pillage. Now if we had really designed to have traded there this was as fair an opportunity as men could have desired: for these men could have brought us to the friar that they were going to, and a small present to him would have engaged him to do any kindness for us in the way of trade: for the Spanish governors do not allow of it and we must trade by stealth.

On the 21st, we left there with the wind at east-north-east a small gale. On the 23rd, in the morning, we were fair by the south-east end of the island Luzon, the place that had been so long desired by us.

TWO BARKS TAKEN

We presently saw a sail coming from the northward and making after her we took her in two hours’ time. She was a Spanish bark that came from a place called Pangasanam, a small town on the north end of Luzon; probably the same with Pongassiny, which lies on a bay at the north-west side of the island. She was bound to Manila but had no goods aboard; and therefore we turned her away.

The 23rd we took another Spanish vessel that came from the same place as the other.

She was laden with rice and cotton-cloth and bound for Manila also. These goods were purposely for the Acapulco ship: the rice was for the men to live on while they lay there and in their return: and the cotton-cloth was to make sail. The master of this prize was boatswain of the Acapulco ship which escaped us at Guam and was now at Manila.

It was this man that gave us the relation of what strength it had, how they were afraid of us there, and of the accident that happened to them, as is before mentioned in the 10th chapter. We took these two vessels within seven or eight leagues of Manila.

LUZON AND MANILA BAY

Luzon is a big island, taking up between 6 and 7 degrees of latitude in length. Its witdh near the middle is about 60 leagues, but the ends are narrow.

The north end lies in about 19 degrees north latitude and the south end is about 12 degrees 30 minutes. This great island has abundance of small keys or islands lying about it; especially at the north end.

The south side fronts towards the rest of the Philippine Islands: of these that are its nearest neighbours Mindoro lately mentioned is the chief, and gives name to the sea or strait that parts it and the other islands from Luconia: being called the Straits of Mindoro.

MAP OF THE BASHEE ISLANDS, PULO CONDORE, ETC.

Luzon has many spacious plain savannahs and large mountains. The north end seems to be more plain and even, I mean freer from hills, than the south end: but the land is all along of a good height.

It does not appear so flourishing and green as some of the other islands in this range; especially that of St. John, Mindanao, Bat Island, etc., yet in some places it is very woody.

Some of the mountains of this island afford gold, and the savannahs are well stocked with herds of cattle, especially Buffaloes. These cattle are in great plenty all over the East Indies; It is very probable that there were many of these here even before the Spaniards came hither. But now there are also plenty of other cattle, as I have been told, as bullocks, horses, sheep, goats, hogs, etc., brought hither by the Spaniards.

It is pretty well inhabited with natives, most of them if not all under the Spaniards.

The native Indians do live together in towns; and they have priests among them to instruct them in the Spanish religion.

Manila, the chief or perhaps the only city, lies at the foot of a ridge of high hills, facing upon a spacious harbour near the south-west point of the island, in about the latitude of 14 degrees north.

It is environed with a high strong wall and very well fortified with forts and breast-works. The houses are large, strongly built, and covered with pan-tile. The streets are large and pretty regular; with a parade in the midst, after the Spanish fashion. There are a great many fair buildings besides churches and other religious houses; of which there are not a few.

The harbour is so large that some hundreds of ships may ride here; and is never without many, both of their own and strangers. I have already given you an account of the two ships going and coming between this place and Acapulco. Besides them they have some small vessels of their own; and they do allow the Portuguese to trade here, but the Chinese are the chiefest merchants and they drive the greatest trade; for they have commonly twenty, thirty, or forty junks in the harbour at a time, and a great many merchants constantly residing in the city besides shopkeepers, and handicrafts-men in abundance. Small vessels run up near the town, but the Acapulco ships and others of greater burden lie a league short of it, where there is a strong fort also, and storehouses to put goods in.

I had the major part of this relation 2 or 3 years after this time from Mr. Coppinger our surgeon; for he made a voyage hither from Porto Nova, a town on the coast of Coromandel; in a Portuguese ship, as I think. Here he found ten or twelve of Captain Swan’s men; some of those that we left at Mindanao. For after we came from thence they bought a proa there, by the instigation of an Irishman who went by the name of John Fitz-Gerald, a person that spoke Spanish very well; and so in this their proa they came hither.

They had been here but eighteen months when Mr. Coppinger arrived here, and Mr. Fitz-Gerald had in this time gotten a Spanish Mestiza woman to wife, and a good dowry with her. He then professed physic and surgery, and was highly esteemed among the Spaniards for his supposed knowledge in those arts; for, being always troubled with sore shins while he was with us, he kept some plasters and salves by him; and with these he set up upon his bare natural stock of knowledge and his experience in kibes. But then he had a very great stock of confidence withal to help out the other and, being an Irish Roman Catholic, and having the Spanish language, he had a great advantage of all his consorts; and he alone lived well there of them all. We were not within sight of this town but I was shown the hills that overlooked it, and drew a draft of them as we lay off at sea; which I have caused to be engraven among a few others that I took myself. See the Table.