no, Maesse de Campo, Cimara, Panaon, and Capones
(fifteen leguas from Maribeles); islets near Luban, Panay, Bantayan,
Mindoro, and Cuyo; and islets between Leyte and Cebu.]

Climate, population, and products

29. The climate of these islands is, for sensible people, for the
most part reasonably healthful and temperate. On the coasts it is
hot; in the mountains it is cool, pleasant, and refreshing. There is
no certain knowledge of the time or source of their settlement. The
nearest mainland is Great China, the eastern end of Assia (one of
the first which were inhabited after the general deluge). On the west
of China is the gulf and kingdom of Bengal, from which (through the
strait of Sincapura) it seems very probable that the first settlers of
these islands came, [38] to judge from the similarity in their color,
customs, and language. They are of average size, light-colored, and
have well-shaped features and much intelligence. They live in high
wooden houses, and support themselves by tilling the soil, fishing,
and other industries. At the time of this writing, there are more
than 600,000 Christians here, vassals of the king our sovereign;
and the Catholic piety of his Majesty maintains them in the holy
faith, although they are 5,000 leguas from his court, at the cost
of immense expenditures from his royal treasury. It appears from
the books of the royal accountancies that his Majesty has, in only
twenty years, expended more than 300,000 ducados in sending religious
to Filipinas--from which it will be seen that incalculable treasure
has been spent for this purpose during only the ninety-eight years
since the islands were discovered.

30. Their products are: Rice in great abundance, which is the
wheat of that country and the usual food of its people, serving
as their bread. Everywhere, whether in mountains or plains, there
is abundant growth of cocoanut palms. These nuts are as large as
average-sized melons, and almost of the same shape; the shell is
hard, and contains a sweet liquid which makes a palatable beverage,
and a meat which is a delicious food. This is the most useful plant
in the world; for not only are food and drink, and wine and oil,
obtained from it, but innumerable other things--comprising all that
is necessary to human life, for the dwellings, food, and clothing
of man. There are plantations of these trees, as in Espana there are
vineyards--although the former are at less cost and labor. In these