t they write the truth; for, as far as I
can learn, very little credit can be given them except in the case of
father Fray Diego de Herrera and Fray Martin de Herrada, who, being
religious and strongly attached to the service of God and the public
good, will write the whole truth; and yet I do not believe that they
will interest themselves in secular affairs. Now that I have written
the customs and practices of the natives of these islands, I shall
make a few remarks on the Indians of China, for I had begun to state
them before. I said that they come to trade with the natives and the
Spaniards of this island of Luzon as well as to all the islands in
this region, to import and sell silk stuffs, very good cotton robes,
and other small articles, very neat and similar in make and style
to those worn by them. As I began to say above, both men and women
are vigorous and light complexioned. I say women, for some are to be
found living in this island of Luzon. These Chinese live among these
natives because they have fled from their own country, on account
of certain events which took place there. They brought their wives
with them; all of them, both men and women, number about one hundred
and fifty. They became Christians after coming here. They are a very
unassuming and modest people; they clothe themselves with long robes
of cotton cloth and with silk. They wear wide breeches, and sleeves
and stockings, like the Spaniards. They are a very ingenious and
cleanly people. This, is in brief what we have seen. They wear their
hair very long, men as well as women, tied up and well arranged upon
their heads. I have treated thus far of various matters; I come now
to speak of the fertility of these islands, of what is gathered and
sown in them, mainly with regard to those in which I have been.

The island of Mindanao is very large and poorly populated, at least
in the part in which I have been, which is from the river of Butuan
to the cape of Calamita, about eighty leagues along the coast. It is
an extremely rough country. The natives there obtain very pure gold,
for the mines are numerous and very rich. The cape of Caahuite,
located in this island, and where cinnamon is gathered, lies in
five degrees of latitude, and is toward the southeast. It is a very
unhealthy country. As I remarked above, I have been at that cape. From
the cape to the river Grande de Mindanao, the distance is about sixty
leagues. We were very near this river of M