veral instances
of treachery occur, and the Spaniards are obliged to be on their guard
continually. As in the other accounts, mention is made of each village
visited, in succession, and various interesting details are related. At
Anit the houses are decorated with the heads of men and of animals;
"such was their custom". At Bantal Miranda builds a fort, and requires
hostages from some hostile or treacherous chiefs. At Agulan the little
children are wearing golden necklaces of good quality, "good enough
to be worn in Madrid". At Tuguey and some other villages the natives
resist the entrance of the Spaniards, but are terrified at the sound
of firearms, and quickly yield submission. Retracing their route, the
Spaniards find that the villages which they had left in peace are now
revolting; they seize the chief who has most disturbed the people, and
send him to Manila. The governor feasts him there, and sends him back
to his own village, apparently well pleased with the Spaniards. Miranda
searches for gold-mines, but cannot find them; and finally, sick and
discouraged, as also are his friars, returns to Manila. Captain Clavijo
is sent to search for the mines, but is compelled to retreat, being
assaulted by more than a thousand Indians. In 1607 many chiefs from
Tuy come to Manila and offer their submission to the Spaniards; but
the Audiencia take no interest in the matter, and pass it by. Later,
those chiefs send requests to Manila for protection and religious
instruction. The richness and fertility of their country is described;
and an interesting account is given of the gold-mines in the adjacent
mountains, and the primitive mining operations conducted by the
natives. These are Igorrotes, of whose appearance and customs some
mention is made. As they are pagans, and lukewarm even in idolatry,
it will be easy to make Christians of them. There is great reason to
believe that the Igorrote country abounds in gold. To this account
are appended several others bearing on this subject. One of these
relates the circumstances which induced Dasmarinas to explore Tuy;
another is a copy of the warrant and instructions given to him by
his father the governor. These are followed by a curious document,
apparently written by Vega on behalf of himself and others interested
in the conquest of Tuy and the Igorrote gold country, and addressed to
some high official in Spain--perhaps Lerma, the favorite of Felipe
III. It contains further stipulati