Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 05).djvu/53

 owns none of the Indians. This island is about eighty leagues in circumference, and fifteen or sixteen wide. Its principal settlements and rivers are Vaybay, Yodmuc, Leyte, Cavigava, Barugo, Maraguincay, Palos, Abuyo, Dulaque, Longos, Bito, Cabalian, Calamocan, and Tugud. This island possesses neither mines nor gold-placers; the only cloth it produces is medriñaque, which, as I have said before, resembles calico, and is made from a kind of wild banana.

Island of Panaon. Between this island and that of Mindanao, which lies north and south, is the island of Panaon. It is about eight leagues in circumference, and three leagues wide. The population is poor, and numbers only about one hundred men, who belong to one encomendero.

Island of Siargao. Twelve leagues from the island of Panaon, and next to the island of Mindanao, is the island of Siargao, which is about fifteen leagues in circumference and six leagues wide. It may have about four hundred inhabitants, and its villages are built around rough and dangerous estuaries. There is only one encomendero. The people are poor because of their indolence; for although there are numerous small islets near this island, which contain many gold-placers, they do not work them. They give as a reason that, if the corsairs should discover that they were working these mines, they would come hither to take them captive; but even now, when no one can molest them, they do not work the mines, and hence we may infer that their poverty is mainly due to sloth.

Island of Maçagua. West of the island of Baybay is a small island called Maçagua, about which father