Chap II. 
Portuguese Empire in the Eaft-fndies. 
not permitted to effeft by his Adlions, he has {Fetched 
forth in his Writings ; fo that, from them we learn* this 
great Southern Continent was, in his Time, well inhabited ; 
and though thefe Inhabitants might, in fome Parts of it, 
be abfolute Barbarians ; yet, in others, they were as much 
civilized as their Neighbours, and had, as we have before 
feen, not only the IJfe of Veffels, but fome kind of naval 
Force. 
21. The Difcovery of the Philippine tflands , as they 
are now called, was, undoubtedly, made by Francis Ma- 
gellan , in the Year 1521 ; and the firft Wand in which he 
landed was Hummunun , which is now barren and uninha- 
bited. He took Poffeffion of the Wand of Butuan , by 
ereding a Crofs, as we have elfewhere fhewn, on the 
Wednefday in Eafter-Week , in the fame Year. But thefe 
Wands were not fettled on the Behalf of the Spaniards till 
the Year 1565, bp Michael Lopez de Legafpi , a Native 
of Mexico , afting under a Commiffion from King Phi- 
lip II. in Honour of whom they were called Philippines. 
But with this Conqueft and Settlement I have, at prefent, 
nothing to do, as intending to fpeak only of the Difcove- 
ries made in thefe Parts by the Portugueze , on whofe Be- 
half. Don Antonio de Gahano , in the Year 1538, fent 
Francis de Caftro to the Wand of Mindanao , where he 
perfuaded fix of the petty Princes to receive Baptifm, with 
ail their Families. .This Wand of Mindanao is the moft 
fouthern of all the Philippines , and the largeft of them all, 
except Manila ; it extends from 6° of N. L. to io° 30', 
and is efteemed three hundreed Leagues in compafs. There 
are few Countries in the World better watered; for there 
are in it twenty navigable Rivers* and near two hundred 
Rivulets, befides large Lakes, one of which is called 
Mindanao , and gives its Name to the whole Wand. 
The Portugueze found it inhabited by feveral different 
Nations, of which, the true original Lords of the Country 
poffeffed then, only the Hills and inacceffible Places ; 
being Negros, with crifp and curled Hair, like thofe in 
New Guinea ; and, by the way, thofe were the original 
Inhabitants of all the Philippines. The Portugueze and 
Spaniards call them Nigrillos , a Nation who have facri- 
llced all the Bleffings of Life, and all the Advantages of 
human Nature, to an enthufiaftick Love of Liberty. Thofe 
who inhabit one Mountain will have no Intercourfe with 
thofe who inhabit the next ; nay thofe that inhabit the 
Middle of a Hill, will murder fuch as live at the Top or the 
Bottom of it, if they find them in their Diftrift. They 
have neither Lords nor Laws, but live like Brutes, for 
the foie Satisfa&ion of being free. This filly Humour 
induced them to abandon the Sea-Coafts on the firft Ap- 
pearance of Strangers, which have been fince fettled by 
feveral Nations, fome Mohammedans from Borneo, others a 
whiter People, no Body can well fay from whence, only the 
moft civilized Inhabitants own, when the Portugueze came 
amongft them firft, that thefe Wands had formerly been 
under the Dominion of the Chinefe , and, upon their aban- 
doning them, were left a Prey to any Nation that thought 
fit to fettle in them, and were able to defend themfelves 
from the Blacks in the Mountains. 
The Wand Xolo lies South- Weft from Mindanao , and 
is governed by a King of its own ; it is far from being 
large, but its Situation between Mindanao and Borneo 
makes it the Mart of all the Moorijh Kingdoms. I do 
not find that the Portugueze ever pretended to fettle, much 
ids to conquer thefe Wands ; but they vifited them fre- 
quently for the fake of Trade, and in thofe Days there 
was a greater Commerce in thefe Parts than can be well 
imagined ; for, while the Trade was open to Japan , there 
came annually two or three Ships laden with Silver, Am- 
ber, Silks, Chefts, Cabinets, and other Curiofities, made 
of fweet-feented Woods, with vaft Quantities of Silks, 
Mullins, Callicoes, Quilts, and Earthen-ware from China. 
For thefe the Merchants of Golconda exchanged their Di- 
amonds ; thofe of Ceylon their Rubies, Topazes and Sa- 
phires ; from Java and Sumatra came Pepper, and Cloves, 
and Nutmegs from the Moluccas. 
The native Commodities of thefe Wands were as valua- 
ble as any of the reft, fince no Country in the World, 
Numb. XLYIT 
Peru not excepted, abounds with more Gold. In the 
Mountains they dig but three Foot deep, before they meet 
with it in red Sand, and where they cannot come at the 
Mountains for the Blacks, they dig Trenches in the fiat 
Country,.. and after the rainy Seafon, they pick the Gold 
out of the Mud that is left in them. Cinnamon they have 
as good as any in Ceylon ; but no body having any Pro- 
perty in the Trees, they tear and deftroy the Bark at all 
Seafons, which is the Reafon the World is fo little ac- 
quainted with the Cinnamon of Mindanao. In the Sea, be- 
tween this Wand and Xolo , there is a Pearl-Filbery, infe- 
rior to none in the Indies , either in point of Colour or 
Shape. Ambergreece they have in great Plenty and' Per- 
fection on their Coaft ; and Lumps are very often found of 
twenty or thirty Pounds Weight, nay, and fometimes 
larger. 
It was from their Commerce with Mindanao , and the 
Refpedt, or, as they call it. Homage, paid to the King 
of Portugal by fome of the petty Monarchs of that Coun- 
try, that the Eortugueze pretended to maintain their Claim 
to thefe Wand againft the Spaniards , who affume to them- 
felves an exclufive Right over all the Philippines ; becaufe 
Laconia, or Manila , which is the biggeft of them, is in 
their Poffeffion ; yet they have fo managed their Affairs, 
that though they keep thefe Settlements merely for the fake 
of Trade, their Government is fo ordered, as to leffen 
that Commerce, which thofe Wands had before they be- 
came Mailers of them ; and, at the fame time, the Royal 
Revenue is fo indifferently managed, as not to defray 
above Two-Thirds of the Expences of the Government ; 
though the People are fo much harraffed, that they fly to 
all Parts of India, to avoid the Hardlhips impofed on 
them at Home. 
Father Navarette , who was himfelf a Spaniard , and 
who, in his Hiftory of China , lliews a manifeft Partiality 
for his Country, confeffes the Truth of this, and that he 
never was in any Country of the Indies, but he found 
Manila Indians either carried away, or run away from 
thence ; and of this, he fays, the Spanifo Government 
complained, as being extremely detrimental to that Settle- 
ment : But he obferves very juftly, upon that Occalion, 
that Complaints lie only againft themfelves, and their own 
Condudl : Let them, fays he, ufe the Indians well, and 
they will not run away ; let them proteCl thofe People as 
they ought, and no body will be able to fteal them. The 
Negligence of the Portugueze , the Tyranny of the Spa- 
niards , and the encroaching Difpofition of the Dutch , hin- 
der thefe Wands from being, what they otherwife mull be', 
the Centre of Commerce between the Eajt and Weji-In- 
dies ; and if a free Trade were allowed in them, each of 
thefe Nations would get ten Times as rnuCh, and that too' 
with ten Times the Eafe with which they get what little 
they do get by their Commerce here at prefent. 
22. There is not any Paffage relating to the Difcoveries 
made by the Potugueze in the Eaft, more curious or more 
extraordinary, than what relates to the finding the Wands 
of Japan , which were difeovered about the fame Time 
by two different fets of Adventurers, both, in all Appear- 
ance, the pure EffeCts of Chance. And though, in the* Ac- 
count we have received of both thefe Difcoveries, very 
little Notice is taken of Dates , yet, from Comparifon of 
Facts, it is pretty evident, that the Perfons we fhall firft 
fpeak of, arrived in that Country fome Time in the Month 
of May , A.D. 1542. Of the firft of thefe, we have a 
very large Account, written by Mendez Pinto , who was 
himfelf the Difeoverer ; but for many Reafons, we have 
found it neceffary to contract that Account into as few 
Words as poffible, that we may have Room to give the 
Reader both the Difcoveries, and thereby enable him to 
judge for himfelf, as to the Controverfy that has been 
raifed concerning them. 
Ferdinand Mendez Pinto tells us himfelf, that being its 
Company with two of his Countrymen, whofe Names were 
Diego Zeimoto , and Chrijlopher Bor ello, at Lampacao,. which 
is the fame with Macao , they there endeavoured to o- e t a 
Paffage to fome other Part in the Indies , and found it 
very difficult to do : At laft a Chinefe Corfair offered his Ser- 
