763 
THE ISLAND OF MINDOHO. 
covered with leaves, and the hosts were savage men covered with 
lierps, tetter ( impines ) or leprosy. 
We have already said that the people of the coasts of Mindoro 
consisted of outcasts (vagamundos) from the neighbouring pro¬ 
vinces who had established themselves there on account of the 
security that they enjoyed and the easy subsistence they obtained 
through the fertility of the soil, or from traffic with the Manguians. 
There might also be a few speculators among them who aggrandized 
themselves by similar transactions. The greater portion of the 
towns consist of one or two parishes (cabecei'ias), except Calapan 
and Naujan which possess ten each, and Puerto Galera which has 
six or seven, the population of this last having been increased 
lately from its being a station of the marine flotilla, whence they 
depart on their cruizes in various directions. Some of the principal 
Christians taking advantages of circumstances to assume functions 
of justice like those of petty governors or deputies, have progressed 
little by little in establishing commercial and political relations 
with the Manguians. At Mansalay, for example, and at Bonga- 
bon on the east coast, the savages of the neighbourhood come 
down to assist the Christians in constructing stockades, forts, and 
telegraphs for the public defence. Some, also, have in their 
private service fifty or a hundred Manguians, to whom they 
advance rice, handkerchiefs, plates, cooking utensils, hatchets, 
and other small articles, which are repaid by manual labour in 
the com fields, or with wax, rattans, potatoes, sago, (yuro), and 
other productions of the forests. Thus it is, that on certain days 
of the week, at the setting of the sun, great numbers of the 
Manguians assemble in the towns with which they are in commu¬ 
nication, where they pass the night, and return to their homes the 
following morning. 
Those who have not witnessed it cannot conceive the objection 
which these poor savages have to residing in any regulated town. 
The idea of becoming permanent residents on a spot after they 
have consumed all the fruit in their neighbourhood, or after they 
have suffered from some contagious sickness there, is so repugnant 
to them, that no sort of inducement will render it tolerable. They 
consider the Christian natives as disgracing themselves more by 
becoming fixed residents, than by paying tribute, performing 
menial services, and by being obliged to enroll themselves for 
defence against the Moors, "it is only with great difficulty that 
they can be prevailed on to allow one of their children to be 
brought up among the Christians, and, to conclude, they resist to 
the utmost in their power all measures which they consider will 
either directly or indirectly tend to their advancement in civilization. 
The Christians of Mindoro participate much in the customs of 
savages. They cultivate a little rice, which they consume in the 
course of a few months after the crop is gathered, and subsist for 
the remainder of the year on fish, roots, but above all on yuro. 
