MANILA, LUCONIA, or Luzon, the name of the largest of the Philippine islands in the East Indies, subject to Spain. It had the name of Luzon from a custom that prevailed among the natives of beating or bruising their rice in wooden mortars, before they either boiled or baked it; luzon, in their language, signifying "a mortar."
As to situation, it is remarkably happy, lying between the eastern and western continents, and having China on the north, at the distance of about 60 leagues; the islands of Japan on the north-east, at the distance of about 250 leagues from the nearest of them; the ocean on the east; the other islands on the south; and on the west Malacca, Patana, Siam, Cambodia, Cochin-China, and other provinces of India, the nearest at the distance of 300 leagues.
The middle of this island is in the latitude 15° north; the east point in 13° 38', and the most northern point in 19°. The shape of it is said to resemble that of an arm bent; the whole length being about 160 Spanish leagues, the greatest breadth between 30 and 40, and the circumference about 350. As to the longitude, the charts differ, some making the middle of the island to lie 113° east from London, and others in 160°. The climate is hot and moist. One thing is held very extraordinary, that in stormy weather there is much lightning and rain, and that thunder is seldom heard till this is over. During the months of June, July, August, and part of September, the west and south winds blow, which they call vendavales, bringing such rains and storms, that the fields are all overflowed, and they are forced to have little boats to go from one place to another. From October till the middle of December, the north wind prevails; and from that time till May, the east and south-east; which winds are there called breezes. Thus there are two seasons in those seas, by the Portuguese called monzons; whence our word monsoon, that is, the breezes half
Manila. half the year, with a serene dry air; and the vena-
vales the other half, wet and stormy. It is further to
be observed, that in this climate no vermin breed up-
on Europeans, though they wear dirty shirts, whereas
it is otherwise with the Indians. The days here being
always of an equal length, and the weather never
cold, neither their clothes, nor the hour of dining,
supping, doing business, studying, or praying, are
ever changed; nor is cloth worn, but only against
the rain.
The air here being, as has been observed, very hot
and moist, is not wholesome; but is worse for young
men that come from Europe than for the old. As
for the natives, without using many precautions, they
live very commonly to fourscore or 100. The soil is so
rich, that rice grows even on the tops of the mount-
ains without being watered; and this makes it so
plentiful, that the Indians value gold so little as not to
pick it up, though it lies almost every where under
their feet.
Among the disadvantages of the island, besides fre-
quent and terrible earthquakes, here are several burning
mountains. The face of the island, however, is far from
being disfigured by them, or by the consequences of
their explosions.
The mountaineers, called Tingiani, have no particu-
lar place of abode, but always live under the shelter
of trees, which serve them instead of houses, and furnish
them with food; and when the fruit is eaten up, they
remove where there is a fresh sort.
Here are 40 different sorts of palm-trees, the most
excellent cocoas, wild cinnamon, wild nutmegs, and
some say wild cloves also; ebony; sandal-wood; the
best cassia, and in such plenty, that they feed their
hogs with its fruit; all kinds of cattle, and prodigious
quantities of gold, amber, and ambergris.
There are several sorts of people in this island be-
sides the Spaniards, as the Tagalians or Tagaleze, the
Pintados or painted negroes, the Ilayas or Tingli-
anos, and the Negrellos. The Tagalians, who are
thought to be Malayans by descent, are a modest, tract-
able, and well disposed people. The Pintados, or
painted negroes, are tall, straight, strong, active, and
of an excellent disposition. The Tinglianos, whom
some suppose to be descended from the Japanese, are
very brave, yet very courteous and humane. They live
entirely on the gifts of nature; and never sleep under
any other shade than that of the trees or a cave. The
Negrellos, who are held to be the Aborigines of the
island, are barbarous and brutal to the last degree.
When they kill a Spaniard, they make a cup of his
skull and drink out of it.
This island is divided into several provinces, con-
taining divers towns, the chief of which are Manila,
Caceres, New-Segovia, Bondo, Passacao, Ibalon, Bu-
law, Serfocon, or Bagatao, Lampon, Fernandina, Bo-
linao, Playahonda, Cavite, Mindora, Caleleya, and
Balayan.