The
Inhabitants Were Mahometans, Exiles From Borneo, Rich In Gold, And Using
Poisoned Arrows; A Common Practice In Most Of These Islands.
Sailing
W.N.W. from this island 25 leagues, they came to Puloan, a fruitful
island in lat.
9 deg. 20' N. and 179 deg. 20' of longitude W. from their first
departure.[14] This island yields much the same productions as Chippit,
together with large figs, battatos, cocoa-nuts, and sugar-canes; and
they make a kind of wine of rice, which is very intoxicating, yet better
than palm-wine. The natives go entirely naked, use poisoned arrows, and
are greatly addicted to cock-fighting.
[Footnote 13: Bohal is one of the Philippine islands, in lat. 10 deg. N. and
long. 123 deg. 50' E. from Greenwich. Paviloghon and Chippit must
accordingly refer to some islands of the same group farther west. - E.]
[Footnote 14: Pulcan, Pulowan, or Paragua, the westermost of the
Philippines, an island of considerable extent, in lat. 10 deg. N. and long.
119 deg. E. from Greenwich. From the direction of the voyage, the great
island of Chaghaian of the text, was probably that now called
Magindano. - E.]
They came next to the great and rich island of Borneo, in lat. 5 deg. 5' N.
the chief city containing not less than 25,000 houses. The king was a
Mahometan of great power, keeping a magnificent court; and was always
attended by a numerous guard. He sent several presents to the Spanish
captains, and made two elephants be led out with rich silk trappings, to
bring the Spanish messengers and presents to his palace. He has ten
secretaries of state, who write every thing concerning his affairs on
the bark of trees. His household is managed by women, who are the
daughters of his principal courtiers. This country affords camphor,
which is the gum of a tree called Capar; as also cinnamon, ginger,
myrabolans, oranges, lemons, sugar, cucumbers, melons, and other
fruits, with abundance of beasts and birds, and all other products of
the equinoctial climate. The natives continually chew betel and areka,
and drink arrack.
Leaving Borneo, they went to the island of Cimbubon, in, lat. 8 deg. 7'
N.[15] where they remained forty days, caulking and repairing their
ships, and taking in a supply of fresh water. In the woods of this isle
they found a tree, the leaves of which, when they fall to the ground,
move from place to place as if alive. They resemble the leaves of the
mulberry, having certain fibres produced from their sides resembling
legs, and suddenly spring away when touched. Pigafetta, the author of
this relation, kept one of these leaf-animals in a dish for eight
days.[16] This isle produces ostriches, wild hogs, and crocodiles. They
caught here a fish having a head like a sow, with two horns, its body
consisting of one entire bone, and having a substance on its back
resembling a saddle.
[Footnote 15: Perhaps Balambangan, in 8 deg.
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