40' both N. and is
surrounded by many small isles, especially at its north end, Mindora
being the chief of these isles, which communicates its name to the
straits which run between it and the main island of Luconia.
The surface
of this large island is partly composed of large pasture plains, and
partly of mountains, the latter of which afford some gold; and the
plains, or savannahs, are stored with buffaloes, bullocks, horses,
sheep, goats, and hogs. The inhabitants are Indians, who live in little
towns, under the Spanish jurisdiction, and are instructed in the Romish
religion by Spanish priests.
[Footnote 196: Perhaps the gulf on Pangasian is here meant, on the E.
side of Luzon, in lat. 16 deg. N.]
Manilla is the chief city, or rather the only one, in the island,
seated at the foot of a ridge of high hills, fronting the harbour, near
the S.W. point of the island, in lat. 14 deg. 38' N: This city is defended
by a strong wall, and is composed of well-built spacious houses, covered
with pan-tiles, the streets being broad and regular, with a large
market-place in the middle, and has many fair churches and convents. The
harbour is large; and, besides the two great Acapulco ships, contains
abundance of small vessels belonging to the place, besides usually
thirty or forty stout Chinese junks; and the Portuguese also have
liberty to trade to this place. Many Chinese merchants also reside
constantly in this city. A league from the city, nearer the sea, there
is a strong fortress to defend the harbour, where the great ships lie at
anchor. Most of this account I received from Mr Coppinger, our surgeon,
who had formerly been thither, sailing from the Coromandel coast.
The time of the year being now too far spent for our purpose, we
resolved to sail for Pulo Condore, a knot of small islands on the coast
of Cambodia, and to return in May to lie in wait for the Acapulco ship.
We accordingly made sail from the island of Luconia on the 26th of
February; and coming into the lat. of 14 deg. N. we steered our course W.
for Pulo Condore,[197] and in our way got sight of the south end of the
Pracel shoals, being three small isles, or large spots of sand, just
above water, only a mile from us. We came in sight of Pulo Condore on
the 13th March, and anchored next day on the north side of that island,
in ten fathoms, on clean hard sand, two miles from the shore.
[Footnote 197: This course ought rather to have been called W.S.W. as
Pulo Condore is lat. 8 deg. 40' N.]
Pulo Condore is the chief of a group of isles, and the only one of them
that is inhabited, in lat. 8 deg. 44' N. long. 106 deg. 5' E. forty leagues S.
by E. from the mouth of the river of Cambodia, otherwise called the
Japanese river.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 233 of 431
Words from 121327 to 121836
of 224764
