_Of the island of Panay and of the district under its jurisdiction_
_Island of Panay_. Twelve leagues from the nearest point of Çubu,
and two and one-half leagues from Negros Island, lies the island
of Panay, the most fertile and well-provisioned of all the islands
discovered, except the island of Luçon; for it is exceedingly fertile,
and abounds in rice, swine, fowls, wax, and honey; it produces also
a great quantity of cotton and medriñaque. Its villages stand very
close together, and the people are peaceful and open to conversion. The
land is healthful and well-provisioned, so that the Spaniards who are
stricken with sickness in other islands go thither to recover their
health. The natives are healthy and clean; and although the island of
Çubu is also healthful and has a good climate, most of its inhabitants
are always afflicted with the itch and buboes. In the island of Panay
the natives declare that no one of them had ever been afflicted with
buboes until the people from Bohol--who, as we said above, abandoned
Bohol on account of the people of Maluco--came to settle in Panay,
and gave the disease to some of the natives. For these reasons the
governor, Don Gonçalo Ronquillo, founded the town of Arevalo, on the
south side of this island; for the island runs almost north and south,
and on that side live the majority of the people, and the villages
are near this town, and the land here is more fertile. In this
town dwell fifteen encomenderos, who have among them about twenty
thousand Indians, all pacified and paying tribute. Since the town
is situated on the side nearest Negros Island, its nearest neighbor,
the above-mentioned governor placed under its jurisdiction the rivers
Ylo, Ynabagan, Bago, Carobcop and Tecgaguan--which, as has been said
before, constitute the best district of Negros Island. For all these
reasons, people flocked thither to build their houses; and the place
has become the best-provisioned district in all the islands. This
island of Panay provides the city of Manila and other places with a
large quantity of rice and meat.
_Alcalde-mayor of Arevalo, with a salary of 300 pesos_. The city of
this island has one alcalde-mayor, four regidors, one alguazil-mayor,
two alcaldes-in-ordinary, and one notary for the public and for the
cabildo. The regidors are elected for life, and the alguazil-mayor
remains in office as long as does the alcalde-mayor. Being a new
town, there are few lawsuits; and the notary can depend on no other
compensation than that which he derives from lawsuits among the Indians
(for he accompanies the alcalde-mayor on his official visits), and from
the cases which are brought before the law for settlement. This city
holds jurisdiction over a circuit of three leagues, but it possesses
no territory of its own.
The following are the principal communities in this island:
The village of Oton, next to the town.
The village of Ticbaguan.
The river Jaro.
The river Yvahay.
The river Ajuy.
The river Harahut.
The river Panay.
The river Aclan.
The village of Antique.
The village of Bugason.
and others of less importance. The alcalde-mayor receives a salary
of three hundred pesos, paid from the fines forfeited to the royal
treasury; and if those do not suffice, he will be empowered by the
governor and other royal officials to collect the tribute which
his Majesty receives in that island--from somewhat more than two
thousand men, who dwell in the vicinity of the rivers Haraut, Ajuy,
and Panay--the fifths of the gold which is dug in that region,
almost nothing in amount. This town is about fifty leagues from
that of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus in the island of Çubu. As this
island contains great abundance of timber and provisions, it has
almost continuously had a shipyard on it, as is the case now at the
location of the town of Arevalo, for galleys and fragatas. Here the
ship "Visaya" was launched. This island is about one hundred leagues
in circumference.
_Island of Ymaraes_. About two arquebus-shots from the island of
Panay lies the island of Ymaraes. It is about twelve leagues in
circumference, and has a population of about five hundred Indians,
all of whom are in charge of one of the encomenderos of the island
of Panay. It abounds in rice, cotton, honey, wax, and much game, as
is usual in all the islands. It has much timber, which serves for the
shipyards, and for house-building in the neighboring islands. Although
of such extent, Ymaraes comes under the jurisdiction of the town
of Arevalo.
_Island of Cuyo_. Opposite Antique, which is located in the island
of Panay, and about sixteen leagues farther in the same westerly
direction, lies the island of Cuyo. This island is also in charge of
one of the encomenderos of the island of Panay, and has a population of
about eight hundred. It abounds in rice which bears a reddish kernel,
because the soil is of that color. A great many goats are being raised,
for the region is favorable for that. There are large fisheries, and
some pearls are gathered. A large quantity of cotton cloth is woven
there, although the cotton is not produced on the island. Formerly
many ships from Burney were wont to come to barter for _bruscays_,
which are a kind of sea-shell which in Sian is used as money, as
cocoa-beans are used in Nueva España. It is under the jurisdiction of
Arevalo, although the authority of that town has never been exercised
therein. This island is twelve leagues in circumference.
_Islets of Lutaya_. Not far from this island are five [seven] very
small islets called Lutaya, Dehet, Bisucay, Cadnuyan, Tacaguayan,
Lubit, and Tinotoan. The people are very poor, and are kept in slavery
by the chiefs of the island of Cuyo. These islets, all together,
contain somewhat more than one hundred men. The chief occupation in
all these islets is making salt and mats--the latter from rushes,
for they are a wretched people. These they pay as their tribute. This
island is six leagues in circumference.
_Island of Osigan_. Northeast of the island of Panay and three leagues
from its extreme point, lies the island of Osigan, which we call the
island of Tablas. It is about eighteen leagues in circumference, and
is quite mountainous. Wax is collected there. It has a population of
about two hundred and fifty Indians, living in small villages.
_Island of Çibuyan._ Six leagues from Osigan lies the island of
Çibuyan. It is about twelve leagues in circumference, and six leagues
wide. It has about three hundred Indians, of whom two hundred are
under one of the Panay encomenderos. In this island are to be found
very good gold mines, but they are not properly worked, for the
Indians are all Pintados, and are very slothful. They belong to the
jurisdiction of Arevalo.
_Island of Buracay._ About two arquebus-shots from the north point
of the island of Panay, lies the island of Buracay. It is about three
leagues in circumference, and one-half league wide. It is inhabited by
about one hundred Indians, who cultivate rice there, and in addition
derive profit from some goats.
_Island of Anbil._ One half league from this island is another island,
called Anbil. It is about three leagues in circumference, and one
wide. Its fifty Indians are mostly ship-builders.
_Island of Simara._ About two leagues from the island of Tablas--or,
as it is also called, Osigan--lies the island of Simara. It is
about four leagues in circumference, and two leagues wide. It has
a population of one hundred and fifty. These people are traders,
and raise goats, and therefore the island is called Cabras ["Goats"]
Island. It is about twelve leagues from the island of Panay.
_Island of Sivaay._ Four leagues west of the north point of Panay,
is the island of Sivaay. It is five leagues in circumference, and
one and one-half leagues wide, and has a population of seventy Indians.
_Island of Similara._ About three leagues farther, toward the island
of Mindoro, is found the island of Similara, with a population of
ninety Indians. It is four leagues in circumference, and one league
wide. All the people of these islets gather a very scanty harvest;
they make salt, and are traders.
_Island of Batbatan._ South of the north point of Panay, and about one
and one-half leagues from that island, lies the island of Bacbatan,
with a population of eighty Indians. The island is about three
leagues in circumference, and one league wide. The inhabitants raise
their wheat and produce their wax on the island of Panay. All these
islands--Buracay, Anbil, Simara, Sivaay, Similara, and Bacbatan--are
under one of the encomenderos of Panay.
_Island of Banton._ The island of Banton lies about one and one-half
leagues from the island of Simara, or Cabras. It is about eight
leagues in circumference and three leagues wide, and has two hundred
Indians. The island is very craggy; it abounds in palm-trees, potatoes,
yams, and wax. The people are traders.
_Island of Donblon._ The island of Donblon lies between Çibuyan and
the island of Tablas. It is seven leagues in circumference and three
leagues wide. Donblon is inhabited by nearly two hundred and fifty
Indians, and abounds in wax. This island and that of Banton come
under one of the Panay encomenderos, and under the jurisdiction of
the town of Arevalo. The jurisdiction of this town extends also over
the islands of Ymaras, Cuyo, Bacbatan, Sivahi, Similara, Buracay,
Anbil, Simara, Osaygan, Banton, Donblon, Cibuyan, and over the
larger populated section of Negros Island--namely, from the cape of
Sitaravaan to Siparay, an extent of more than twenty leagues. Banton,
which is the last island of this jurisdiction, lies about fifty-five
or fifty-six leagues from the town of Arevalo.
_Island of Cagaian._ Sailing south-southeast from the town of Arevalo,
one comes to the open sea; for there are no other islands in that
direction except the ones called Cagayan--two low islets about fifteen
leagues from the island of Panay. They are surrounded by many low
reefs; and unless their narrow entry is well known, the ships which go
there encounter great dangers. These islands have about four hundred
inhabitants, all of whom are very skilful ship-builders. It is said
that a few years ago the natives peopled these islands in order to
fortify themselves by the reefs, for fear of the pirates. Then they
undertook to return to the island of Panay in order to dwell there;
but very many of their women died there. Seeing this, as they are
soothsayers they returned to the islands of Cagayan, whence they set
out every year, and scatter themselves over all the islands to build
ships. These Indians of Cagayan have made his Majesty's ships in
these islands, as well as the galleys, galliots, and fragatas. They
also help in repairing and righting ships. Being therefore the most
important people in these islands, the adelantado Miguel Lopez de
Legazpi allotted the islands of Cagayan to the encomenderos of Negros
Island. Afterwards it seemed best to put them under his Majesty's
control. Thus the town of Arevalo holds jurisdiction over an extent
of about two hundred and fifty leagues.