_Which treats of the Camarines Provinces_
_Provinces of Camarines and Vicor_. Farther along the coast near the
Pasacao River begin the provinces of Vicor and Camarines, which,
as we have said above, are situated on the east side as you enter
the Philipinas islands. Disembarking at the Pasacao River, which
is seventy leagues from the city of Manilla by sea, and journeying
three leagues by land, one comes to the Vicor River flowing north;
its source is in the opposite coasts of the island. [11]
_Alcalde-mayor of Camarines_. Here lies the town of Caçeres, the
seat of an alcalde-mayor who receives a salary of three hundred
pesos. There are also two alcaldes-in-ordinary, and six regidors,
whom the governor appoints for as long a period as he chooses. This
town of Caçeres is situated in the middle of the entire province,
on the banks of the river Vicor. This river district is allotted to
eight encomenderos, seven of whom have in charge about seven hundred
Indians each, and the other about two thousand. Along the same river,
his Majesty possesses the villages of Minalagua and Nagua, with two
thousand Indians. Following this river, one comes to a lake called
the lake of Libon, which is but scantily populated. The district round
about is one encomienda, with one thousand five hundred Indians living
in the village of Libon and its environs. This lake of Libon, lying
in a mountainous region, has many creeks, by which one can easily
go to Yguas, Albay, Camarines, Bicagua, and other places. The town
of Caçeres has in all twenty-four encomenderos. Fourteen of them,
including the seven above mentioned, have seven hundred Indians each;
one has two thousand; another, that of lake Libon, has one thousand
five hundred; and the rest have about three hundred Indians each. The
inhabitants of the Vicor River district pay their tribute in gold and
rice, for they possess these articles in great abundance--for in this
province are the excellent mines of Paracale, sixteen leagues from
the town; they work also the mines of Catanduanes, thirty leagues
from the town. The town has no dependencies, nor does it hold any
jurisdiction over other communities. The whole district is under the
jurisdiction of the alcalde-mayor of the province of Laguna. This
province has a population of about one thousand five hundred, and is
allotted to three encomenderos.
Albay and Baquian are inhabited by about eight hundred Indians, who
are allotted to two encomenderos. Camarines, with about five hundred
men, is under one encomendero.
Libon is under one encomendero, and has one thousand five hundred men.
The province of Paracale and its coast, as far as Mahuban, is inhabited
by about two thousand men, and is allotted to three encomenderos. The
king owns a share of this province.
The district around the bay of Yvalon has a population of about one
thousand five hundred, being divided between two encomenderos.
_Island of Catanduanes_. The island of Catanduanes has a population
of about four thousand, and is allotted to four encomenderos. The
alcalde-mayor receives a salary of three hundred pesos, which is paid
from the fines forfeited to the royal treasury, or from the royal
treasury itself. He appoints no lieutenant, except one for the town
when he is absent. The governor appointed a notary for this town, who,
having little to do, attends also to the affairs of the alcalde-mayor,
and accompanies him on his tours of inspection. Thus his various
occupations yield him an annual income of nearly four hundred pesos.
There is also a treasurer in this town, appointed by the governor,
at a salary of two hundred pesos. His duty is to collect the tribute
due to his Majesty, and to go every year to Manila to give an account
of his work.
The country is fertile and healthy. It abounds in rice and palm-trees,
from which wine and a great quantity of brandy are made.
As already said, the natives of this province closely resemble the
Pintados--although the former are more slothful; for they spend nearly
all their time in drinking, while their wives cultivate the land. Like
the Pintados, they are a sociable people, and observe the same customs.
They all worship the ugly wooden idol, and talk to the demon. They
have also many wizards. Not having lived in this province, I am not
acquainted with their manner of sacrifice, nor have I found one who
could tell me of it.
_Mines_. As I have said, there are mines in Paracale, in the bay of
Caporaguay, and in the island of Catanduanes. All these districts
are in the neighborhood of the town of Caçeres.
_Distances_. From Pasacao, one has to follow the coast of the island
eastward twenty leagues to Bucaygan, and sixty leagues more to the
northwest, before he reaches Vicor River. All this may be shortened to
the three leagues [by land] between Pasacao and the Vicor River. The
distance between Vicor River and the cape of Babuyanes--situated at
the other end of the island, toward Japan, as above stated--is one
hundred and twenty leagues. The coast between Vicor and Babuyanes is
rugged, and extends northwest and southeast. Not all this land is
inhabited, but only three districts of it, namely: the province of
Valete, with about eight hundred Indians; ten leagues farther, that
of Casiguran, with about five hundred Indians (a district resembling
Ylocos, which lies on the opposite coast, although the two provinces
have no communication, because of the ruggedness of the country);
and, farther on, the province of Alanao River. This last is well
peopled, and produces gold and cotton; its native Indians resemble
those of Valete and Casiguran. Besides these three districts, no other
settlement on this coast is encountered until the cape of Babuyanes is
reached. From the cape the coast runs east and west until the river of
Cagayan is reached. This is a very large river. It is twelve leagues
from the cape to the mouth of this river.
_River Cagayan_. Cagayan is a river of great volume, although its bar
forms shallows. At high tide the bar has two brazas of water, and at
low tide one. On its banks are large settlements with a population of
more than thirty thousand. The people gather a great quantity of rice,
and keep many swine. They have also some gold, although there are no
gold mines. Their trade is carried on with the men of Ylocos. This
region is unwholesome, especially when the north wind prevails.
_Islands of Mandato and Buyon_. On the opposite coast, near the
island of Luçon, are two inhabited islets, called Mandato and Buyon
respectively, each one about five leagues in circumference, settled
by Moros, on account of their lying so near the island of Luçon
opposite the bay of Manila. [_Marginal note:_ "The island of Luçon
curves from the city of Manilla, where the change in direction begins,
to the river of Cagayan."]
_Island of Marinduque_. Between the island of Banton and that of Luçon,
four leagues from the former and five from the latter, lies the island
of Marinduque. It is about twenty-six leagues in circumference, and
eight leagues wide, and contains about one thousand men. Capul and
this island are under the charge of one encomendero. The Indians are
Pintados, although under the jurisdiction of neither Çubu, Arevalo,
nor Camarines.