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An.1686

Philippine Islands. Luconia, Manilo.

near upon, from 5 d. of North Lat. to the 19th de- gree, and in breadth about 6 deg. of Longitude. They derive this Name from Philip the 2d, King of Spain; and even now they do most of them belong to that Crown.

The chiefest Island in this range is Luconia, which lies on the North of them all. At this Island Magellan died in the Voyage that he was making round the World. For after he had past those Streights be- tween the South end of America and Terra del Fuego, which now bear his Name, and had ranged down in the South Seas on the back of America; from thence stretching over to the East Indies, he fell in with the Ladrone Islands, and from thence steering East still, he fell in with these Philippine Islands, and anchored at Luconia; where he warr'd with the native Indi- ans, to bring them in obedience to his master the King of Spain, and was by them kill'd with a poy- foned Arrow. It is now wholly under the Spani- ards, who have several Towns there. The chief is Manilo, which is a large Sea-port Town near the S. E. end, opposite to the Island Mindora. It is a place of great strength and trade : The two great Acapulco Ships before-mentioned fetching from hence all sorts of East-India commodities; which are brought hither by foreigners, especially by the Chinese, and the Portuguese. Sometimes the English Merchants of Fort St. George send their Ships hither as it were by stealth, under the charge of Portu- gueze Pilots and Mariners : for as yet we cannot get the Spaniards there to a commerce with us or the Dutch, although they have but few Ships of their own. This seems to arise from a jealousie, or fear of discovering the riches of these Islands ; for most, if not all the Philippine Islands, are rich in Gold: and the Spaniards have no place of much strength in all these Islands that I could ever hear of, besides Manilo it self. Yet they have Villages and