Page 348
An.1686
They arrive at Mindanao River.
mornings and evenings they feed in the open Plains, as thick as in our Parks in England. I ne- ver saw any where such plenty of wild Deer, tho I have met with them in several parts of America, both in the North and South Seas.
The Deer live here pretty peaceably and unmo- lested; for there are no Inhabitants on that side of the Bay. We visited this Savannah every morning, and killed as many Deer as we pleased, sometimes 16 or 18 in a day; and we did eat nothing but Venison all the time we staid here.
We saw a great many Plantations by the sides of the Mountains, on the East side of the Bay, and we went to one of them, in hopes to learn of the Inhabitants whereabouts the City was, that we might not over-sail it in the night : but they fled from us.
We lay here till the 12th day before the Winds abated of their fury, and then we sailed from hence, directing our course to the Westward. In the morning we had a Land Wind at North. At 11 a clock the Sea breeze came at West, just in our Teeth, but it being fair weather, we kept on our way, turning and taking the advantage of the Land breezes by night, and the Sea breezes by day.
Being now past the S. E. part of the Island, we coasted down on the South side, and we saw abundance of Canoas a fishing, and now and then a small Village. Neither were these Inhabitants afraid of us (as the former) but came aboard ; yet we could not understand them, nor they us, but by signs: and when we mentioned the word Mindanao, they would point towards it.
The 18th day of July we arrived before the Ri- ver of Mindanao; the mouth of which lies in lat. 6 d. 22 m. No. and is laid in 231 d. 12 m. Longi- tude West, from the Lizard in England. We anchor- ed right against the River in 15 fathom water, clear hard