The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 40]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 40

of the Sangley than one peso from the Spaniard; and
the power that the Sangleys have over them is surprising, for they are generally cheated by those people.158
'18 M. and D. read: "Although the Sangleys cheat them,
as if they were simpletons, and they are satisfied to be cheated by
them."
Delgado says (p. 309): "This I absolutely deny, for I have
more than once seen that after the Indians have traversed the
whole Parian of the Sangleys to sell their goods, if they are not
offered more than four they immediately carry their goods to the
Spaniards or to the fathers, in order to get eight for them; and this
must be tongod sa calooy, that is, for charity, which the Spaniard and the father always practice with them."
"This is a fact, but it needs explanation. The Filipino is by
nature phlegmatic, and especially when it is a question of buying
or selling anything; for he exerts himself to get the largest profit
possible, and the calculation of that costs him much trouble. A
countryman comes, for instance, to sell two or three quintals of
indigo to a merchant. Thereupon, he does not come alone, but
is accompanied by relatives and friends, and sometimes women.
Very often the indigo belongs to four or five owners, who all
come in the wake of the seller. Each proposition must be communicated to the society that is squatted there in a circle on their
heels. The matter is discussed at length, and then it is decided
to lower the price one peso per quintal. The buyer claims that
the price should be three pesos. Finally this point is settled.
Then another discussion begins, namely, that the indigo is damp,
and that some pounds must be allowed for waste. In short
the transaction is so tiresome and so eternal, that there are very
few Spaniards who have the patience to endure so much impertinence and importunity; and they generally end by saying
dryly, 'Will you or will you not give it?' And then they order
them angrily into the street. The Chinese and mestizos do not
hurry them, but on the contrary invite them to eat, and keep them
in their houses for three or four hours, and sometimes days.
Finally they get the goods for what they wish to give, and more
often cheat them like Chinese. For the Filipino is very stupid
even in matters of self-interest. Once I was with a Spaniard
who was buying indigo. After the trading had cost him more
patience than Job must have had, the indigo was weighed before
him, the account was reckoned, the money made ready and placed
on the table in piles of 20 pesos, while there was one of 7, which
was placed separately, and another of reals and copper coins.
The man who had been most attentive to everything took the