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]

I690-I69I] SAN AGUSTIN ON FILIPINOS

to construe the Indians; for each one needs a new syntax, all being anomalous. With the Indians the argument does not conclude by induction, since no one
there is little difference between the individuals. In the island
of Negros, between Cavitan and Sipalay, I encountered heathen
blacks with crinkled hair, as if they were from Guinea. The people who are here called creoles are of a swarthy brown color, with
withered skin, and are quite civilized and capable. As for the origin of the Indians, I am inclined to think that they originate from
Malayos, on account of the similarity of their language; for by
examining on various occasions a Malay (a native of Malaca)
who could speak several languages fluently, and a Ternatan, and
Lutaos and Subanos, I have ascertained the following: In the
Malay, "sky" is called languit, and the same in Tagalog, in Lutao,
and Subano; "man" [varon] is lalaqui in Malay, as in the Tagalog and Bisayan; "tongue" is dila in Malay, as in Tagalog;
"white" is puti in Malay, as in Tagalog, Subano, and Lutao.
In other words the difference is but slight; thus, in Malay "land"
is nigri, in Tagalog lupa, in Lutaio tana, in Boholan yuta; and
"man" [hombre] is in Malay oran, in Tagalog tavo, in Lutao aa,
in Subano gatao. The Indians are exceedingly clever in every
kind of handiwork, not for inventing, but for imitating what they
see. They write beautifully; many of them are tailors and barbers,
for they learn both these trades with little effort; and there are
among them excellent embroiderers, painters, and silversmiths;
and engravers whose work has no equal in all the Indias - and I
was even going to place it far ahead of all the rest, if shame had
not restrained me - as is very obvious in the many and excellent engravings which they are all the time producing. They are good
carvers, gilders, and carpenters. They build vessels for these
islands-galleys, galliots, pataches, and ships for the Acapulco
trade-route. They are good seamen, artillerists, and divers-for
there is hardly an Indian who does not know how to swim very
well. They are the pilots of these seas. They excel in making
bejuquillos, which are golden chains of delicate and exquisite
workmanship. From palm-leaves, rattan, and nito they make hats,
and petates or rugs, and mats, that are very handsome, and wrought
with various kinds of flowers and other figures. They are noted
as mechanics and puppet-players, and make complicated mechanisms which, by means of figures, go through various motions with
propriety and accuracy. Some are watchmakers. They make gunpowder, and cast mortars, cannon, and bells. I have seen them
make guns, as handsomely constructed as those made in Europe,
although I do not think that they would be as substantial and
reliable as those. There are in Manila three printing-houses, and
all keep Indian workmen; and the errors that they make are not