The other cape of this island of Luzon lying to the southeast is called Buza y Gan. [106] It lies in a latitude of thirteen and one-third degrees. There is a port there which is at times made by the ships from Mexico. Twenty leguas from the cape of Buza y Gan inland is the village of [Nueva] Caceres. That village was colonized by Captain Don Juan de Arze at the order of Governor Francisco Sande.
That province is called Camarines and is very large and densely populated. It contains many small provinces in its confines. The people are well featured and are excellent husbandmen, and therefore they have considerable rice. There are many gold mines in that province and many excellent goldsmiths after their fashion. Those men roam throughout the island in order to gain their living. Many interesting things made by them are taken to Mexico, especially filigree work. It is a very healthful land, has good air, and is well populated by Spaniards. That province also contains many Christians. Its people are very ready to receive our holy faith, and are of considerable intelligence; but they are not all Christians for lack of ministers. [107] It is a cause for pity to see so much ready for the harvest in these islands and to see how few workers there are, although they are full to overflowing in the convents of España. The above is what occurs to me to tell briefly of the island of Luzon and of the city of Manila. Manila is of great importance viewed in any light, and must become very great and a general center for many parts. The distance from this city of Manila to the city of Macan in China is one hundred and sixty leguas. The Japanese also are slightly farther away from the upper point of this island, namely, the cape of Boxador. The island of Burnei is one hundred and eighty leguas from Manila and extends northeast and southwest from Manila. It is a very large island and densely populated. Doctor Francisco de Sande went to that island in the year 78, with three royal galleys and some other small ships and less than four hundred men, to summon the king of the island to make peace and friendship with us; for the natives of Luzon were daily threatening us with the coming of the king of Burney. When Sande arrived near the island he sent two Indian interpreters with a message to the king, but the latter refused to listen to the message, and with great fury ordered the ambassadors to be killed. However, it was the Lord’s will that one of them should escape as by a miracle, for he made a vow when he beheld himself in that predicament to become a Christian if the Lord would save him. The Lord saved him and he afterward performed his vow and is now an excellent Christian, and has produced much fruit among his fellow-natives, as I am a good witness. When the governor learned of the insult that the king of Burnei had shown him, he resolved to gain by force what they refused to give him willingly. The king of Burneo sailed out into the sea with a great number of galleys and galliots and a considerable quantity of good artillery. But when our artillery was discharged, and the Borneans saw that it had so long a range, while their own had no effect, they began to turn and flee. The small ships went in pursuit of them and captured their galleys which they had abandoned and a quantity of their artillery, although much of the latter was also thrown into the water. The governor followed up his victory, and entered the city where he pillaged a great part of wealth. Almost all the people fled to the mountains. That city was very large and rich, and was built on a very broad and deep river, and had the appearance of another Venecia. [108] The buildings were of wood, but the houses were excellently constructed, many of them being constructed with stone work and gilded, especially the king’s palaces which were of huge size. That city contained a very sumptuous mosque, a very large and interesting building quite covered with half-relief and gilded. When the governor returned to Manila he ordered that mosque to be burned. That king of Burnay is a Moro from Meca and is the ruler of the seaports and rivers of that island where he has settlements of Moros. The natives of the island however are heathen as are all the other peoples of the Philipinas. The governor sent a message to the king in order to get him to make peace with him, but it was impossible to find him for he refused to put in an appearance. More than five hundred Indians came to make peace, among them an uncle of the king who acted as his master-of-camp. At that juncture it was the Lord’s will that all the men of our camp commenced to fall sick so that there was almost no man in the camp who could perform sentinel duty, and many died.