bt in the least.

This race and the inhabitants of Tuy, and those of many other
provinces and mountains, have a cruel, barbarous custom, which they
call "the cutting off of heads." This is quite usual among them,
and he is considered as most valiant who has cut off most heads in
the civil wars waged among themselves and with their neighbors. This
race are ruled by certain superiors whom they call "chiefs," who are
the arbiters of peace or war.

The above relations follow the fragments of certain old papers that
have been found, and the narratives of persons acquainted with these
matters. From them one can easily infer the lack of care among those
who have ruled the country, to know the truth concerning the Ygolotes;
but in no event would that have been work lost. On the contrary,
according to the opinion of many men who have lived a long time in
the country, it is regarded as very probable that a wealth of gold
would have been discovered, like the silver of Potosi. [55] The same
is true of Tuy, even if no other wealth should be attained beyond the
inestimable one of having reduced to the faith of Christ a province
so vast, and which is said to number more than 100,000 souls; that
would be a most lofty and divine work and one accompanied by great
temporal advantage.

After having reached this point in the present relation, I saw the men
who made the test of the earth brought from the Ygolotes. They were two
men sent by Joan Pacheco from Tuy to Don Gonzalo Ronquillo. They tried
to deceive the latter by bringing some bars of very fine gold, which
they said was taken from the mines which had been discovered. Some
doubt having been expressed at this, the governor had the metal or
earth pulverized in their presence, and had the said men make the
test. Being ignorant of that business, they did not obtain a grain
of gold. On being urged, they said that those bars had truly been
obtained from the Indians of the mines of the Ygolotes; accordingly,
they did not come from the earth that had been brought. Thereupon Juan
Pacheco came, without any clearer explanations, which sufficiently
demonstrates his lack of intelligence, since he was unable, in so
long a time, to catch any Indians in order to talk with them. If the
Indians descended to the plain daily, as they do at present, for food,
as would seem necessary, they could have caught many of them; for,
as above stated, the natives resort to Pangasinan, as to a market or
fair. G