nction [of the moon],
and to leave it during a year to season, as is required; for if that
is done, it lasts much longer. For of all the vessels built during the
term of Don Juan de Silva, the galley which was longest in building
did not take six months; and all the timber for them was hewn and put
in place when green, for the vessels were being built while the wood
was cutting.

There is another wood from which is made planking for the galleys,
which is called _banaba_. [42] It is a certain short tree, about
four brazas in height. The galleys are sheathed with it, for the
ship-worm bores into it but little. The planks are one and one-half
palmos broad. There are but few of these trees, and consequently they
are used only for the above purpose.

There is another wood called _maria de Monteguas_, [43] which
differs from the first wood of that name. From it are made timbers
[_latas_] for the decks of the galleys, as well as oars for the said
galleys. The latter are also made from another wood called _guijo_,
[44] but these are much heavier than those made from the wood _maria_,
and last a long time.

There is another wood called _dongon_, [45] which is very strong,
and of a yellowish color. From it are made stringer-plates, chocks
of the bowsprit, coamings of the hatchways, strakes and stanchions
for the decks. If all these woods are cut at the conjunction and
decrease of the moon, and seasoned, as above stated, for one year,
the ship will last much longer; for if they are cut and not seasoned,
one must tear up the decks every two years and put down new ones, for
they are rotten. Likewise the planks along the sides must be changed,
with the exception of the futtock-timbers and top-timbers made of
the wood _maria_; for that wood, although cut and not seasoned,
never rots, because it is always durable, in one way, without rotting.

There are many other kinds of woods which are also used for the above
purposes. [46]

The shipyards of the galleons built during Don Juan de Silva's term
were thirty, forty, fifty, sixty, seventy, and eighty leguas from
the city of Manila, in different places: namely, on the island
of Marinduque, where the galleon "San Juan Bautista" was built,
which is forty leguas from Manila; in the province of Camarines at
Dalupaes were built "Nuestra Senora de Guadalupe," and the "Angel de
la Guardia" [_i.e._, "Guardian Angel"], fifty leguas from Manila;
in the province of Ybalon at Bagatan were buil