Woody. Some of the Mountains of this Island afford Gold,
and the Savannahs are well stockt with herds of Cattle, especially
Buaffaloes[sic]. These Cattle are in great plenty all over the
East-Indies; and therefore 'tis very probable that there were many of
these here even before the Spaniards come hither. But now there are
now also plenty of other Cattle, as I have been told, as Bullocks,
Horses, Sheep, Goats, Hogs, &c. brought hither by the Spaniards.

It is pretty well inhabited with Indians, most of them, if not all,
under the Spaniards, who now are masters of it. The Native Indians do
live together in Towns; and they have Priests among them to instruct
them in the Spanish Religion.

Manila the chief, or perhaps the only City, lies at the foot of
a ridge of high Hills, facing upon a spacious Harbour near the
S.W. point of the Island, in about the Lat. of 14 d. North. It is
environ'd with a high strong Wall, and very well fortify'd with
Forts and Breast-works. The Houses are large, strongly built, and
covered with Pan-tile. The Streets are large and pretty regular;
with a Parade in the midst, after the Spanish fashion. There are a
great many fair Buildings, beside Churches and other Religious Houses;
of which there are not a few.

The Harbour is so large, that some hundreds of Ships may ride here:
and is never without many, both of their own and strangers. I have
already given you an account of the two Ships going and coming between
this place and Acapulco. Besides them, they have some small Vessels
of their own; and they do not allow the Portuguese to trade here, but
the Chinese are the chiefest Merchants, and they drive the greatest
Trade; for they have commonly 20 or 30, or 40 Jonks in the Harbour at
a time, and a great many Merchants constantly residing in the City,
beside Shop-keepers, and Handy-crafts-men in abundance. Small Vessels
run up near the Town, but the Acapulco. Ships and others of greater
burthen, lye a League short of it, where there is a strong Fort also,
and Store-houses to put Goods in.

I had the major part of this relation 2 or 3 years after this time,
from Mr. Coppinger our Surgeon, for he made a Voyage hither from
Porto Nova, a Town on the Coast of Coromandel; in a Portuguese Ship,
as I think. Here he found 10 or 12 of Captain Swan's men; some of
those that we left at Mindanao. For after we came from thence, they
brought a Proe there, by the Instigation of an Irish man, who went
by the na