ighboring Islands. For that Reason they have a
long time desired the English to settle among them, and have offered
them any convenient Place to build a Fort in, as the General himself
told us; giving this Reason, that they do not find the English so
incroaching as the Dutch or Spanish. The Dutch are no less jealous
of their admitting the English, for they are sensible what detriment
it would be to them if the English should settle here.

There are but few Tradesmen at the City of Mindanao. The chiefest
Trades are Goldsmiths, Blacksmiths, and Carpenters. There are but
two or three Goldsmiths; these will work in Gold or Silver, and make
any thing that you desire: but they have no Shop furnished with Ware
ready made for Sale. Here are several Blacksmiths who work very well,
considering the Tools that they work with. Their Bellows are much
different from ours. They are made of a wooden Cylinder, the Trunk
of a Tree, about three Foot long, bored hollow like a Pump, and set
upright on the ground, on which the Fire it self is made. Near the
lower end there is a small hole, in the side of the Trunk next the
Fire, made to receive a Pipe, through which the Wind is driven to
the Fire by a great bunch of fine Feathers fastened to one end of
the Stick, which closing up the inside of the Cylinder, drives the
Air out of the Cylinder through the Pipe: Two of these Trunks or
Cylinders are placed so nigh together, that a Man standing between
them may work them both at once alternately, one with each Hand. They
have neither Vice nor Anvil, but a great hard Stone or a piece of an
old Gun, to hammer upon: yet they will perform their work making both
common Utensils and Iron-works about Ships to admiration. They work
altogether with Charcoal. Every Man almost is a Carpenter, for they
can work with the Ax and Adds. Their Ax is but small, and so made that
they can take it out of the Helve, and by turning it make an Adds of
it. They have no Saws; but when they make Plank, they split the Tree
in two, and make a Plank of each part, plaining it with the Ax and
Adds. This requires much pains, and takes up a great deal of time;
but they work cheap, and the goodness of the Plank thus hewed, which
hath its grain preserv'd entire, makes amends for their cost and pains.

They build good and serviceable Ships or Barks for the Sea, some
for Trade, others for Pleasure; and some Ships of War. Their trading
Vessels they send chiefly to Manila. Thither they