r east lies the
island of Baybay, or Leyte, as it is also called. It is a large and
well-provisioned island, although the people dress in medrinaque. Leyte
is thickly settled; it may have a population of fourteen or fifteen
thousand Indians, ten thousand of whom pay tribute because that has
been a people hard to conquer. There are twelve encomenderos; but
his Majesty owns none of the Indians. This island is about eighty
leagues in circumference, and fifteen or sixteen wide. Its principal
settlements and rivers are Vaybay, Yodmuc, Leyte, Cavigava, Barugo,
Maraguincay, Palos, Abuyo, Dulaque, Longos, Bito, Cabalian, Calamocan
and Tugud. This island possesses neither mines nor gold-placers; the
only cloth it produces is medrinaque, which, as I have said before,
resembles calico, and is made from a kind of wild banana.

_Island of Panaon_. Between this island and that of Mindanao, which
lies north and south, is the island of Panaon. It is about eight
leagues in circumference, and three leagues wide. The population
is poor, and numbers only about one hundred men, who belong to one
encomendero.

_Island of Siargao_. Twelve leagues from the island of Panaon, and
next to the island of Mindanao, is the island of Siargao, which is
about fifteen leagues in circumference and six leagues wide. It may
have about four hundred inhabitants, and its villages are built around
rough and dangerous estuaries. There is only one encomendero. The
people are poor because of their indolence; for although there
are numerous small islets near this island, which contain many
gold-placers, they do not work them. They give as a reason that,
if the corsairs should discover that they were working these mines,
they would come hither to take them captive; but even now, when no
one can molest them, they do not work the mines, and hence we may
infer that their poverty is mainly due to sloth.

_Island of Macagua_. West of the island of Baybay is a small island
called Macagua, about which father Fray Andres de Urbaneta related so
many wonders. It is four leagues in circumference and one league wide;
it has about sixty inhabitants, as well as an encomendero. The people
are poor and wretched, possessing nothing but salt and fish.

_Island of Maripipe_. At the other side, northeast from the island
of Baybay, lies the island called Maripipe. It is a very mountainous
island, and by reason of its great roughness it is barren. It is about
seven leagues in circum