Page 384
An.1687
Of the Acapulco Ship, and Isle of Luconia.
but had no Goods aboard; and therefore we turned her away.
The 23d we took another Spanish Vessel that came from the same place as the other. She was laden with Rice and Cotton-cloath, and bound for Manila also. These Goods were purposely for the Acapulco Ship: the Rice was for the Men to live on while they lay there, and in their return; and the Cotton-cloath was to make Sails. The Master of this Prize was Boatswain of the Acapulco Ship which escaped us at Guam, and was now at Manila. It was this Man that gave us the relation of what strength it had, how they were afraid of us there, and of the accident that happen'd to them, as is before men- tioned in the 10th Chapter. We took these two Vessels within 7 or 8 leagues of Manila.
Luconia I have spoken of already: but I shall now add this further account of it. It is a great Island, taking up between 6 and 7 degrees of Lat. in length, and its breadth near the middle is about 60 leagues, but the ends are narrow. The North end lies in about 19 d. North Lat. and the S. end in about 12 d. 30 m. This great Island hath abundance of small Keys or Islands lying about it; especially at the North end. The South side fronts towards the rest of the Philippine Islands: of these that are its nearest Neighbours, Mindora, lately mentioned, is the chief, and gives name to the Sea or Streight that parts it and the other Islands from Luconia; be- ing called the Streights of Mindora.
The body of the Island Luconia is composed of many spacious plain Savannahs, and large Moun- tains. The North end seems to be more plain and even, I mean freer from Hills, than the South end: but the Land is all along of a good heighth. It does not appear so flourishing and green as some of the other Islands in this Range; especially that of St. John, Mindanao, Batt Island, &c. yet in some places