Note 11 — Chapter XV

1. Inland from the coast which faces Bohol on the north of Mindanao, and in the latter island, is located the lake of Malanao.11 Its shape is triangular; one of its angles extends about four leguas eastward, another southward for three, and the third and longest of all, westward. Its shores contain many small villages, where live about six thousand inhabitants, although united to them is the district of Butig, with about two thousand warriors. Through this route they communicate with the Mindanaos, a circumstance which renders them formidable. The land is sterile, and yields no other products than rice and a few edible roots. Their clothing is wretched, for cotton is scarce. All their textiles are of lanote, a sort of wild hemp—not that it is that plant, but it resembles it because of the fibers, which they obtain from a wild banana [i.e., abacá], to which they impart a blue color. This constitutes their greatest gala attire. Heavy storms of wind and water are experienced on this lake, and are called mangas by sailors.12 [Here follows a description of this peculiar form of storm—the waterspout—which was much dreaded because of its fury and ravages.] This lake furnished much convenience to the Mindanaos for their incursions, as the ports nearest to our islands were easily reached by it. For since the deep bay of Panguil penetrates far inland, and is quite near their lands, they thus save many leguas of navigation—about one hundred—and a rough coast. With such activity do they make a jest of the efforts that were assured by the presidio of Zamboangan, with their resort to more easy piratical raids. Since the said presidio was of no use for this, it became necessary to devise another remedy.