of Mindoro on his way from Pamay to the conquest of Luzon, and then imposed a
poll-tax or tribute on the conquered inhabitants, being the first example of this tax
in the Philippines. Its form, on this occasion, was an impost of 8 reals of plate
on every family. Ever since its occupation lay the Spaniards, Mindoro has continued
to be scourged by the pirates of Mindano and Sulu, who afflicted it in the
16th century. They seem, even in the last century to have had their regular stations
on its coasts, shifting them according to the monsoons, Mamburac on the western
coast affording them shelter in the north-eastern monsoon, and Balete on the eastern
during the north-western. Steam navigation will in all likelihood, put an end to
this hereditary freebooting.
MINDORO, from the name of the island ju s t described, is th a t of one of
the provinces of the Spanish Philippines. I t is composed of Mindoro, Lubang, Ylim
and other small islands, and of the considerable one of Marinduque, although the
latter be much nearer to Luzon. The province consists of ten towns, and in 1850 had
a population of 35,136 of which‘6445 paid the tribute amounting 64,450 reals of plate.
In 1735 its population amounted to no more than 10,170; in 1801, to 15,845, and
in 1818 to 18,796. The Island of Marinduque which is about one-eighth part of the
size of Mindoro, contains a good deal more than double its population.
MINTO, correctly Muntok, is the name of the small town which is the seat of
administration of the island of Banca. I t is situated on the shore and towards the
western end of the strait which parts the island from Sumatra, and opposite to the
river on which lies Palembang, the capital of the princes to which Banca once
belonged. It lies in a sandy plain, and a small river passes through it. In 1813,
it contained a population of 1547, which in 1847 had risen to 3000. South latitude
2° 2' 45", and east longitude 105° 10' 50".
MISAMIS is the name of one of the four Spanish provinces of the great island
Mindano, the most southerly of the Philippines. I t lies on the north-western side of
the island, having the province of Caraga to the east, and that of Zamboanga to the
west with the territory of the Sultan of Mindano to the south. I t has a coast line of
27 geographical miles, extends inland to from 20 to 27, and has an area of 1400 square
geographical miles. The climate is hot and damp, but not unhealthy. Most of the
country is covered with forest of unusual density. The woods contain such wild
animals as the buffalo, hog, deer and monkeys. Several considerable rivers run
through the province, affording facilities for irrigation, not taken advantage of.
These and the bays and coves of the coast abound in fish, which determines the
localities of the population. The washing of gold-dust from the sands of the rivers
is one of the principal occupations of the inhabitants, a poor and indolent people
composed of several indigenous tribes. In 1801, the population is stated to have
amounted to 56,390, but in 1818, owing to the depredations of the pirates of the
southern side of the island, it had fallen off to 30,164. In 1850, however, it had
increased to 47,388. On account of their poverty, most of the inhabitants are exempt
from the poll-tax which, in 1850, amounted to no more than 45,120 reals of plate.
The total number of towns, or more correctly, of villages in the province is1 30.
The chief place, called like the province Misamis, is situated on the western side of
the great bay of Yligan in north latitude 8° 23' 10", and east longitude 123° 46".
This, in 1850, contained 3,830 inhabitants.
MISOL, or MYSOL, but correctly Mesiial, is an island of the Molucca sea, lying
west of New Guinea, and north of Ceram. Its most westerly point is in south
latitude 1° 57', and east longitude 129° 41'. It is 40 miles in length, and about 15
in average breadth, and therefore has a superficies of 600 square miles. The population
of the interior is said to be negro, and that of the coast a mixture between
the negro and Malay. Beyond these alleged facts nothing is known of this considerable
island.
MOA, one of the Sarawati islands or group of islets which lies off the western
end of Timur and towards New Guinea. I t is in south latitude 8° 19' and east
longitude 128° 8'. The people are of the Malayan race, and are understood to speak
the same language as those of the neighbouring island of Kisa.
MOAR or MTJAR. This is the name of a river of some note in the history of
the Malays, a place situated on it being that to which the Javanese founder of
Malacca fled when driven out of Singapore, and where his descendant first took
refuge when driven from Malacca by the Portuguese in 1511. The place is about
ten leagues south of Malacca. At its embouchure, the river is 600 yards wide, and
j- • t-r. ™,«-sixth part of this breadth. A sand bar obstructs its
18 miles up ™‘n l, is n0 more than three-quarters of a fathom of water. The
mouth on wh „tensive primitive jungle. The district,whoie countiy is an extensive p ^ q{ Segam awt., hWicmh stealkf eas intso mnai mel
from the rive , J httie stat e consists of about seven principal villages with
tributary of J ■ ^ 2,400. Its productions are the usual ones for such a
a computed p p spontaneous products of the forest, as ivory, ebony, beeswax1
rattans, &c. The interior, however, yields a little gold and tin.
m h e n ’a correctly Muna, called also Pangasané, is the name of a large island,
Ivina- ’between Boeton and the south-eastern peninsula of Celebes. The channel
between it and Celebes is about 15 miles broad in its narrowest part, and is mter-
sDersed with numerous islets. That between it and Boeton is from three-quarters
of a league to a league in breadth, and full fifty long, and notwithstanding its narrowness
is navigable for large ships, having generally a depth of from 10 to 12 fathoms.
Moena is about 105 miles in length, and 30 in average breadth, and is computed to
have an area of 744 square geographical miles. The prmcipal town, of the same
name as the island, is in the interior, but the only port of any traffic is at the northern
end fronting Celebes, and called Tiworo, giving name to the strait between the two
islands The inhabitants are of the Malayan race, like all those of Celebes, and
speak a dialect of the language of Boeton, to the Sultan of which the island is subject.
The Bajaus, orang-laut, or sea gypsies, fish tripang on the coasts of the island, and
this article is the staple of its trade. The few traders are the Wajus of Celebes.
MOLUCCAS. The proper Moluccas, although the name has been extended to all
the islands east of Celebes and west of New Guinea, consist only of five islets lying in
a chain running north and south, on the western side of the large island of Gilolo or
Halamahéra, and extending to about five-and-forty miles on both sides of the equator.
Their names, beginning from the north, are Temate, Tidor, Mortier, Makian, and
Batjian; or in a more correct orthography, Tárnati, Tidori, Mortir, Makiyan, and
Bach'ian. These constitute the native country of the clove; the celebrated islands
which mainly prompted the European nations of the 15 th century to the discovery
of the New World, and of a navigation which made known to them a, portion of the
old one, equal to the New in extent. De Barros tells us, that their ancient names were
respectively, in the language of the natives, Gapé, Duco, Montal, Mara, and Sequé.
But the meaning of neither old or new names is known; for the latter, which might
be expected to be Malay or Javanese, are not so. The collective name, which the Portuguese
write Maluca, and is correctly Maluka, is equally unknown, although said to
be that of a place and people of the island of Gilolo. No such name is, at present,
known to exist in that island. There can be no doubt, however, but that this word
was used by the Malays and Javanese, who conducted the spice trade, before it fell
into the hands of the Portuguese; for it is employed by Barbosa, who visited the
Archipelago before the conquest of Malacca: and again in 1521, by Pigafetta, who
writes the word Malucco. All that De Barros tells us of the name is, that it is a collective
one for all the islands, as the Canaries and Cape de Verde are with European
nations for these groups.
By far the largest of the Moluccas is Bach'ian, the most southerly. The rest are
mere volcanic cones, springing front the sea; and Temate, the most northerly and
important of them, as well as the seat of the Dutch administration, is an active volcano,
which has produced more eruptions since the first arrival of Europeans than
any other in the Archipelago. This is De Barros’ description of these famed islands
as they were first seen by his countrymen. “ The land of these islands," says he,
1 is ill-favoured and ungracious to look at, for the sun is always very near,—now
going to the northern, and now to the southern solstice. This, with the humidity
of the climate, causes the land to be covered all over with trees and herbs. The
air is loaded with vapours, which always hang over the tops of the hills, so that the
trees are never without leaves. Generally the acclivities of the hills, from their
elevation, are healthy; but the coast, particularly in the case of Bach'ian, is unwholesome.
The soil, for the most part, is black, coarse and soft; and so porous and
thirsty, that however much it rains, forthwith the water is drunk up. And if a river
comes from the mountains, its waters are absorbed before they reach the sea.”—
Decade 3, Book 5, Chapter 5.
The same writer’s account of the state of society among the islanders is graphic
and reliable. “ Although,” says he, “ they have some millet and some rice, all the
inhabitants of these islands eat a nutriment which they call sagum (sago), the pith