Skip to content

2 May 1792

On the 2nd of May, we sailed on and reached Capalonga, second pueblo that sustains itself solely by transporting its bonga for the market in Mambulao. The repeated surprises suffered from Moros lying in ambush in places close to the coast forced them to abandon the profitable gathering of balate [balatan], which is more abundant here than in some other places and previously the main occupation of its inhabitants.

Paracale, which afterwards I visited on my way to Mambulao, [presently Jose Panganiban] is a bit of a pueblo located at the further end of a big cove. The mountains at its back are still to be cleared. They teem with gold mines, which were previously worked profitably, but are at present abandoned. Balatan gathering is considerable and keeps the whole community busy from July to September. There are three distinct kinds of balatan, whose prices vary proportionately: the black is estimably of superior quality and sells at 2 1/2 pesos per chinanta, which is 13 pounds and 3 grams. The black manung-tung ranks second and costs 2 pesos; the white is 1 to 1 1/2 pesos per chinanta. The first one is gathered in 11 brazas of water; the second in 5 brazas and the third in 1 and 2 brazas.