Mercator interprets those
islands as Celebes, Gilolo, and Amboina. Ptolemy also mentions the
island agajou daimonoc (Borneo), five baroussai (Mindanao, Leite,
Sebu, etc.), three sabade'ibai (the Java group--iabadiou) and ten
masniolai where a large loadstone was found. Colin surmises that
these are the Manilas.--_Rizal_.
Colin (_Labor Evangelica_, Madrid, 1663) discusses the discovery and
naming of the Philippines. He quotes Ptolemy's passage that speaks
of islands called the Maniolas, whence many suppose came the name
Manilas, sometimes given to the islands. But as pointed out in a
letter dated March 14, 1904, by James A. LeRoy, Spanish writers have
wasted more time on the question than it merits. Mr. LeRoy probably
conjectures rightly that many old Chinese and Japanese documents will
be found to contain matter relating to the Philippines prior to the
Spanish conquest.
[42] It is very difficult now to determine exactly which is this island
of Tendaya, called Isla Filipina for some years.
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