Very potent Sire:
Since I am ordered, in your Majesty's name, to give a minute of the
convents in this province of San Gregorio, of the discalced friars and
religious in it, and the number of souls to whom they administer the
holy sacraments and instruction, by virtue of that command I declare
that this province has forty-eight convents with their visitas,
where religious live; and four convents where they do not minister to
Indians--namely, Sant Francisco of Manila, Sant Francisco del Monte,
Sant Francisco of Caceres and Sant Diego of Cavite. Further it has six
[_sic_] hospitals: the royal hospital of Manila; that for the natives;
that of La Misericordia; that at Los Baños ["the baths"]; and that at
Cavite. There are one hundred and one priests, counting well, sick, and
old. There are thirty-eight lay-brethren, who serve and act as nurses
at the hospitals, infirmaries, and convents generally. We have in
charge as many as eighty thousand souls or so. In Maluco there is one
convent where the native Indian Christians are instructed, both those
living there and those who go thither from these regions. There is also
a hospital where the soldiers are cured. From the aforesaid convents
twelve religious have been taken since last year (when some came here),
and religious of our order are requested in many other places.
In [the districts of] some of these convents there are few Indians,
because they refuse to join the chief settlements; nor can those
people be well instructed, as they are very remote, unless they
have religious. Moreover, there are fifteen priests in Japon and six
lay-brethren, busied in the conversion and in hospital work.
_Fray Marcos de Lisboa_, [52] vice-provincial.
Order of St. Dominic.
_List of the houses and missions of the Order of St. Dominic in these
Philipinas Islands._
It has one convent in the city of Manila, with sixteen friars--six
priests and six lay brethren.
It has a mission [_doctrina_] in the town of Binondoc and Baybay
with two ministers for six hundred Sangleys, or a trifle less. For
the hospital of San Gabriel it has two religious--one a priest and
the other a lay-brother--and there the Sangley infidels are nursed
and instructed.
It has a mission in the district of Batan with four priests for one
thousand six hundred Indians.
It has four missions in the province of Pangasinan. The first is called
Bina Lato-gan and has four religious, three of whom are lay-brethren,
and one who is not, for one thousand three hundred Indians.
The second is in Calasiao and has two ministers for one thousand
and thirty Indians. The third is Magaldan and has two ministers for
nine hundred Indians. The fourth is Mauazuag and has two religious,
one a lay-brother and one who is not, for four hundred Indians,
or a trifle less, and the new conversion in the tingues.
It has eleven missions in the province of Cagayan. The first is
called Pata and has two ministers for eight hundred Indians. The
second is called Tular and has two ministers for one thousand one
hundred Indians or a trifle more. The third is called Potol and has
two ministers for three hundred Indians and the new conversion laid
open on the creek of Mandayas. The fourth is called Camaluyuga and has
three ministers for six hundred Indians, or a few more or less. The
fifth is that of Nueva Segovia where the Spanish live. There is a
convent there that has charge of the mission of Bagunbaya, which has
two ministers for one hundred Indians, or a few more or less. It is to
be noted that this house receives no alms, either from his Majesty or
from encomenderos, or from Indians, and consequently it is in great
need. The sixth is called Tocolana and has three ministers for one
thousand Indians. The seventh is called Asiping and has two ministers
for seven hundred Indians or a trifle more. The eighth is called Pia
and is situated on the creek of Lobo. It has three ministers for two
thousand Indians. The ninth is called Malaguey and has two ministers
for one thousand Indians. The tenth is called Tuguiguerao. For one
thousand three hundred Indians it has three ministers. The eleventh
is called Pititan and has four ministers for one thousand six hundred
Indians and for the new conversion among the tingues of Zinbuey.
_Fray Baltasar Fort_, prior provincial.
_Item_: We have three houses in Japon. One is in Nangasaqui, and
has three priests and one lay-brother; another in Sanga, which is
situated in the kingdom of Figen, with three religious--two priests
and one lay-brother, the third in Meaco, the residence of the Dayfo,
with two priests.
_[Endorsed:_ "List given by the convent of St. Dominic in accordance
with his Majesty's order."]