The city of Manila is located in the island of Luzón. It is the
capital of all the islands, and the usual residence of the governor
and captain-general, his counselor, and his Majesty's army. This
city has about three hundred citizens. It contains the cathedral
and bishop's house, and the prebendaries--to-wit, dean, archdeacon,
schoolmaster, treasurer, two canons, seven or eight clerical priests,
and some, although few, who are to receive orders. The city has a
monastery of Augustinian friars, usually with sixteen religious,
counting those who are going and coming--eight of the number being
priests, and the rest brethren and candidates for orders. There is
one Dominican convent, with four or five friars; and another convent
of the same order, with a Sangley hospital, in the Parian in the
same city, with two religious. There is one Franciscan convent,
which generally contains four priests and seven or eight brethren,
counting the teacher and the novitiates. The Society of Jesus has also
a professed house, with its father superior, three priests, and three
brethren. There is a royal hospital for the Spaniards, and another
for the Indians, under charge of two Franciscan lay-brethren. The
number of paid soldiers is generally about two hundred, besides their
officers. There are two chief constables, one city and the other
government; two constables; a prison warden; the three judges; the
officials of the royal estate--factor, accountant, and treasurer;
an executioner; a notary; a probate judge; the municipal body of
the city, with two alcaldes-in-ordinary, twelve regidors, and two
secretaries--one of finance and war, the other of administration;
six notaries-public, and two attorneys; and one constable to attend
to vagabonds. There are many calling themselves captain, but only
four have companies. This city contains the silk-market of the Parian,
which is composed of Sangley merchants, who have two hundred shops. The
Parian contains about two thousand Sangleys, more or less, with their
judge and governor. In addition to these there are somewhat more
than one thousand in the city, in Tondo, and throughout the islands,
engaged in various occupations and trades. Inasmuch as this relation
treats only of the ministers of instruction here and those necessary,
I shall not discuss further details of Manila and the islands, in
order to come to my purpose. Manila and its environs have sufficient
instruction, and even more than enough; for the usual alms is given to
the religious of the convents, and they are charged to administer the
sacraments and to give instruction to the natives there, each convent
in its own district. Therefore the ecclesiastics occupied in Manila
and its immediate environs, where there are plenty of ministers,
might be sent to other districts where ministers are lacking.
_His Majesty_--In the city of Manila are many Indians who are liable
to duty, both in service and in other employments, who are continually
shifting-- so that, out of the three thousand tributarios that there
should be, not more than five hundred tributes are collected for his
Majesty. To administer the sacraments and give Christian instruction
there is one parish priest for the Indians, and they attend mass at
the hospital for Spaniards. They are under the jurisdiction of Manila,
in affairs of justice. ... D.
_Bagunbaya_: _His Majesty_--His Majesty collects about three hundred
whole tributes in the new village of Bagunbaya. This means one
thousand two hundred souls. The convent of Sanct Agustín of Manila
provides instruction for one-third of them, those nearest the city. The
other two-thirds attend mass there. They are under the charge of the
parish priest of the Manila Indians--that is, as far as the hermitage
of Nuestra Señora de Guía ["Our Lady of Guidance"]. There mass is
celebrated for them; while he who says it to the Indians of Manila
says it in the hospital. There are many other churches where they may
attend mass, for the parish priest assists at that of the hermitage,
as it is a good settlement and outside of the city. These Indians
are under the jurisdiction of Manila. ... CCC.
_Laguio y Malate_: _His Majesty_--His Majesty collects three hundred
tributes, which represent one thousand two hundred souls, in the
village of Laguio y Malate. They are instructed by one Augustinian
religious, who has a church and house there. They are under the
jurisdiction of Manila. ... CCC.
_Longalo y Parañaque_: _His Majesty_--In the village of Longalo y
Parañaque--two places merged into one--are eight hundred tributes,
which are collected by his Majesty; counting in those of other
small hamlets, they represent, in all, three thousand two hundred
souls. They are in charge of one Augustinian convent established
there, with two religious. These religious visit the other small
hamlets. Tondo exercises justice therein. ... DCCC.
_Cabite and Others_: _His Majesty_--In the village of Cabite
and other neighboring hamlets, his Majesty has three hundred and
seventy tributes, representing one thousand four hundred and eighty
souls. One ecclesiastic residing there has them in charge. He visits
in addition some small villages very near by, and the port of Cavite,
where Spanish sailors are wont to be found. ... CCCLXX.
_Maragondon_: _His Majesty_--His Majesty collects two hundred
tributes, which represent eight hundred souls, in the village of
Maragondón. Formerly the ecclesiastic of Cavite visited them, being
assigned a special salary therefor. But he does not visit them now;
and for three years they have been without instruction, through the
bishop's negligence. ... CC.
_Dilao_: _His Majesty_--In the village of Dilao his Majesty collects
two hundred whole tributes, representing eight hundred souls,
whose instruction is in charge of the convent of Sanct Francisco of
Manila. They attend mass at this convent, as it is quite near. ... CC.
_Tondo_: _His Majesty_--The town of Tondo, on the other side of the
river, opposite Manila, is an encomienda of his Majesty, and is capital
of a district, with its own jurisdiction and an alcalde-mayor. In
Tondo, Nabotas, and Tambobo are collected one thousand five hundred
whole tributes, which represent six thousand souls. It has one
Augustinian convent with two ministers, who can give sufficient
instruction. ... MD.
Besides that, there is another convent of Dominicans, with two
religious, who furnish instruction to forty Christian Sangleys, whose
tribute is paid to his Majesty. They are under the civil jurisdiction
of that town. ... XL.
_Zapa_: _His Majesty; Pedrode Chaves; a minor son of Velazquez_--In
the village of Capa, an encomienda of his Majesty, are collected
two hundred tributes. In Pandaca, an encomienda of Pedro de Chaves,
are collected one hundred more. In other neighboring small hamlets,
on the river above, belonging to the minor son of Velazquez, are
collected two hundred more. Together these amount to four hundred
[_sic._]. They are under the charge of one Franciscan religious who
resides in Zapa and visits the other places. ... CCCC.
_Passi_: _Thome de la Ysla_--The encomienda of Passi belongs to Thome
de la Ysla. It has two thousand tributes, under the instruction of
one Augustinian monastery with two ministers. On the uplands are
two thousand more, among the Tingues above, who, although friendly,
pay no tribute and have no instruction. They could be provided with
two more ministers in due time. ... MMMM.
_Tagui_: _Captain Vergara_--The encomienda of Tagui belongs to Captain
Vergara. He collects there eight hundred tributes. It is provided
with adequate instruction by Augustinians. ... DCCC.
Thus the encomiendas of Manila, its coast, and the opposite shore
of Toado have nine thousand four hundred and ten whole tributes,
which represent thirty thousand six hundred and forty souls, or
thereabout. They have thirteen ministers of instruction, without
counting that given by the monasteries, as above stated. Thus they are
amply supplied with instruction, and even more than sufficiently. They
are under the judicial and civil jurisdictions of Manila and Tondo,
according to their districts.