p the property which belonged to another, even though he
were of the same barangay.

466. This barangay consisted of about one hundred persons, more or
less, according to the number that they knew were sufficient for
their territory. If perchance those of one barangay did any injury to
another, cruel wars broke out between them, as broke out between the
chiefs of Manila and Tondo when the Spaniards came in to plant with
the faith the Catholic dominion, and with it the true peace, which
now they enjoy with tranquillity. These chiefs or maguinoos, although
some were so by inheritance, commonly did not get these offices by
virtue of their blood, but by their merits; or because some one had
more power, more wealth, more energy, or more moral virtue than any
of the others. This method of government has always seemed so good
to these Indians that it is the form followed in all the villages,
and all the tributes are divided among various heads of barangays,
in accordance with the enumeration of the villages; and those heads
are the ones who look after the collection of the royal income,
and see that the Indians live like Christians. They must also, by
reason of their office, give account to the father minister and the
alcalde-mayor of their province, in case there is any fault to find
with their respective barangays.

467. No Indian could pass voluntarily from one barangay to another
without the payment of a certain sum, which was established among
them, and unless he made a great feast to all the barangay which he
left. It was much more difficult if they were married. If a man of
one barangay married a woman from another, the children had to be
divided between the barangays, as was also done with the slaves.

468. The classes of people mentioned in that early age by our brother
Plassencia (besides that of chief or dato) are three, as follows. One
class is that of the nobles, whom they call mahadlicas. This
word signifies, according to the best vocabularies of the Tagalog
language, those who are free, and who were never slaves. The second
class are called pecheros; and the third are those who were slaves
legitimately. Although I find in one vocabulary that mahadlica is
rendered as "freedman," still I find that freedman is rendered by
timava in most trustworthy vocabularies. And although in the common
practice of the Tagalog speech, one now says minahadlica aco nang
panginoongco, that is, "My master freed me," I do not belie