d by the heavy and constant
rains which fell--which injured the salt springs even more, so that
a half-fanega of salt, which usually is worth two or three reals,
reached the price of twelve pesos. In La Estacada there was a great
conflagration on Good Friday, in the night, which destroyed many
houses. In the following year the scarcity of food was increased by
a plague of locusts, which swept away all [vegetation]; and a caban
of rice came to be worth twenty and twenty-four reals. But what
caused the most suffering was the havoc made by the catarrh, in the
year 1687-88; it was a sort of epidemic sickness, which killed many
persons, especially children and the aged; and so many were sick that
they could hardly cultivate the fields, or do other things necessary
for human life." (Murillo Velarde, fol. 345 b, 346.)

[47] Spanish patacones; "a silver coin weighing one onza, and current
in Batavia, Brazil, and Turkey." (Dominguez).

[48] These seem to be memoranda intended by the writer of this document
to be expanded and written out in detail.

[49] Diaz says (p. 752) that the alcalde-mayor of Ilocos was a personal
friend of the cura Maranon; and that Banguet had remained vacant
so long because it was a very poor living, and had an unwholesome
climate. Arqueros de Robles was probably a son of the Lorenzo Arqueros
so noted in the native insurrections of 1660-61.

[50] In the Ventura del Arco MSS. (iii, pp. 29, 30) this name
appears as Benguet; and in Diaz's Conquistas (p. 752) as Banguet and
Banget. The modern form is Bangued.

[51] This was at first Nueva Segovia (in Cagayan), which has always
given name to the diocese; the episcopal seat was removed (before
Pardo's time) to Lal-lo, not far from Nueva Segovia, and later to
Vigan, which is still the capital of that diocese.

[52] Thus in Retana's print, and in the copy of this document in
Ventura del Arco MSS.; it apparently indicates an omission in the
original print.

The hiatus is supplied by Diaz (p. 752), who says that Pardo informed
the auditors, unofficially, that the decree of the Audiencia sent
to Arqueros ought to have been addressed to himself, as being the
ruler of the vacant see of Nueva Segovia. He also states that Pardo
ordered Arqueros (who had come to Manila to consult him) to set out
within a week for Ilocos and finish up his business there; but the
latter could not obey this order in so short a time.

[53] Alonzo Sandin, procurator-general for the