aces, in order to trade
in this city. The people of those countries are consequently becoming
desirous of our friendship and trade, and many of the inhabitants of
those nations are being converted.
They carry to their own countries, from this land, gold, wax, cotton,
dye-woods, and small shells, which latter pass for money in their
country, being used besides for many things, whereby they are held
in much esteem. They bring hither silks--figured satins, black and
colored damasks, brocades and other fabrics--which are now very
commonly seen, a great quantity of white and black cotton cloth,
and the above-mentioned articles of food.
Outside of this city and the above-mentioned villages lying within
five leagues of it, there are seven well-populated provinces in
this same island of Luzon--namely, Panpanga, Pangasinan, Ylocos,
Cagayan, Camarines, La Laguna, and Bonbon y Balayan. These include
three Spanish settlements--namely, Camarines, Ylocos, and Cagayan,
and have the following number of tributarios [i.e., Indians paying
tribute] and encomiendas.
_The province of Panpanga_
The province of Panpanga has twenty-two thousand tributarios, of
whom seven thousand belong to his Majesty, and fifteen thousand
are apportioned among eleven encomiendas. There are eight houses
of the religious of St. Augustine, and one house of St. Francis, in
which are sixteen Augustinian priests and one Franciscan. In another
house is a Dominican, who is a coadjutor of the bishop. All together,
there are eighteen priests. In order that sufficient instruction be
given in this province, twenty-six more priests are needed; because,
at the very least, a thousand tributarios means four thousand people,
who require two religious--and in this ratio throughout the islands,
where, it is believed, there will be a great increase of people and
of their instruction. This province has an alcalde-mayor, and needs
two corregidors.
This province is fifteen leagues in circuit, and is situated, at the
very most, a like distance from this city. Between this province and
that of Pangasinan, which is adjacent to it, there are three thousand
Indians apportioned between two encomiendas; they are Canbales, and
many of them are pacified. Living at a distance of twenty-five or
thirty leagues from this city are more than three thousand others of
this same race--brave mountaineers--still to be pacified; and we have
not the wherewithal to send twenty soldiers for t
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