The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 36]

I649-I666]

PREFACE

I 5

from episcopal supervision that was granted to the
religious in Nueva Espaia? Moreover, the missions need more laborers than can be supported by
their incomes (the royal grant from the tributes),
and the order itself must maintain these additional
men. It will become necessary for the order to abandon the missions if these are to be placed under diocesan control; nor, in such case, can it do more than
sustain its leading convents in the islands. Finally,
the writer presents sketches of some illustrious
Recollects who have labored in the Philippines.
In a rare pamphlet by the Franciscan Bartholome de Letona - bound in with his Perfecta religiosa (La Puebla, Mexico, I662) -occurs an enthusiastic description of the Philippines, which we
here present (in translation and synopsis). He describes the voyage thither, the location and distribution of the islands; the various provinces of Luz6n;
the climate, people, and products; the city of Manila, which Letona describes as the most cosmopolitan in the world; and the Chinese Parian. Letona
relates the downfall of Venegas (the favorite of Fajardo), and the achievements of Manrique de Lara;
enumerates and describes the various churches, colleges and seminaries, convents and hospitals of Manila; and gives a sketch of each of the various religious orders there, with special attention, of course,
to his own, the Franciscan.
One of the Jesuit documents preserved in the
Academia Real de la Historia, at Madrid, relates
in detail the embassy sent to Manila by the noted
Chinese leader Kue-sing (1662) to demand that the
Spaniards submit to his power and pay him tribute.
This demand being angrily refused by the Span