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. 12]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[VoL 12

saying mass with the greatest possible solemnity. The
Augustinian fathers began the festivities, considering
the occasion especially theirs on account of their long
residence there. They assisted us by their good will
and deeds, thereby showing themselves no less devoted to the holy relics than friendly to the Society.
They conducted many kinds of music and dances,
and besides these were many furnished by our Indians, and the Chinese and Japanese; all this variety
produced most pleasing effects and greatly adorned
and enlivened the festival. In this fashion the other
religious orders celebrated their own days until the
eighth, in succession, with great devotion, joy and
edification on the part of the people. On the afternoon of the last day, as a conclusion to the fiesta, valuable prizes were distributed on the occasion of a literary contest, the announcement of which had been
published some days before with much show and
solemnity. In this contest many excellent and ingenious compositions of various kinds were delivered,
to which prizes were awarded, after two exceedingly
pleasing, dignified and impressive declamations had
been recited in praise of the holy relics. Divine worship was also improved in the new church by the addition of some silver lamps, candlesticks, chalices,
patines, wine-cruets, monstrances, and thuribles;
many altar-hangings and chasubles, made not only
from the silk and embroideries of that country, but
from damask, velvet, and brocade brought from
Espafia and Italia, with printed borders; hangings
heavily embroidered with seed pearls and thin silver
plates; and various draperies, some of velvet and
damask, others of colored taffeta. Besides all these
things, there was the chapel of the singers, who with