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]

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THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 36

cabans of rice with meat, fish, and vegetables. Now
with greater energy he attended to its fortification,
personally overcoming the difficulties: in [procuring] the lime-which were great, for the rains had
begun and the lime was brought so far (from Bulacan and Bacolor) - and in the construction itself, for
eleven defenses were begun in different places. His
Lordship gave personal attention to those which
were most important-eating his meals and despatching business on the beach in a straw hut that
was built for him, so light that it was carried on
men's shoulders from one place to another as the importance of the work required; and was watchful on
every side, not only on account of the ardor which
caused him to give his aid, but also for the sake of
his example. He was the first and most steadfast in
the work of conveying earth and stones for earthworks and masonry; and his example was followed
by the citizens with the men in their service. Besides this fatigue he was overburdened with the
minor cares of the work, sending in all directions for
the lime, and himself allotting it as if he had no other
matters to attend to. In order that the dissensions
among the military leaders might not delay the execution of his plans, he suppressed the office of chief
master-of-camp and sargento-mayor - which had
been created to divide his cares, and when necessary,
to supply his place when absent, since he must render
aid in all quarters - and took upon himself all those
cares, in order that those who were working should
find no obstacle that would delay them. Thus he
finished in a short time and with less than 6,ooo pesos
of expense, works which would have consumed half
a million [pesos] and caused ten years of hardships