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] DESCRIPTION OF PHILIPINAS

89

tain-general and president of the royal Audiencia
which resides in that city, and consists of four auditors who are also alcaldes of the court, a fiscal, and
the chief constable of the court. Their archbishop
and the ecclesiastical cabildo live there, the latter
consisting of the accustomed dignitaries - three
canons (for one of the four canonries there was
suppressed by his Majesty), two racioneros, two
medio-racioneros, one secular cura, who has charge
of the Spaniards, and another who has charge of the
natives and mulattoes. They are building at the cost
of his Majesty a temple for a cathedral, as that
which they had before fell in the ruin caused
throughout those islands by the earthquakes in the
year one thousand six hundred and forty-four [sic;
sc. five]. There is a royal chapel in the Plaza de
Armas for the funerals and ministry of the soldiers,
and it has a chief chaplain and six secular chaplains,
all at his Majesty's expense. There is a commissary
of the tribunal of the Holy Office, counselors, calificadors, a chief constable, and other employes.
The said commissary is necessary in the said city,
and he will suffice for all the jurisdiction of the archbishopric of Manila, with the exception of the port
of Cavitte. Because of the vessels that anchor at the
said city from foreign kingdoms, and because it is
not easy to cross the bay during certain months of
the year, it is advisable for that city to have its own
commissary, as will be related later in the proper
place. There is also need of the chief constable, four
familiars, and two notaries. [There is] a house of
the Misericordia with its temple and two seculars
as chaplains, where marriages are provided [for
girls]. There is another house, called Santta Pot