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. 51]

I80I-I840]

EVENTS OF 180I -1840

37

China. In the said year of 1814, there was built in
the environs of the town of Laoag (Ilocos Norte) a
leper hospital, at the expense of the charitable parish
priest there, Fray Vicente Febras, an Augustinian;
and this act is worthy of note, since this was the first
establishment of the kind in the provinces of the
Archipelago." A royal decree of August 22, I8i5,
reestablished the Jesuit order in the Indias and Filipinas; and another, dated December i, commanded
the seizure in the colonies of various political books
and pamphlets, with penalties for their use in schools.
After the death of Governor Aguilar, the Moro pirates were comparatively quiet for a time, but in
i8I3 they renewed their attacks on the Spanish territories, and during several years they harassed the
latter, taking many captives, and even seizing several
vessels, both Spanish and English, on the seas. Governor Raffles, of Java, after the restoration of that
island by England to Holland, proposed to Gardoqui
that they cooperate in occupying Jol6 and Mindanao; but the Spaniard declined this, protesting
against any operations by the English in Spanish territory. " Gardoqui, during his term of office, caused
the fortifications of Cavite to be repaired, making
them very strong; he issued orders regulating weights
and measures; he created the general administration
for the revenues from wine; and he occupied himself
greatly with the improvement and development of
the tobacco plantations. The bandits, smugglers, and
gamblers had been increasing at an alarming rate;
and, in order that they might be promptly punished
the governor appointed a military commission,
headed by a lieutenant-colonel. Thanks to their
energetic proceedings, the desired object was at