Religious were established in the convent of Pasig, of which we have said somewhat already. It is about three leguas from Manila, and from Guadalupe one legua farther on. Now it has less than one thousand Indians in charge, and three religious; for it has a most fatiguing visita, namely, San Mateo, where ordinarily is established one religious with voting power.[52]
The father provincial established religious in Calumpit, one day’s journey from Manila toward the east (where the Tagál language is likewise spoken), bordering the province of Pampanga. It is located on a beautiful river called Quingua, of excellent water, which is used by all the convents of that district. It was a very densely populated district, but now it has but few people, for the Indians have not remained there.[53] It had formerly innumerable mosquitas,[54] but now few; and some sugar plantations, which were started by father Fray Pedro Mejía,[55] and continued by father Fray Luis Ronquillo.[56] If care were taken of them, the convent would be supplied with what is necessary. It is a priorate and has a vote. Its Indians number about five hundred.
The father provincial likewise established a convent in Lubao, which is [in] the province of Pampanga. It is a most fertile land, and we might say that it sustains the country, for it is all rice-fields. Hence it is said, that at harvest Pampanga is worth little. The convent of Lubao had many people, and hence they were able to build a church, which is one of the best in the country. It is all built of brick, made there; they also built a two-roomed house. It has generally two religious, with six hundred Indians.[57] All Pampanga is like streets, for the houses of one town are continued by those of another. One may go to all its towns without getting in the sun, for now the bamboos, and now the palms furnish very pleasant shade. From this place one goes to Guagua, a short legua, past the houses; thence to Betis; from Betis to Bacolor, the best of the entire province. Of the rest we shall speak in their turn.
The father provincial established religious in the island of Panay, which, as it was of the Bisayan language, he was not willing to abandon. Those islands, although the first to whom the clarion of the gospel was sounded, have been the ones that have remained most in ignorance. I am unaware of the cause for this unless it be my sins, for truly the most flourishing province, in regard to its missions, has been that of Panay, as will be seen in this work. And yet, they are as new in matters of our faith, as on the first day. I think that their living in very remote towns conduces greatly to this, and in not seeing the religious so frequently as the others do. And although they have attempted to maintain some [religious] assemblies, they have not retained them, for the persons who most strenuously oppose their having assemblies are the encomenderos—because they fear the diminution of their Indians, more than what they owe as Christians. I console myself that another tribunal will judge them with more rigor. But may it please the omnipotent God that human selfishness be not repaid with eternal punishments; for they become encomenderos more to deprive the natives of the good of the soul, than to convert them and protect them in what concerns them so deeply.
The island of Panay is more than sixty leguas[58] south of Manila. The same star stands over the bar of its principal river, the Panay, as at Manila. Its other river, the Alaguer, is on the other coast. Both have about the same amount of water, but the Panay flows more slowly, and hence can be ascended more readily. It is also deeper, so that fragatas can enter over its bar at full tide, for it has about one and one-half brazas of depth. At low tide, not even the small vessels can enter. It is two leguas from the bar to the town. The convent is very large. With its visitas, it has in charge more than one thousand two hundred Indians. The alcalde-mayor of that jurisdiction lives there. As a rule, there are many Spaniards there; for at that port are collected the vessels for the relief expedition to Maluco. Thence goods are transported in champans to Ilong-ilong, where the port is located, and where the vessels are laden. There are more than one hundred Chinese married to native women in this town, and their number is increasing daily, so that I think they will end by peopling the country. I, being twice prior of this convent, learned somewhat of the Chinese language, in order to be able to minister to them; for to do so in Spanish, or in the language of the land, is the same as ministering to Spaniards in Greek. The river banks above are lined with palm groves, and with villages that are thinly inhabited because of the laziness of the alcaldes-mayor. The latter imagine that, when their offices are given to them, it is only that they may get money. They only take heed of that, and prove rather a drawback than an aid to the ministry. About two days’ journey up the river, and on a branch flowing into the Panay, is the convent of Mambúsao[59], a very flourishing house. Don Fray Pedro de Agurto, first bishop of Sugbú, and a member of our order, gave this to the order. He was one of the most learned and holy men of all the Indias. Afterwards he will be glorified, for he is the brightest jewel in this history, and has most honored the habit in these islands. He was a creole of Nueva España, and one of whom all those fathers can be proud. Ascending the river inland in Panay, and leaving on the right Mandruga and Mambúsao, one reaches the convent of Dumalág, after a few days’ journey, more or less. It is a very important convent, for it ministers to more than one thousand Indians. There are two religious in each of these convents, prior and assistant. Before arriving at the convent of Dumalág, the convent of Dumárao, a very important house, has its river on the left. All of these convents have their churches and houses finished—although in wood, for it is not convenient to build them of other materials. Those crossing to the coast of Otóng, where the port and fort are located, pass through this district. They use a hammock [as their bed]; they walk inland a matter of two good leguas. Then they stop in a visita of Passi called Batobato. Thence they descend the river—or go by land, if the water is low—to the town of Passi, which is located in the middle of the island, with the most beautiful and suitable site imaginable. It enjoys balmy winds, excellent water, less dense woods, and less rain, so that one would believe it a different region. This convent has a stone church, and has charge of about two thousand tributes. The king grants it a stipend for three religious, and since this had to be, as it were, the Escorial, not only of the islands, but also of the country, it has been so unfortunate that scarcely has a work been finished than it immediately is burned. I cannot say in what this convent has suffered most, and that from the time when they left their old site and moved to their present location. This so constant work is the reason for this district not having more than two thousand Indians, and I wonder that it has them. The river of Alaguer[60] flows past the convent gates. By this one descends, leaving on the right and inland the priorate of Laglág;[61] and still lower and also inland and on the same side, that of Baong;[62] and reaches the convent of Dumangas, which we call Alaguer. Thither went father Fray Juan de Alba—as the reader will remember—and from that house all the above were administered until they were made priorates. The bar of this river is about two leguas from the town. Now the convent is finished, but can sustain only one religious. The port and the fleet have destroyed it; for these are the best people of the Bisayas. The river, although like that of Panay, can not have much depth because of its rapid current, nor can the tide ascend for any distance, however, small boats enter it. These two rivers have one source. The Panay runs northward, and this of Alaguer toward the vendaval. If one wishes, he may cross hence, between this island and Himalos,[63] to Salog (Jaro), a convent of the order, which was also assigned to it by Bishop Agurto. It has in charge about one thousand Indians, but the number is much lessened by the conscriptions of the port, which is one-half legua from that town. From that place, following the coast, one goes to the convent of Otóng, the chief convent of this island, because it is near the village of Arévalo—once important, but now of no account. The alcalde-mayor and overseer-general of the Malucos lives there. Otóng lies about one and one-half leguas from the port. One may reach it either by the beach, or by a salt-water creek which flows through the village (and even to the very gates of our convent), and then makes a turn, leaving the village an island. About two leguas along the coast lies the convent of Tigbauang, which belongs to our order. Today it is in charge of more than eight hundred Indians. The capital is very small, for it enjoys the conscriptions of Ilong-ilong. A matter of a short legua farther on is the convent of Guimbal. Of it, one may philosophize as in the case of Tigbauang. The latter has Hantic[64] as a visita, which was formerly one of the best priorates, but often destroyed by men from Camucón, Solog, and Mindanao, as it is quite outside the Spanish pale. It is more than twenty leguas from its capital, and is visited with great hardship and danger. Now since, without thinking, we have related all that is to be known of the island of Panay, let us return to Manila; for I think that something awaits us there.
Chapter XVII
Of how our religious tried to go to great China
During this time two Chinese junks or champans came to Manila to trade. These people, as they are so fond of silver, scented what was to enter their country through this medium. Hence they began the richest and most opulent trade known. Were the Spaniards less hasty, surely the trade would have resulted more cheaply, and the Chinese would not have done with them as they wished. In the beginning the articles traded were very cheap, and extravagant fortunes were made in Méjico. Now, however, it makes such inroads on the capital, that loss on the cost has often occurred in Méjico. But then, who can remedy this? These Indians or Chinese are generally called Sangleys, not because they call themselves Chinese or Sangleys, for they have been and are surprised at the two names. They are called Sangleys, because when they came to Manila, and the people saw men of so strange appearance, with hair like that of women—and of which they take most especial care, more even than of their faces and bodies—and done up on the head very nicely, and with a most peculiar headdress, their long garments, their ample and long drawers reaching to the feet, and all their other apparel in keeping, which seemingly belong to women rather than men, they asked the latter who they were. The answer was “Sangley” (or “merchant”); as one would say, “We are merchants.” They were canonized with this name, and it has proved permanent, and hence they are now called by no other name. The name China must have been given by the Portuguese. Their own name is Songsua.[65]
[A short description of China and its people follows. The fathers no sooner saw the Chinese traders, than they were filled with zeal for the conversion of the country. But they were unsuccessful in persuading the traders to embark them on their vessels. A letter written by Legazpi to one of the Chinese viceroys, and accompanied by a present, also failed of effect, for neither was delivered. Thus China remained a closed door for the time being.]