The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 — Volume 23 of 55 / 1629-30 / 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, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century.

by Unknown

Father Melo was born of a noble family in Corinchán, Portugal. Going to Mexico at an early age, he took the Augustinian habit in the convent of Puebla de los Angeles, June 28, 1578. After becoming a priest he went to the Philippines, where he learned the Tagál and Bisayan tongues, and ministered at Aclán, Cagayancilo, Batangas, and Tanauan. See Pérez’s Catálogo, p. 27.

The lay-brother, Fray Nicolás de San Agustín, a Japanese, converted by the above, professed in the Manila convent in 1594. Ibid., p. 69.

[104] In 1893 Malolos had 14,635 inhabitants, without reckoning the villages of Barasoaín and Santa Isabel, with 9,442 and 7,174 inhabitants respectively. The three villages, especially Malolos, had at the above date beautiful churches and convents of solid masonry.—Coco.

The present civilized population of Malolos (see Bulletin No. 1, ut supra) is 12,575; Barasoaín, 8,047; and of Santa Isabel, 6,403. The first named is the capital of Bulacán province.

[105] Now (1893) the parish of Hagonoy has in charge 19,755 people, and has a very large stone church and convent.—Coco.

Its present civilized population (see Bulletin No. 1, ut supra) is 21,304.

[106] This town had 16,867 inhabitants in 1893.—Coco. It now has 13,469 civilized inhabitants according to the latest census. See Bulletin No. 1, ut supra.

[107] Pedáneo or gobernadorcilio, as he is called in the country.—Coco.

[108] Matthew x, 22.—Coco.

[109] “The iniquity of thy sister was pride, abundance, and sloth.”