ose souls might be helped.
11. The island of Catanduanes, which lies north, near the island
of Lucon, is about thirty leguas in circuit, and has four thousand
Indian tributarios. It is apportioned to four encomenderos. Eight
ministers of the gospel are needed for the conversion of those people,
who number about sixteen thousand souls.
12. The island of Luzon, whereon is located the city of Manila,
is the best and most thickly populated, most abundant in food and
richest in gold mines. It is three hundred leguas in circumference,
and is all apportioned among encomenderos. The villages in the chief
places of the provinces belong to your Highness's royal crown. In
this and other parts, your Highness has thirty thousand tributarios or
thereabout. Although they all pay tribute in the villages under charge
of encomenderos, many of them have no instruction; and they have paid,
and there has been collected from them, tribute for more than sixteen
years. That this may be quite evident to your Majesty, he says that,
in the province of Camarines, located eighty leguas from the city of
Manila in the said island, in the vicinity of the volcano of Albay, are
four encomenderos, who collect more than three thousand tributes, and
there are no ministers of the gospel. This means twelve thousand souls
to be converted, for not one of them is a Christian, for the reason
given above. For their conversion, six ministers will be necessary.
13. Further in the above province are four other encomenderos, who
collect tribute from the island of Capul (which lies four leguas
away), and from the bay of Ybalon. They collect almost three thousand
tributes, and they likewise have no minister of the gospel. There
are some two [19] thousand souls, and they will need six ministers
for their conversion.
14. In the above province is an islet of about two or three leguas
in circuit. It is apportioned to two encomenderos, who collect one
thousand two hundred tributes. This means four thousand souls, and
will require two ministers.
15. _Item_: In the said province, near the volcano of Albay, is
a village called Yguey, with seven hundred Indian tributarios,
and not one a Christian, for lack of ministers. It belongs to one
encomendero. There are about three thousand souls, more or less,
who need two ministers of the gospel for their conversion.
16. In the same island of Luzon, toward the north, in the province of
Cagayan, are some allotted Indians, w
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