ered, the Society of Jesus presents this paper, in
which are recorded faithfully its ministers, the villages where they
are stationed, the churches, tributes, and extent of its field. From
it two things are apparent: the first, how necessary is a greater
union and settlement of the Indians, in such form as your Highness
may judge best; the second, that the need of help by a great number
of new ministers is extreme. For where there are four priests, ten are
regularly needed, because the indicated number of tributes corresponds
to a very much greater number of souls, either now confessing or being
catechised for baptism as is apparent from the report of a residence
that accompanies this present.

Therefore I entreat your Highness to petition his Majesty the king,
our sovereign, to send a considerable number of fathers of the Society
of Jesus from Europe--at least about fifty, considering that it is many
years since any have been asked for, and on this occasion a procurator
is going for that purpose. It will, moreover, be important for his
Majesty to issue there very urgent orders, so that the superiors
in Europe may not be illiberal and refuse to furnish ministers. If
he considers the pacification of Mindanao, and, besides that, if we
should have to provide Maluco with ministers from here with the new
government which is coming, it is necessary to provide beforehand
for an increase in the number of workers. I hope for all the above
from the great foresight of your Highness, with grace and justice.

_Gregorio Lopez_

Order of St. Francis

Very potent Sire:

Since I am ordered, in your Majesty's name, to give a minute of the
convents in this province of San Gregorio, of the discalced friars and
religious in it, and the number of souls to whom they administer the
holy sacraments and instruction, by virtue of that command I declare
that this province has forty-eight convents with their visitas,
where religious live; and four convents where they do not minister to
Indians--namely, Sant Francisco of Manila, Sant Francisco del Monte,
Sant Francisco of Caceres and Sant Diego of Cavite. Further it has six
[_sic_] hospitals: the royal hospital of Manila; that for the natives;
that of La Misericordia; that at Los Banos ["the baths"]; and that at
Cavite. There are one hundred and one priests, counting well, sick, and
old. There are thirty-eight lay-brethren, who serve and act as nurses
at the hospitals, infirmaries, and conve