is also in great need of ornaments and of a sacristy. That
which it now uses is borrowed; but with the sum of three or four
thousand pesos the one that was commenced more than ten years ago
could be finished. It has been impossible to finish it, because we
had not the means to do so. In order that your Majesty need not spend
anything from your royal treasury (which we most earnestly desire),
this could be done by your Majesty ordering that vacant encomiendas,
or pensions on those to which appointments are being made, be given
to the church, in accordance with the condition of the encomienda,
at the will of the governor--as has been done with the house of the
Society of Jesus in this city, to which your Majesty made a grant of
ten thousand pesos, as an aid to the edifice that they are at present
erecting, [_In the margin_: "See what has been ordered in this." "The
concession was made."]

We have often represented to your Majesty the great importance of
having this church well served, as this city is a place of so great
trade and commerce, where so many and so different nations come, as has
been said. The number of prebendaries that the church has at present
is not at all sufficient; for besides the five dignidades, it has no
more than four canons, two racioneros, and two medio-racioneros. And
since the land is so unhealthful and sickly, most of the prebendaries
are generally disabled, and for the greater portion of the year the
work is loaded upon only one canon and one racionero. For that reason,
we earnestly desired in the past years that your Majesty would give us
an increase Of two additional canons and four racioneros; but seeing
that that was not effected because of the great need in which the
times have placed your Majesty, we have found an easy and feasible
remedy for it--namely, to apply to this church some of the benefices
and missions that the orders hold near this city. Let the governor
and archbishop select those which would be most suitable; and let
each of them be given to two seculars--or more, if they should be so
rich. There is a mission outside the walls of this city owned by the
religious of St. Augustine, by name Tondo, where three seculars could
be maintained. One of them could be proprietary, with the title of
archdean or prior of such place and canon of this cathedral, with the
obligation to serve in it, as do the other canons. By this method
the prebendaries would be increased, and the number of