tries. It appears that the chapter of 1686 erected
a new mission in the village of Tancon which was later moved to the
village of Culion. The chapter of 1695 established another distinct
mission in the island of Dumaran, and that of 1698 a third one in
the island of Lincapan; and we see that that of 1746 has added two
other ministries, the first in the island of Alutaya, and the second
in the village of Calatan. That is sure proof of the increase of the
Christians, when the evangelical laborers are so increased. In regard
to the above we must mention what appears from acts and judicial
reports which the superior government of Manila sent to the Council
of the Indias, and which are conserved in its secretary's office in
the department of Nueva Espana; namely, that when our province of
Calamianes was again given to us, all the islands contained only
4,500 Christian souls, but that in the year 1715 they amounted to
18,600. And even after the continual and furious persecution, which is
mentioned briefly in the third volume [52] had intervened, with which
it is undeniable that the number of believers had decreased greatly,
father Fray Juan Francisco de San Antonio notes in the history of his
province of San Gregorio de Philipinas [53] that there were 21,076
Christian souls in the islands of Calamianes and Romblon in the
year 1735. Hence subtracting about five thousand from that number
for those of the island of Romblon, there is a remainder of about
sixteen thousand for Calamianes. [54] Let us give praises to God who
thus maintains the zeal of those fervent laborers and crowns their
fatigues with so abundant fruits.

[Section ii of this chapter mentions the virtues and holiness of some
of the Indians of the missions of Calamianes. The first mentioned
was one Joseph Bagumbayan, a native of Taytay, who was reared in
the convent of that village by the Recollects. The rearing of such
children is described as follows: "The holy orders of Philipinas
are wont to take account of the sons of the chief Indians of the
villages under their charge, in order to teach them good morals from
childhood, and rear them with those qualities which are considered
necessary to enable them to govern their respective villages afterward
with success, since the administration of justice is always put in
charge of such Indians. They live in the convents from childhood
in charge of the gravest fathers. The latter are called masters,
although in strictne