ese Spaniards, because they were inhabitants of the town
of Cubu, received each two or three small villages, together with
service from the Indians, fowls, and other means of maintenance;
for the principal encomiendas were distant from them thirty or forty
leagues, more or less. On the other side of the above-mentioned native
communities, at about two arquebus-shots from the Spanish town of
Ssantisimo Nombre de Jesus (thus called because an image of the child
Jesus, of the time of Magallanes, had been found there, and was held in
great reverence by the Indians), is a village of the natives belonging
to the royal crown, with about eight hundred Indians. The commander
Miguel Lopez de Legazpi exempted this community from paying tribute;
for they had always taken sides with the Spaniards, and had helped
them to conquer some of the other islands.

_Observations on the island of Cubu_. In this village live thirty
Spaniards, and as many encomenderos. Counting both citizens and
soldiers, fifty or sixty Spaniards ordinarily reside there.

_Alcalde-mayor in Cubu_. The governors of these islands have always
appointed an alcalde-mayor, at a salary of three hundred pesos taken
from the fines forfeited to the royal treasury; and the royal treasury
not being sufficient, the alcalde-mayor has not, as yet, appointed any
deputy. There are six regidors, who, up to the present time, have been
elected annually. The past governors appointed also an alguazil-mayor,
whom they can remove and replace at their pleasure. There is no
remuneration for this last office; and it is therefore given to an
encomendero, who is generally one of the leading citizens. There
are also two alcaldes-in-ordinary, and one notary for the cabildo
and the public. If all these officials were not also encomenderos,
they would be unable to support themselves; for the town possesses
no commerce which comes within their reach. The town has the best
port of these islands, and it was for this reason that Miguel Lopez
de Legazpi founded a settlement there. It was he who founded the
above-mentioned town, in the year of sixty-four. Perhaps the traffic
with Maluco may prove of advantage to the town, for there is no other
place in its vicinity with which any commerce could be carried on. Its
neighborhood is poor, and all the vast district round about lacks gold
mines or gold-placers, except in the island of Mindanao--and that but
little--as will be described later. The island of