the bricks to us, thus
causing no little injury and loss to this city and to the Sangleys. He
shall give an account to your Majesty, and a more exact one to God,
of the injuries and loss that he has caused to this land. Had not your
Majesty set matters right by sending a successor to him, [37] and so
good a one as you did send, he would have brought ruin upon this land;
and, even so, he leaves it sufficiently harassed and afflicted.

The Sangleys who live in this Parian number ordinarily between three
and four thousand, not counting the two thousand and more who come
and go in ships. These, together with those residing in Tondo, and
the fishermen and gardeners who live in this neighborhood, number,
according to the Dominican fathers who have them in charge, from six
to seven thousand souls. Four religious of that order are engaged in
their conversion and instruction.

I have mentioned many small matters here, and it does not seem very
considerate to write so long a letter to one who is so occupied in
affairs of moment as your Majesty is; but my great zeal deserves
forgiveness. For, considering how far distant these regions are, and
how extraordinary are these people--of whom we have known so little
hitherto, on account of the opposition shown by the Portuguese to our
gaining any knowledge of them--it seemed right for me to send your
Majesty a relation and more specific news concerning the matter, so
that your Majesty may know what exists and occurs here in his realms,
and may enjoy through experience what was denied to his predecessors
to hear even through report. Had I not already given your Majesty
news of many other things which occur here, I would not dare to omit
them now, even if I might be considered prolix.

This was the condition and disposition of the Sangleys in temporal
matters, when the Dominican religious came to these islands in May,
eighty-seven. I have already sent to your Majesty an account of what
took place from the time of their arrival until the following year. I
reported the singular change which had taken place among the Sangleys
after the Dominican religious took charge of them, and the results
which began to be obtained among them; and that they willingly began
to accept Christianity, in which they have persevered until now. I
will not here reiterate that, although there are many things worthy of
being known, and for which many thanks are due to God, who shows how
wonderful is His power when