Page:The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803 (Volume 03).djvu/189

1569-1576] The baptism of the natives steadily continues, and they are being received into our holy faith and religion. I hope in our Lord that the spiritual and temporal good will continue to increase day by day, to the glory of our Lord and to your Majesty’s honor. It will conduce much to the conversion of these natives to have some religious of the society of Jesus, and friars of the order of St. Francis, come to these districts; because it has a most edifying influence upon the covetous disposition of these barbarians, to see that those fathers do not receive or have anything to do with money—which will be a good example for them. May your Majesty provide in this regard according to your pleasure, for it would certainly greatly rejoice everyone to see those holy people here.

As the laborers that have been endured and are being endured in this expedition are prolonged and heavy, it has happened that many of the ecomenderos to whom repartimientos were given have died. Understanding that it will be for the good of your Majesty’s service, I have reapportioned and am reapportioning the Indians, as is done in GautemalaGuatemala [sic] and other parts of the Indies. I beg your Majesty to favor this and send confirmation of it, because in no other way can this island be maintained for the present.

I sent to beg your Majesty to grant me favor regarding certain petitions made in my own name. I am confident of receiving this as from a lord and prince so magnanimous that he will take into account that I have busied myself almost all my life in