6.  The said father Fray Francisco de Ortega informs your Majesty that the bishop of those islands, of his own notion and at his own pleasure, placed religious of his own order of St. Dominic in a settlement of Sangleys (natives of the kingdom of China) near the city of Manila, and across a river that flows through it.  From the beginning when that island was gained and settled, the religious of the order of St Augustine have had the said Chinese and natives in charge, to whose conversion and baptism they have paid special attention.  From the monastery of his order to the place where the Dominican fathers have settled the distance is but two shots of an arquebus.  This is in direct opposition to your Majesty’s orders and the commands of your royal decrees—­namely, that wherever the monastery of one order is established, no other shall be placed except at the distance appointed by your Majesty.  As most of the Chinese settled there are idolatrous heathen, it is a great disadvantage for them to be mingled with the newly-converted Christian Indians, the natives of another race; and from this mingling arise many offenses against God our Lord.  In order to avoid these, it would be advisable for your Majesty to have those Chinese removed thence to the place where the rest of their nation have settled, leaving those natives free.  It would be well also to decree that the Dominican fathers there shall settle in another place where there is greater need for them; and that your Majesty entrust the execution of all the above to the governor of those islands, [In the margin:  “Have the governor examine and provide for this.”]

7.  Further, he says that some three years ago father Fray Mattheo de Mendoza, of his order, implored and entreated your Majesty, in the name of that province, to be pleased to grant permission for the founding of a monastery of Recollet friars of his order, in a hermitage called Nuestra Senora de Guia, located in a place about one-quarter of a legua from the city of Manila.  Your Majesty ordered your royal decree to be issued to the effect that the governor and bishop should make investigations as to whether it would be useful and advantageous to have the said hermitage granted for the said purpose, and that they should send their report, together with their opinion on the matter, to the royal Council of the Yndias.  In fulfilment of this direction, the said governor has sent the said documents to your Majesty.  He [Ortega] entreats you to have it examined and, in accordance with it, to provide and order what is deemed of most advantage to the service of God our Lord, and of your Majesty—­considering that, if the said Recollet religious are established there, from their good instruction, life, and example great results will be obtained, both among the natives, and from the devotion of the Spaniards. [In the margin:  “Let the governor undertake the establishment of whatever religious of the order of St. Augustine he thinks advisable.”]