Tributes

Village of Loboc, with six hundred tributes, where there is
also a seminary for Indians                                     600
Village of Tubor, with one hundred and fifty tributes           150
Village of Baclayon, with three hundred tributes                300
Village of Dita, with three hundred tributes                    300
Village of Tubigan, with fifty tributes                          50
Village of Hinabangan, with two hundred tributes.               200
Village of Bacacay, with thirty tributes.                        30
Village of Talibon, with two hundred tributes.                  200
Village of Bauliron, with one hundred tributes.                 100
Village of Yngaon, with one hundred and twenty tributes.        120
Village of Panglao, with sixty tributes.                         60
Village of Siquior, with eighty tributes.                        80

2,200 tributes and 12 churches.

Consequently this residence instructs two thousand two hundred tributes, of which two thousand and fifty belong to the king, our sovereign.  Four fathers and two brethren minister to all of them.

As your Lordship ordered, the Society of Jesus presents this paper, in which are recorded faithfully its ministers, the villages where they are stationed, the churches, tributes, and extent of its field.  From it two things are apparent:  the first, how necessary is a greater union and settlement of the Indians, in such form as your Highness may judge best; the second, that the need of help by a great number of new ministers is extreme.  For where there are four priests, ten are regularly needed, because the indicated number of tributes corresponds to a very much greater number of souls, either now confessing or being catechised for baptism as is apparent from the report of a residence that accompanies this present.

Therefore I entreat your Highness to petition his Majesty the king, our sovereign, to send a considerable number of fathers of the Society of Jesus from Europe—­at least about fifty, considering that it is many years since any have been asked for, and on this occasion a procurator is going for that purpose.  It will, moreover, be important for his Majesty to issue there very urgent orders, so that the superiors in Europe may not be illiberal and refuse to furnish ministers.  If he considers the pacification of Mindanao, and, besides that, if we should have to provide Maluco with ministers from here with the new government which is coming, it is necessary to provide beforehand for an increase in the number of workers.  I hope for all the above from the great foresight of your Highness, with grace and justice.

Gregorio Lopez

Order of St. Francis

Very potent Sire: