Batobato.  Thence they descend the river—­or go by land, if the water is low—­to the town of Passi, which is located in the middle of the island, with the most beautiful and suitable site imaginable.  It enjoys balmy winds, excellent water, less dense woods, and less rain, so that one would believe it a different region.  This convent has a stone church, and has charge of about two thousand tributes.  The king grants it a stipend for three religious, and since this had to be, as it were, the Escorial, not only of the islands, but also of the country, it has been so unfortunate that scarcely has a work been finished than it immediately is burned.  I cannot say in what this convent has suffered most, and that from the time when they left their old site and moved to their present location.  This so constant work is the reason for this district not having more than two thousand Indians, and I wonder that it has them.  The river of Alaguer [70] flows past the convent gates.  By this one descends, leaving on the right and inland the priorate of Laglag; [71] and still lower and also inland and on the same side, that of Baong; [72] and reaches the convent of Dumangas, which we call Alaguer.  Thither went father Fray Juan de Alba—­as the reader will remember—­and from that house all the above were administered until they were made priorates.  The bar of this river is about two leguas from the town.  Now the convent is finished, but can sustain only one religious.  The port and the fleet have destroyed it; for these are the best people of the Bisayas.  The river, although like that of Panay, can not have much depth because of its rapid current, nor can the tide ascend for any distance, however, small boats enter it.  These two rivers have one source.  The Panay runs northward, and this of Alaguer toward the vendaval.  If one wishes, he may cross hence, between this island and Himalos, [73] to Salog (Jaro), a convent of the order, which was also assigned to it by Bishop Agurto.  It has in charge about one thousand Indians, but the number is much lessened by the conscriptions of the port, which is one-half legua from that town.  From that place, following the coast, one goes to the convent of Otong, the chief convent of this island, because it is near the village of Arevalo—­once important, but now of no account.  The alcalde-mayor and overseer-general of the Malucos lives there.  Otong lies about one and one-half leguas from the port.  One may reach it either by the beach, or by a salt-water creek which flows through the village (and even to the very gates of our convent), and then makes a turn, leaving the village an island.  About two leguas along the coast lies the convent of Tigbauang, which belongs to our order.  Today it is in charge of more than eight hundred Indians.  The capital is very small, for it enjoys the conscriptions of Ilong-ilong.  A matter of a short legua farther on is the convent of Guimbal.  Of it, one may philosophize as in the case of Tigbauang.  The