about one-quarter legua from the city of the Spaniards. [26] It is the best port of the island today, and might have been very good, if affairs there had continued to improve.  But as cities are maintained and grow through trade, and the trade there is in wax, which is of little value, its citizens are abandoning the city and going to Manila.  While the climate of the latter place is not so good, nor the country so healthy, they are drawn by the wealth there, and the trade with China, Japon, Macan, and India—­and above all, with Nueva Espana.

I believe, if a small ship were to leave this city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus—­which is the second in these islands, because that of Caceres in Camarines, and that of Segovia in Cagayan [27] have already declined—­for Nueva Espana, that, beyond any doubt, the city would return to its former prosperity.  But it does not appear possible, for the city has no citizens with capital who care to engage in the building of any vessel.  The city has a garrison of one company of seven hundred soldiers, more or less at times, and other extravagances.  It has an alcalde-mayor, who acts as governor.  He is also captain of the company of the presidio, and usually is supreme chief of all the Pintados.  The latter are so called because all the male Pintados tattooed their entire bodies with so excellent and well-designed symmetry, that the best artist in Espana could learn from them.  The women tattooed the hands.  But the proper name of these islands is the Bisayas.  Many tongues are spoken in them, for there are many islands and many villages, and there is hardly a village that has not its own dialect.  But the chief tongues are the Boholan, which is spoken in Sugbu, and the Hiligain, and they are very similar.  These islands have a bishop, whose see is located in the city of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus.  That city has a cabildo with its dignitaries, but in name only, for it has no income.  The bishops have been to blame, because they have not been very active; for our sovereigns, through their piety, would have assigned stipends, had these been proposed to them.  This bishopric has a large territory, and, in my opinion, is larger and more extensive than the archbishopric of Manila.  For it includes the islands of Leyte, Samar, and Ibabao, [28] where the fathers of the Society are carrying on their missions.  This island was formerly densely inhabited with Indians, but now the population is much less, as is that of all the other islands.  This bishopric includes the island of Bohol, which is in charge of the same fathers.  It can be seen from the plaza of Sugbu, from which it is slightly more than three leguas distant.  I shall have to speak of it later.  This bishopric includes also the island of Panay, more than fifty leguas distant, which is in our charge.  We have thirteen convents there, besides two more in the island of Sugbu, and besides the other three belonging to seculars in the same island of Panay. [29] This island