10.  Father Fray Juan Cabello.

11.  Father Fray Juan de Pareja Mejia, very skilled in the Ilocan tongue.  I mean that the following year, when the father master went, he again sent his associate, Fray Lucas de Atienza, with some religious whom he found from the other companies whom I have already named, some of them being in my company.

Others were Fray Juan de Mena and Fray Lucas de Rivera. [26]

With this the government of our father Fray Miguel Garcia was, we might say, fortunate; for he found himself with two companies, all of whom, with the half company, numbered more than forty religious.  With that number he was able to supply the missions which now were suffering for the need of workers.  He was able to add new strength to the house at Manila, so that the choir could be assured—­which is, as one might say, the fort of the province, where prayer is offered to God day and night for the needs of the province.  There they gather those who find that they have but little strength in the ministry, where with some more rest they can attend to the profit of their own souls.  Our father Fray Miguel Garcia, considering that our father Fray Diego de Guevara had visited the provinces so slowly, did not choose to cause more trouble to the convents, or to spend more on his visits.  Consequently, he was not excessive in this matter, but very mild.

In the intermediary chapter held in Manila within two years, as had been determined in the full chapter, it appeared that the province complained about the [term of the] chapter being lengthened one year.  They advanced not a few reasons in support of this complaint, and so many that it was ordered that that measure be revoked, and the chapter meeting be assigned for the next year of 1614.  It was to be held in the house of Guadalupe, a place very suitable, in their opinion, for the chapter meetings, as it was not very far from Manila, so that they could supply their needs; and it allowed them to escape annoyances and importunities of the laymen.

This [intermediary] chapter considered that many religious were dying, and that, since the father priors always came to vote, some house must necessarily remain empty, and be entrusted to the fiscals of the villages.  This appeared full of inconveniences, both temporally and spiritually, which it is not right to express, since they are so apparent.  And even were there nothing else than the great danger of many persons dying without holy baptism, and others without confession, that was sufficient.  But there were many other reasons, which, although not so serious, aided not a little.  The expenses that would be saved were many; and this reason, that the priorates would have such persons, for the best ones would always be chosen for them.  This was opposed very strongly, and the opposition alleged what, in their opinion, were not a few reasons.  They asserted that this was a kind of tyranny, and that their opponents were trying