narrow here, and in many places is rough and mountainous.  It is believed that as much gold is mined now as usually, yet it seems a small quantity; for, although the Indians in general have more money than formerly, obtained through their [various] sources of income, they keep back the gold to work up into chains and jewelry, with which they adorn and parade themselves freely.  They pay tribute in tin reals.  The Camarines have become a very settled and tractable people through the religious instruction and careful teaching of the discalced Franciscan fathers, their ministers.  They had been, of all the people of these islands, the most warlike and the most feared, as was shown by their resistance; indeed, one can hardly assert that they were conquered.  The number of the inhabitants of this province can be but roughly estimated, as it is difficult to count them accurately.  It is probable, however, that there are more than one hundred and fifty [thousand], counting the intractable black people who live in the interior of the country.  Of this number some estimate that one-fourth are Christians.

Judicial offices of the province of Camarines [23]

With respect to royal jurisdiction, this province has these three offices: 

The alcaldia-mayor of Caseres, which is ordinarily called the alcaldia-mayor of Camarines, because Caseres is the capital of the province, and has jurisdiction over the larger and better part of it; the corregimiento of Ybalon, which is at the mouth of the channel; and the corregimiento of the island of Catanduanes, which is also near the same channel mouth.

The province of Manilla

The second province [in the island of Luzon] and the principal one in importance and wealth, because of its extensive commerce and of the fact that it is in the center of the kingdom, is Manila.  Within its jurisdiction are included other smaller provinces.  These are the two lake provinces, Bonbon and Bay; and (the most important of all) Panpanga, which, at the outside, is not more than twelve leguas from Manila.  This is an inundated valley, and yields a great amount of rice, owing to the richness and location of its lands, as well as to the wealth and superior character of its natives—­among whom there are at present many who have aided and served as faithful subjects and friends, whenever opportunity has offered.  In Panpanga your Majesty has as many as six thousand tributes in the four governmental districts and principal villages, among which are Betis, Lubao, Guagua, Mexico, and other smaller places.  All the neighboring country, and particularly the royal magazines, secure their rice from this province [of Pampanga].  There must be in the province of Manila forty thousand tributes belonging to private individuals, and almost twenty thousand belonging to your Majesty.  There must be in all more than five hundred thousand people, of whom one-fourth are Christians.  In this, however, estimates vary.  The adelantado, Miguel Lopez de Legaspi, settled the important city of Manila in the year fifteen hundred and sixty-one, [24] after having lived for six years in the islands of Zubu and Panay, of which I shall speak more in detail in another place.