to enthusiasm. "Let us visit," he writes, "the Philippine Islands,
and with astonishment shall we there behold extended ranges, studded
with temples and spacious convents, the Divine worship celebrated with
pomp and splendour; regularity in the streets, and even luxury in the
houses and dress; schools of the first rudiments in all the towns,
and the inhabitants well versed in the art of writing. We shall see
there causeways raised, bridges of good architecture built, and, in
short, all the measures of good government and police, in the greatest
part of the country, carried into effect; yet the whole is due to the
exertions, apostolic labours, and pure patriotism of the ministers of
religion. Let us travel over the provinces, and we shall see towns of
5, 10, and 20,000 Indians, peacefully governed by one weak old man,
who, with his doors open at all hours, sleeps quiet and secure in his
dwelling, without any other magic, or any other guards, than the love
and respect with which he has known how to inspire his flock." [81]

If this seems too rosy a picture, it still must not be forgotten that
at this time the ratio of whites to Indians in the islands was only
about one to sixteen hundred, [82] that most of these lived in Manila,
and that the entire military force was not more than two thousand
regular troops. [83] As has been intimated this condition lasted
down until a comparatively recent period. As late as 1864 the total
number of Spaniards amounted to but 4,050 of whom 3,280 were government
officials, etc., 500 clergy, 200 landed proprietors, and 70 merchants;
and in the provinces the same conditions prevailed that are described
by Comyn. [84] In more than half of the twelve hundred villages in the
islands "there was no other Spaniard, no other national authority, nor
any other force to maintain public order save only the friars." [85]

Recurring for a moment to the higher ecclesiastical organization, the