26. The monasteries of the order of St. Francis in Indian villages in
those islands, number twenty-three. They have forty-nine ministers
in these; and in the city of Manila they have another monastery of
their order, with fifteen religious--priests and brethren, laymen and
choristers. He [Ortega] does not know the exact number of Indians in
their charge, although he thinks that they have baptized something
like thirty thousand persons.

There are four monasteries of the order of St. Dominic in Indian
villages, and two in Manila--one among the Chinese settled there,
and the other among the Spaniards. All six convents have eighteen
ministers, and he thinks they have baptized something like fourteen
thousand souls.

Fray Francisco de Ortega presents this report to your Highness, as
one who has an experience of twenty-four years in those islands, and
what remains from thirty-nine years in Nueva España. He presents
the report with all sincerity, so that your Highness may have
detailed information, and may deem yourself to be well served by
his order. His hope is that the necessity of ministers--both for
preaching to the natives already converted, and for the conversion of
so vast a multitude of people still to be converted--being evident,
your Highness, with your royal and usual kindness, may have a great
number of ministers of the gospel sent; since God is sending the
remedy that is drawing this people from their blindness, by the hands
of your Highness, for whom He is keeping the reward of so noble and
sovereign a work as this of converting a new world to the knowledge
of God our Lord.