it was suggested that the Dominicans also assume the responsibility for
the ministry over the Chinese and Sangleys in the suburbs of Manila,
the Augustinians vehemently resented what they considered an invasion
of their prior rights. Aduarte omits any account of a disagreement,
merely saying that since the Chinese had had no one to minister to
them the Dominicans assumed that responsibility, but in a letter [105]
from the Licentiate Gaspar de Ayala to Philip II, dated from Manila,
July 15, 1589, full details of the squabble are given. From this source
we learn that the Augustinians had a convent in the village of Tondo
in the Chinese district. There they had ministered to the natives in
their own language, but had rather neglected their Chinese-speaking
parishioners. Consequently after the arrival of the Dominicans the
Audiencia passed an ordinance requiring that the Bishop appoint
ministers of one order to administer to the Chinese in their own
language within thirty days. To meet the deadline the Augustinians
began to study Chinese at breakneck speed, but when the Bishop came
to Tondo to hear one of the friars, who was supposed to know the
language, preach in it, there was some trouble as a result of which
the Augustinian would not, or indeed could not, preach. Naturally,
when it was decided to award the territory to the Dominicans, the
Augustinians accused the Bishop of favoritism towards his own order.

The whole situation is best described in the report on the Chinese
made by Salazar to the King on June 24, 1590:


"When I arrived in this land, I found that in a village called
Tondo--which is not far from this city, there being a river
between--lived many Sangleys, of whom some were Christians,
but the larger part infidels. In this city were also some