With the coming of the Spaniards, lands were assigned to the colonists, of which they were to have perpetual ownership after four years' residence. [25] Encomiendas of the Indians were also granted to the discoverers and conquerors. [26] It is in connection with the administration of these encomiendas that we find in the annals of the Philippines many accounts of abuses and extortions practiced on the natives, and the consequent revolts. It must not, however, be supposed that the Filipinos were actually dispossessed of their lands by the king; for, although according to the constitutional law of the Indies the land and the soil in all colonies were the domain of the king [27] and, therefore, could be assigned to deserving persons, there were royal decrees intended to protect the natives in their time-honored possession. [28] The question of land ownership has, however, from earliest times been the source of conflicts between the religious orders and the people. Without going into the technical,--and perhaps today, academic,--question of which side had the better legal argument, the fact cannot be denied that the Filipinos had always protested, throughout the various centuries of contact with the Spaniards, against what they considered to be usurpation of their lands. [29] II. INDUSTRIES AT THE TIME OF DISCOVERY AND CONQUEST Shipbuilding. One of the most important industries in the Philippines during this period was shipbuilding. We would naturally expect this industry to be developed among the Filipinos, for they belong to a seafaring race that for centuries had been pushing their way northward and taking possession of the islands of this part of the Pacific; furthermore, once settled in this country, they had abundant supply of good timber for building purposes. [30] Morga described the various kinds of ships and boats used by the Filipinos. [31] There seems to be no doubt that the Filipinos have forgotten much of what they knew about shipbuilding. [32] The Spaniards took advantage of the abundance of materials in this country, and engaged in shipbuilding on a large scale. Shipyards were established at various places, [33] and to them the Filipinos were compelled to go and work. To the honor and glory of Spain, some of the largest ships in the world at that time were built in the Philippines. [34]