A great portion of the province of Cagayan, which is located in this island of Manila, has been in revolt for some years. An extensive raid was made this year by our Spaniards and two thousand friendly Indians. Some of the enemy were killed, and eight villages burned. The country was laid waste, with the fields that the enemy had there; and thus were they punished for the insolent acts that they had committed. Consequently, these islands have four wars on the tapis at present: in the island of Hermosa, with the natives and the Dutch; in Terrenate and the Malucas Islands, with the Dutch also; in Jolo and other near-by islands whose inhabitants infest our seas; and in Cagayan with the insurgents. For so much war we must have greater aid from Espana and Nueva Espana, so that the condition of these islands may not fall lower. I will conclude this relation with the fires that we have experienced this year, which have been many and important. The convent of St. Francis, the hospital, and other houses were burned in Maluco. The convent of St. Nicolas (which belongs to the Recollects) in Cebu was burned March 29; and that of St. Augustine and a great portion of the city on April 8. It was a miracle that our residence escaped, for the fire was near it. Fire caught, at one o'clock at night on March 13, in the Parian or alcaiceria of the Chinese, where more than twelve thousand Chinese live, outside the walls of this city of Manila. Inside of five hours it was all leveled. It naturally seems impossible that so large a settlement, with wooden pillars which two men could not encircle, could have burned in so short a time. But that must have been the fire and punishment of heaven for the so horrible sins by which those heathen Chinese have provoked the wrath of God. The church and convent of St. Dominic, which is one of the most splendid wooden buildings that there can be, escaped from the midst of this fire of Sodom. A house owned there by the Society, which was even yet unfinished, was also unburnt. All the rest was burned to the very foundations. The inhabitants of Manila, who owned many of the houses, lost considerable in that fire. But in the space of four months, most of that alcaiceria has been rebuilt in squares and straight streets and uniform houses. It presents a very beautiful appearance, and is as large as the city of Manila itself. It is no wonder that a city should be built entire in so short a time, when more than three thousand men have worked on it. I do not know whether there can be any other part of the world than Manila where there are so many workmen and so abundant materials. [Volume i of the Ventura del Arco MSS. (Ayer library) contains the following synopsis of another relation for the years 1627-1628.] _Events in the Filipinas Islands from August, 1627, until June, 1628._