It appears that now the provinces of Filipinas were gathering greater strength, for, while they were being colonized, the increasing trade and the relations with Mejico were excellent; the religious were increasing, in the temporal and spiritual, throughout the province, which was obtaining many and good laborers; and convents were being built. That of Manila and that of Santisimo Nombre de Jesus, in particular, were laying their foundations, in order to erect stone buildings; for, however strong wooden supports may be, yet with the lapse of time they finally decay and become useless. This does not happen so quickly with what is made of stone, which lasts much longer and opposes the inclemencies of the weather. At first we used to make our houses in the manner of the inhabitants of the country themselves; for, in short, they know more of their climate, as they have more experience therein, and God gave them more adequate knowledge of the products of the islands, so that they might make use of them. The islands are by nature very damp. If one digs down two palmos he finds water. Therefore, humanly speaking, it is impossible to make cellars as in Espana, or to live upon the ground, because it would play havoc with one. For this mother nature provided these Indians with certain woods, so large and hard that, after planting them in the earth, the Indians build their houses upon them, at a height of one and one-half, two, or three brazas. These timbers or columns are called _harigues_, and the wood is that called _tugas_. [91] These timbers having been placed, as I say, upright in the earth, and having the space of more than a braza beneath them, form the columns of the edifice, and upon them the natives build. We have all made use of this method of building in these islands. We have built fine houses and churches from these woods--for which, inasmuch as many villages assist in the building, the largest columns and those of known goodness are sought, which last many years. In conformity with this, while I was building a house in the town of Dumangas, on the Alaguer River, a very large house was there, belonging to an encomendero living there, one Ruy Lopez de Arellano, a native of Constantina. This man died, and the house being already half fallen, I was having it taken down, in order to make some use of it, before time should finish its destruction, and the river bear it away, which was very rapidly being done. I took down from it one column, in particular, which the Indians assured me had been brought there more than thirty years before by the Indians up the river. I affirm that at the ground line it was eaten in about a finger's length around. All the rest was in perfect condition. And I observed that the part that had been under ground was in much better condition. There are other columns left as inheritances from father to children, and to grandchildren, upon which many houses have been built. The