The bishopric of Zebu is the first; it was created in 1595. Its cathedral is built of wood, and is quite large; it is dedicated to St. Michael. It has no canons. There is one cura there, one sacristan, one vicar-general, and several priests. The bishop is almost always a religious. When he officiates, he is generally accompanied by two mestizo [_mulatres_] priests. [88] Moreover, there is at Zebu a convent of calced Augustinians, one of discalced Augustinians or Recollects, one residence of the Society of Jesus, and one alcalde. There are generally three fathers in each convent, and that is the largest number that they have ever had. The city of Zebu, which ought not to bear the name of city, is a collection of a few miserable straw shacks, like those of all Indians; the convents, on the contrary, are finely built. The latter are immense buildings, and that for only two or three persons. That is true of all the convents of the Philippines, which are seven or eight times larger than are necessary for the number of fathers whom they contain. It remains to ascertain whether that is the case because the number of religious is at present less in Espana than it was one hundred and fifty or one hundred and eighty years ago; or whether those buildings were erected with the expectation and idea that they would some day be peopled and filled. I have been unable to learn which is correct. There was a quarter for the Chinese at Zebu, as at Manila. The bishop of Zebu receives a salary of four thousand piastres (21,000 livres), the cure, one hundred and eighty piastres (960 livres), and the sacristan ninety-one (472 livres). The bishopric of Camarines dates from the same time as that of Zebu, and was founded in the same manner. That city is not more beautiful than that of Zebu. The calced Augustinians, the Recollects, and the discalced Franciscans are established at Camarines. The bishopric of Nueva Segovia was founded at the same time and in the same manner as the preceding. The city (if it is one) has a convent of calced Augustinians, one of discalced Franciscans, and one of Dominicans. The secular priests, according to a list that I have seen, govern one hundred and forty-two livings, which include 131,279 persons. The other livings, to the number of more than five hundred and fifty, are divided among the Augustinians, the fathers of the Society, the Dominicans, the Recollects, and the discalced Franciscans. The Augustinians have charge of 241,806 persons The fathers of the Society had 170,000 The Dominicans have 89,752 The Recollects have 63,149 The discalced Franciscans 141,196 Sum total 705,903 persons.