John an annual allowance of two arrobas of wine and seventy-five gantas of cocoanut oil for the use of their church, in the same manner as to the other churches of the city, with the customary provision that royal confirmation must be obtained within six years. This was done, but the papers were lost in shipwreck, and the grant was therefore extended another six years. A royal decree dated June 29, 1707 (evidently a misprint for 1717), ordered the treasury officials at Manila to pay the hospital order annually the value of the said oil and wine; this was received at Manila in 1718, and from that time the brethren of St. John were paid from the treasury fifty-nine pesos three reals a year. Governor Zabalburu allotted to the hospital the services of twelve men from the "reserve," a form of personal service which is thus described:] This grant, which is called Reserva, and among the natives is distinguished by the name of Polo, takes substantially this form: The natives, or Indians of the four provinces which are next to Manila, are under this impost (besides the tributes which they pay to the king), that their laboring men must render service, at the tasks assigned to them, for the time of one month in each year. By this measure are furnished [the men for] the timber-cutting, shipbuilding, and other royal works. To this end, [the names of] all stand in a very detailed enumeration, each being numbered for the alternation [in such service] which belongs to each one, and the apportionment, which is made according to the number of laborers which each village has. From this levy no one can escape, or excuse himself; for their mandons, or headmen, even when they find the laborers hindered by other occupations compel them, since any deficiency affects the service of the king, to pay for other men to act as substitutes in place of those who obtain excuses. This is all the harder because the substitutes do not content themselves with the wages which are assigned to them in the occupation itself, but collect three pesos besides, at which amount the bonus is settled (unless those who manage the business have somewhat more for their share) ; and it is an established custom that this bonus is shared by those whom their turn exempts. Request is being made to the authorities that for the churches and other unavoidable needs men be granted for service, to the number stated, [but] with exemption from these oppressive circumstances; and that, as a just concession, the warrant for this be issued, in which is stated the number [of men] and the village from which they are assigned to this [service, which] is distinguished by the title "reserve." As a fact, those who have to render this service remain exempt from the turn and apportionment [of service] of which mention has already been made, without any obligation to furnish a substitute, or to pay for others to serve. With this, and with the wages which are paid to them for