[24]. At the same time and at the beginning of his government, noting the orders that his Majesty had given and the extreme need of his royal works for rebuilding or repairing them, the archbishop sent master workmen and intelligent men to report on their condition. In view of their inspection and in accordance with what they themselves discovered, after a thorough inspection, those men stated the need because of the ruin which was threatened, either in whole or in part, of said buildings, with danger to those who lived in them and with their dread and uneasiness. In consideration of that, after investigations and contracts with the masters of the art, he proceeded to the adjustment of each one, under bonds to grant them their pay in three instalments, one-third at the beginning of the work, another third when it was half done, and the last third at its completion. Thus was a good beginning made in them all, and some of them were half finished, in which condition they were overtaken by the event of the war, for all would have been finished during the first three months of the following year. [The royal works needing repair are the hospital, the royal college of Santa Potenciana, the college of San Phelipe, and the royal fort of Santiago; and the sum necessary to be expended on them is slightly in excess of forty thousand pesos. The wall of Cavite is also in a very bad condition, repeated complaints of which have been made to the government, and to which the archbishop cannot turn a deaf ear. The terrible hurricane of October 12, 1761, has damaged the walls still more. Plans are drawn up by the engineers, to put which in operation would cost one hundred and fifty thousand pesos, and would take more than eight years. But because of the expense and time necessary, the engineers are told to discuss a new plan, and accordingly propose a double stockade of palma brava, which can be constructed for ten thousand pesos and which will last at least fifteen years. This plan is followed and is nearing completion when the English enter. The cracks in the walls of Manila are stopped up, but the war with the English shows its weakness, for it has been built, not so much to withstand artillery and civilized warfare, as the attacks of Moros. It is designed to repair the esplanades of the walls and the gun carriages mounted thereon, but the English arrive before the stone and timber for it can be gathered. Twenty men are kept busy, for more than two months, polishing the one thousand two hundred muskets formerly brought by Governor Arandia, which have become very rusty. Various other measures are taken to bring up the military strength of the city, which is in a wretched state so far as defense is concerned. The treasury enters upon a new life with the assumption of government by the archbishop, for although it has but ten thousand pesos from the new tax, and the sums left by the bishops [espolios] in 1761, by September 22, 1762,