Many devotions are offered, and there
are many confraternities. There is assiduity in taking the sacraments
and in attendance on the Divine services; and the people are careful
to entertain and support their religious (to whom they show great
obedience and respect) by the many alms that they give them, as well
as by those that they give for the suffrages and the burial of their
dead, which they provide with all punctuality and liberality.
At the same time that the religious undertook to teach the natives
the precepts of religion, they labored to instruct them in matters
of their own improvement, and established schools for the reading
and writing of Spanish among the boys. They taught them to serve in
the church, to sing the plain-song, and to the accompaniment of the
organ; to play the flute, to dance, and to sing; and to play the
harp, guitar, and other instruments. In this they show very great
adaptability, especially about Manila; where there are many fine
choirs of chanters and musicians composed of natives, who are skilful
and have good voices.
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