The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898 - Volume 40 of 55, 1690-1691

The volume opens with a rare 1691 letter from a Manila Jesuit, offering a vivid snapshot of the capital during a turbulent year. It details the clash between Bishop Barrientos and the secular Audiencia, the power shift to Governor Zabálburu, and the ensuing disputes over church property and indigenous labor. Readers get a sense of the political intrigue that shaped daily life in the islands at the close of the 17th century.

Beyond the contemporary report, the book turns to an extensive ethnological appendix compiled from early missionary writers. Jesuit Francisco Colin’s 1663 Labor evangélica provides a detailed portrait of Filipino societies—their languages, dress, rituals, and legal customs—while Francisco Combés adds observations from Mindanao. Together these accounts illuminate the rich cultural tapestry of the archipelago, from tattooed warriors to intricate barangay governance, offering listeners a valuable window into the lives of the peoples encountered by Spain’s first missionaries.