VIII. D, 3 Salt: Carriedo y Peredo 173 



of the Pasig River,-» he was not satisfied with its quality nor 

 with that drawn from local wells, and was accustomed to have 

 his water conveyed in cascos, either from Laguna de Bay or 

 from old Cavite.-- 



As early as 1597, Governor Tello, in a letter to King Philip II, 

 had expressed his intention of having water conducted into the 

 city, "as it is needed by the citizens and Creoles stationed here 

 by your Majesty. Many have died on account of the poor 

 water." Nothing definite, however, came of Tello's suggestion; 

 and it was due to the energy of the Dominicans, and especially 

 of Father Juan Peguero, that the first organized attempt was 

 made to provide at least a portion of the city with fresh water. 

 In 1602 they opened the convent of San Juan del Monte as a 

 house of recreation, and at once looked for and discovered a 

 spring of water flowing from the rock. This supplied local 

 needs until 1686, when they determined to extend the benefit of 

 the supply to the city, and laid a pipe line to convey the water 

 from the source to the San Juan River, 750 meters distant.-^ 

 Hence it was carried in bancas to the wharf opposite the gate 

 of the convent in the Walled City. This task, which was not 

 completed until 1690, occupied from 12 to 30 men working con- 

 tinuously for over three years, and large sums of money were 

 spent from the provincial funds, without a single contribution 

 from the government treasury or from any private individual. 

 Under this plan,=* although it was effective within a limited area, 



" Attempts at public filtration were few and far between, although in 

 1833 the petty governor, gobemadorcillo, of the district of Tondo issued 

 public notices (in Spanish and Tagalog), giving advice as to the proper 

 methods. — Actas de Manila (833), 34. 



° For bringing water from the lake or from the Maybonga River, the 

 casco owners charged 80 pesos a journey, or 25 pesos if the casco was not 

 manned by his own rowers. The water for sale was conveyed through the 

 streets in carts drawn by belled carabaos or sold from licensed bancas 

 (native canoes) at Santa Ana and San Pedro Macati. The wealthy often 

 brought water from springs on their haciendas if these lay near the city. — 

 Actas de Manila (1844), 20; (1854), 22; (1861), 68. Copia de una 

 exposicion de los regidores, Soler y Baden, sobre abastecimiento de aguas 

 potables al vecindario de la ciudad de Manila (4 de Mayo, 1861). 



"The letter is dated in Manila, April 29, 1597, and signed: Don Fran- 

 cisco Tello. — Simancas-Secular; Audiencia de Filipinas; cartas y expedientes 

 del presidente y oidores de dicha Audiencia vistos en el Consejo, aiios 

 1583 a 1599; est. 67, caj. 6, leg. 18. Translated in Blair and Robertson, 

 The Philippine Islands (1904), 10, 41-45. For a brief life of Father 

 Peguero, see Blair and Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1906), 41, 255, 

 note 79. 



" I am indebted for this information to Father Malumbres, O. P. The 

 manuscript account of the work, written by Father Peguero himself, is 

 in the archives of the Dominican convent. — Reseiia biografica, 81-82. 



