Note 36 — Chapter XXXII

Ignacio María de Alava, “Commander-in-chief of the naval forces in Asiatic waters,” was a personal friend of Zúñiga, to whom the latter dedicated his Historia. In a preliminary notice to his Estadismo (p. 3 of Retana’s ed.) he says that Alava desired to become acquainted with the Philippines from various points of view, and invited the priest to accompany him therein. Alava arrived at Manila on December 25, 1796, and remained in the islands until January 7, 1803; he reorganized the naval forces and the arsenal at Cavite, with much energy and ability, but had various controversies with Governor Aguilar. Afterward he held important posts in the Spanish naval administration, and died on May 26, 1815. See Retana’s note concerning him (ut supra, ii, p. *562), and Montero y Vidal’s Hist. de Philipinas, ii, pp. 345–359. ↑