The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803; explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commericial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the beginning of the nineteenth century; [Vol. 1, no. 13]

II4

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 13

he departed thence to be superior in Dulac: "There
came today from Catubig a Christian Indian, a youth
of about sixteen years, to hear mass and make his
confession; it was a long and toilsome journey. He
showed much candor and goodness, and special affection for the things of Christianity, speaking of
them with intelligence and appreciation. He related to me an incident that had befallen him, which
had been the cause of that interest and intelligence.
He was sick, and, fearing that the hour of death was
already at hand, he charged a companion of his to
place at the head of his bed, at the last hour, a cross
and some lighted candles. His end approached, so
near that all regarded him as one already dead, and
his companion fulfilled the charge that had been
given him. Then, he said, he became as one who
dreams, although it seemed to him to be more than
dreaming, and even quite different. There appeared
at his right side a father of the Society, holding in his
hand a rosary of our Lady: upon his head he bore a
diadem of golden brightness and a halo of the same
splendor encompassed his breast. The apparition,
calling him by name in affectionate terms, said to
him: 'Turn this way, my son, to the right side, which
is that of the elect, and count these beads. Thou wert
to die of this sickness; but, because thou art a Christian, our Lord has been pleased to give thee life and
health; but it is only that thou mayest be a good
Christian, always remembering our Lord, living in
prayer, and carefully guarding thyself from every
sin - that is, from all that offends the sight of God.'
Having in a long discourse given him other profitable counsels, the figure disappeared; and the sick
man regained his consciousness, as if he had been