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]

1604-1605]

CHIRINO'S RELATION

79

ascended into the house, and found her very near
death, but very far from knowing the truth of our
holy faith. But our Lord, who had provided teachers, aided her in His great mercy, and with sovereign
help; accordingly, she listened very willingly to what
they said to her, and prepared herself in so short a
time that they gave her baptism that very night, fearing her critical condition. She was greatly consoled
by the sacrament, and grateful to our Lord for the
mercy that she had received, edifying those who
were present by her words, which were all invocations for help to Jesus and Mary. With such good
proofs of her salvation, she passed away on the following day. Among the persons who, to the edification of the people and the service of our Lord, have
profited by the teaching of our fathers, was a woman
advanced in years, and a native of China; her case
is one of great importance, as her nation are so hard
to reach, and so unwilling to receive the gospel; and
so it does not seem beyond the scope of my plan to
give some account of her conversion. This woman
had married an honorable Portuguese, who left her
a widow some six years ago. Most of her support
is what she gains by the labor of her own hands, with
the help of three slaves, in whose company she lives
in a wretched house, apart from the crowd of the
Chinese, dwelling therein in great seclusion. Her
confessions and communions are frequent, with excellent results. She practices penance so severely
that it has been necessary to moderate the rigors she
inflicts upon herself, in long scourgings every night,
and in fasts throughout the year, four days in every
week; and even on the other two days she seldom eats
meat. Prayer is her one consolation, for which she