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. 24]

I40

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 24

pan, righted it, and returned it to its owner-who
never lost hope of obtaining it, for he believed
thoroughly in the saint. Sargento Jacinto de Lanzacorta, very thankful for this, celebrates a feast to St.
Nicholas every year. Father Fray Pedro de Torres "
says that he arrived at Sugbu in the first part of
February, where he had been regarded as lost, for
he was more than five months in making the trip
from Manila to Sugbu. During the whole time he
suffered very many hardships, from which St. Nicholas freed him. The most Holy Child returned to
His house, so that He might be served therein.
In the beginning of this triennium, as the fathers
of Ilocos were going to their province, two or three
of them feared the horror of the journey by land,
which is terrible. Accordingly, as they found a
suitable boat, father Fray Diego Abalos, prior of
Narbacan, father Fray Juan Gallegos,68 prior of
Laguag, and father Fray Francisco del Portillo,6
prior of Purao, taking the provision for their convents, went along the coast to Ilocos. But so furious
67 Fray Pedro de Torres was born in Andalucia. He ministered in the Philippines in Mambusao in 1629, and at Oton in
1632, dying in Manila about I633. See Perez's Catalogo, p. I00.
68 Fray Juan Gallegos was a native of Mancha, and took his
vows in the convent at Burgos. He was Ilocan minister at the
town of Narvacan (1620) and Laoag (1623). He refused an
appointment (1625) as procurator to Spain and Rome, preferring
to devote himself to his ministry. He was at Bantay in 1626 and
1639; at the villages of Cand6n in 1629, 1635, and 1644; and
Bauang in I633. He was subprior in 1617, and twice definitor
and visitor, dying in 1648 at Cand6n. See Perez's Catalogo, p. 94.
He is to be distinguished from the other Augustinian religious of
the same name who died while definitor in I58I.
69 Fray Francisco del Portillo was one of the best orators of
his time. He died in 1628 after exercising the care of souls in
Purao in I626, and taking possession of the land necessary to
found a convent in Formosa. See Perez's Catdlogo, pp. 103, 104.