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]

I44

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 24

arquebus, which, unknown to him, was loaded. It
caught in the thatch which formed the roof of that
little house; and, as the sun was hot, and the wind
the greater brisa, the house quickly caught fire. The
father prior, Fray Pedro de San Nicolas, was very
much annoyed; and he came out, and with reason
rebuked the soldiers, who lost all their effects. The
father returned to his house, where he learned that
more had happened than he thought; for, as he was
going up stairs, he saw that the greater part of his
house was burned. By dint of ringing the bells, a
number of people came in, but they could not prevent the burning of the house. This happened
March 9, 1628, at one o'clock in the afternoon. It
was a great pity, and cause for compassion; for the
convent, by the efforts of father Fray Pedro de San
Nicolas, was very well finished. He had been most
diligent in both the building and the furnishing and
adornment of it; and his province lost more than five
thousand pesos by the fire.
Everything was well advanced for the expedition.
Accordingly, all the forces embarked, being accompanied by a father of the Society, an Italian named
Fabricio de Sorsale. The commander was a devotee
of the most Holy Child, although he did not take
Him as patron this time, a thing he was wont to do.
Yet he would not go without bidding Him farewell,
which he did with great devotion, a ceremony which
did not lack many candles. The Child showed Himself so pleased, that I was obliged to tell the commander that he should take comfort, and that I
promised him in the Child's name a very fortunate
expedition, as happened- and it would have been
better, had they known how to use their victory. The