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. 36]

I42

THE PHILIPPINE ISLANDS

[Vol. 36

ters of the convent of Manila, and the medicines;
ordering also that four thousand pesos be given them
in Mexico for the repair of the said convent, which
had suffered almost total ruin in the earthquake of
the year 45. In addition to that, the father-commissary petitioned that the father-procurator at Roma
urgently request permission to send evangelical
ministers to Japon, China, Siam, and other near-by
kingdoms, showing in all his great zeal for the conversion of souls.
332. The eighteen missionaries whom the king
had conceded to the father-commissary for that so
distant harvest in the Philipinas Islands gathered to
him in a few days. He also took six more religious
at the cost of that holy province, in its name contracting many new obligations, in order not to fail in the
cultivation of the vineyard of the Lord. Of those
who had volunteered, those who appeared to be most
intelligent and zealous were chosen; and the procurator tried to get them to Sevilla as soon as possible,
where they arrived on February 20, I651. They
finally embarked, and celebrated their spiritual exercises on shipboard just as if they were in the retirement and quiet of their own convents. They preached
many afternoons; persuaded the sailors to be present
at the prayer of the rosary daily, exhorted them never
to let the sun go down on their sins, since they had the
sacrament of penitence so near at hand; and were very
urgent in teaching them all the Christian doctrine.
God granted them the consolation of experiencing
considerable fruit by that means; for morals were
considerably reformed, and oaths and blasphemies
were banished, so that the ship was like a religious
house. The religious gave many thanks to God, be-., '. ~'~