ngelical minister saying that he
wished baptism, and that the minister should defend him, as it would
be the motive for many conversions; but he only made use of that trick
to save his life. Father Fray Agustin de Santa Maria--a very affable
religious, and one who labored hard to attract the infidels--was prior
of the convent of Santa Clara de Monte Falco of Linao, a place forty
leguas up-stream from Butuan. He visited Dabao, and won him over so
well by presents and gifts to intercourse with the Spaniards, that
he spent nearly all the day in the convent and entrusted father Fray
Agustin with the education of one of his sons--being quite eager in
that in order to work out the treachery that he had planned.

260. Dabao went by night to the houses of the chief Christians. He
laid before them the harsh decree of the governor, the offers that
the Dutch had made, and especially the attaining of freedom to keep up
their old religion. Since they were not well rooted in our holy faith,
those discussions were very agreeable to them. That faithless Indian
was so contagious a cancer that he infected the greater part of the
village with his poison. Therefore, almost all of them assenting to
his plan, the day was set on which he resolved to kill the Spaniards
and the minister. He warned the people to be ready with their arms
to aid him. He had previously held a meeting with his Manobos, in
which they decided that if the provincial sent a visitor and did
not come personally to make the visitation, it would be a clear sign
that the Dutch were infesting those coasts. When they learned with
certainty that the father-provincial, Fray Bernardo de San Laurencio,
had not gone out for the visitation, but that he was sending the
father ex-provincial, Fray Juan de San Antonio, as visitor, they
were confirmed [in the belief] that the hostile fleet was coming,
and began immediately to stir up the country.

261. The father visitor had already reached the convent of Butuan,
and Dabao sent his Manobo Indians to the river Humayan with obsequious
appearances of readiness to receive him, but with the peremptory
order to kill him. God so arranged that the father visitor, Fray
Juan de San Antonio, should pass to the convent of Cagayang without
stopping to visit that of Linao. He left a letter for the father
prior of Linao which he sent by Juan de Guevara, one of the soldiers
who was later killed in the fray. That soldier met the Manobos who
were waitin