most
another year, in the convent of San Agustin, where those most godly
fathers received him into their house as if he were one of their
own order. He, in turn, served them and the whole city with such
edifying results as contributed not a little to win their affection;
and greatly influenced them to demand our fathers, and receive us in
their city--which was done, as we have said. Don Rodrigo Ronquillo de
Penalosa, alcalde-mayor of the city--a son of Don Goncalo Ronquillo,
who died while governor and lieutenant in these islands for the
Catholic king, Don Felipe Second--aided us much with his authority,
as also did his cousin Don Goncalo Ronquillo de Vallesteros, who was
leaving the same office. All of those gentlemen have ever professed
great devotion to our humble Society.

Considering that we were alone, our ministrations in our church to
both Spaniards and Indians were sufficiently frequent, and I often
preached in the cathedral. Moreover, ascertaining that in the Chinese
quarter of the city there were more than two hundred souls, and only
one of them a Christian, and that they had no one to minister to them,
although they were well disposed to receive our holy faith if there
were any one to teach it to them, I applied myself to studying and
learning their language--at which they were much rejoiced, and many
came to me every day at an appointed hour to give me instruction. In
this way I acquired sufficient knowledge to begin instructing them--in
which undertaking I received much help from Governor Don Luis de
las Marinas, who sent me from Manila a very bright young Christian
lad of that nation, who helped me to instruct those who were to be
baptized. It was thus that I spent Advent in the year fifteen hundred
and ninety-five. We celebrated Christmas Eve and the feast of the
Nativity with solemnity and joy, preparing in the meantime to celebrate
our first feast of the Circumcision, for which we had decorated the
church and invited father Fray Bartolomeo Garcia--at that time the
preacher in the Sebu convent of the glorious doctor St. Augustine;
and now associate of the right reverend bishop of Sebu, and commissary
of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in that bishopric--to preach for
me. At this time I fell ill, exhausted by my labors, which, although
not excessive, were too much for me, as having little strength. It
was upon this occasion that the fathers of that holy order gave proof
of their great charity and the