hristian she could not be saved. Finally, after giving
us satisfactory pledges as to her desire and perseverance, she was
accorded holy baptism, which she received with great devotion and joy.

What took place in Paloc and its coast. Chapter XXVII.

Until September or October of the year fifteen hundred and ninety-six,
when Father Christoval Ximenez went to reside in Paloc--where he
learned the language well, and gathered much fruit, as we shall later
see--that village possessed not one permanent priest; only Father
Mateo Sanchez, accompanied by a brother, rendered them timely aid in
some journeys which he made from Carigara. This station lies between
Carigara and Dulac, on the banks of a beautiful river, and is distant
from the sea about a half a league inland. It is surrounded by many
villages, having a large population; and all those natives are very
good people. Here I received a most cordial welcome when I visited
those stations, the year before, with Father Antonio Pereira; the
people entertained me by their friendly conversation were delighted
in hearing the things of God, and asked me many intelligent questions
about them. But there must have been some ministers of the Devil among
them, who (as they lose through our holy faith their prestige and
vile gains) had perverted this people, as I believe, in such a way
that the next time Ours visited them they were not only churlishly
received, but there was hardly one person to greet them, to speak
either good or evil. For they found that the people had fled inland,
and the few who remained in their houses looked upon the fathers with
such coldness and aversion that they were compelled to turn their eyes
toward God, and await from His divine hand consolation for being thus
afflicted and deserted. This His divine clemency soon accorded them,
changing the aspect of affairs, and causing us to know that only
His power can conquer hearts; and He so subdued theirs that the very
persons who had fled desired us again, in a few days, and complained
that we visited them but seldom. When our fathers did repair to them,
they would not let them depart at once, maintaining that they did not
tarry long enough. Some of them sought with great earnestness and
fervor holy baptism, and the Christians adopted the Christian mode
of life with love, ardor, and satisfaction. Accordingly, they could
be seen at prayer, both morning and evening, repeating the sermons,
and chanting the doctr