ew plants at the coast of Fishery, all
those who came from Portugal, after his own arrival in the Indies, went
thither, excepting the three who went to the Moluccas, and two who stayed
at Goa, for the instruction of the youth.

The fervency of those new converts did not less edify Xavier than their
number. In visiting a certain village, they shewed him a young man, a
native of the country, who, having embarked in company of a Portuguese,
had been cast, by tempest, on the coast of Malabar. The Saracens, who
inhabit that place, having murdered the Portuguese, would have forced his
companion to renounce his faith. Thereupon they brought him into a
mosque, where they promised him great store of money and preferments, in
case he would forsake the law of Jesus Christ, and take up that of their
prophet Mahomet. But seeing their promises could not prevail, they
threatened him with death, and held their naked weapons over his head to
fright him; but neither could they shake his resolution with that
dreadful spectacle: then they loaded him with irons, and used him with
extraordinary cruelty, till a Portuguese captain, informed of it, came
suddenly upon them with a troop of soldiers, and rescued the young man
out of their hands. Xavier embraced him many times, and blessed Almighty
God, that his faith was imprinted so lively in the heart of a barbarian.
He heard also, with great satisfaction, of the constancy of some slaves,
who, having fled from the houses of their Portuguese masters, and living
amongst Gentiles, far from being corrupted with the superstitions of the
Infidels, complied exactly with the obligations of their baptism, and
lived in a most religious manner. It was reported to him of these slaves,
that when any of them died, they suffered not his body to be burnt,
according to the custom of the Pagans, neither would they leave it
without sepulture; but buried it according to the ceremonies of the
church, and set up a cross over the grave.

Though these infidels, whom they served, did not hinder them from
continuing in Christianity, and that every one of them in particular was
resolved to persevere in his faith, even in the midst of idolatry, yet
they had a longing desire to return into the company of the faithful,
where they might be supplied with those spiritual succours which they
wanted, and lead a life yet more conformable to their belief: so that as
soon as they had the news of Father Xavier's return, who had bapti