to arrive at the isles
of Japan, by the way of Malacca, without touching at some port of China;
but it is the property of apostolical zeal, to make no account of those
seeming impossibilities, which appear in the greatest undertakings.

When Xavier was come back to Goa, and it was known that he designed a
voyage to Japan, his friends made use of all their endeavours to divert
him from it. They first set before him the length of the way, which was
thirteen hundred leagues; the certain and inevitable dangers to which he
must expose his life, not only by reason of pirates, which continually
infest those seas, and murder all who come into their hands, but also for
the rocks, unknown to the most skilful pilots, and of certain winds
called Typhons, which reign from China even to Japan, in a vast extent of
sea. They said, "That those impetuous hurricanes were used to whirl a
vessel round, and founder it at the same moment; or else drive it with
fury against the rocks, and split it in a thousand pieces." They added,
"If, by miracle, he should happen to escape the pirates, and avoid the
tempests, yet he could promise no manner of safety to himself in the
ports of China, from whence the Portuguese were expelled; and, for what
remained, if he were possessed with an unsatiable zeal, there were other
vast kingdoms of the East, where the light of the gospel had not shone;
that even in the neighbourhood of Goa there were isles remaining, and
territories, of idolaters: that he might go thither in God's name, and
leave the thoughts of those remote islands, which nature seemed to have
divided from the commerce of mortals; and where the power of the
Portuguese not being established, Christianity could not be able to
maintain itself against the persecution of the Pagans."

Xavier was so well persuaded that God would have him travel to Japan,
that he would not listen, to the reasons of his friends. He laughed at
their fears, and told them, "That perhaps he should not be more
unfortunate than George Alvarez, or Alvarez Vaz, who had performed the
voyage of Japan, in spite of all those pirates, and those hurricanes,
with which they would affright him." This he said smiling; after which,
resuming a serious air, "Verily," said he, "I am amazed that you would
endeavour to hinder me from going for the good of souls, whither you
yourselves would go out of the sordid consideration of a small transitory
gain; and must plainly tell you, I am ashamed o