the Portuguese no longer doubted, what was the
meaning of all that rattling and clutter, which they heard every night;
to put an end to it, they set crosses in all the rooms, after which they
heard no more of it."

The Japonese were much surprised to hear the house was now at quiet: the
king himself, to whom the Portuguese had said, "That the Christian cross
had driven away the evil spirits," admired that wonderful effect, and
commanded crosses to be set up in all places, even in his own palaces,
and in the highways. In consequence of this, he desired to be informed
from whence the cross derived that virtue, and for what cause the devils
so much feared it. Thus, by little and little, he entered into the
mysteries of faith. But as the Japonese are extremely curious, not
content to be instructed by soldiers and merchants, he thought of sending
for preachers, and in that prospect sent an ambassador to the Indies.

This news gave infinite satisfaction to Father Xavier; and so much the
more hastened his voyage, by how much he now perceived the Japonians were
disposed to receive the gospel. There were in the port of Malacca many
Portuguese vessels, in readiness to set sail for Japan; but all of them
were to make many other voyages by the way, which was not the saint's
business. His only means was to have recourse to a junk of China, (so
they call those little vessels,) which was bound directly for Japan. The
master of the vessel, called Neceda, was a famous pirate; a friend to the
Portuguese, notwithstanding the war which was newly declared against
them; so well known by his robberies at sea, that his ship was commonly
called, The Robber's Vessel. Don Pedro de Sylva, governor of Malacca, got
a promise from the Chinese captain, that he would carry the Father,
safely, and without injury, and took hostages to engage him inviolably
to keep his faith; but what can be built on the word of a pirate, and a
wicked man?

Xavier, and his companions, embarked on the twenty-fourth of June, in the
dusk of the evening; and set sail the next morning, at break of day, with
a favourable wind. When they were out at sea, the captain and ship's
crew, who were all idolaters, set up a pagod on the poop; sacrificed to
it in spite of Xavier, and all his remonstrances to the contrary; and
consulted him by magical ceremonies, concerning the success of their
voyage. The answers were sometimes good, and sometimes ill: in the
meantime they cast anchor