ery port of Asia, till she came into the possession of the captain who
commanded the port of Diu; who perceiving her to be half-rotten, and
opened in divers parts, concluded she could serve no longer, unless she
were brought into harbour, and set upon the stocks. For which purpose she
was sent to Cochin, and hauled ashore on the same dock where she had been
built; but she was no sooner there, than she fell in pieces of herself;
nothing remaining of that great bulk, besides planks and beams of timber,
unprofitable for any thing but for the fire. The inhabitants of Cochin,
who knew the prediction of the saint to every circumstance, came out to
behold its accomplishment. An inconsiderable merchant, called George
Nugnez, who happened to be there present, began to think within himself,
that, there might be yet remaining in those planks somewhat of the
virtue, which the blessing of the saint had imprinted in them; and
thereupon took one of them, which he caused to be nailed to his own
frigate, out of the persuasion he had, that with this assistance he
should be secure from shipwreck. Thus being filled with a lively faith,
he boldly undertook such long and hazardous voyages, that ships of the
greatest burden were afraid to make; and without consideration of the
weather, adventured many times to cross the most tempestuous gulphs. When
he was told, that it was not the part of a prudent man to endanger
himself in that manner, he answered, "That the winds and seas were
well acquainted with his frigate, and had a reverence for the plank of
the Santa Cruz." In effect, his little vessel was ever fortunate enough
to escape the greatest perils; and what was most remarkable, was, that
having had the same destiny with the ship in her adventures and
deliverances, she ended like her, breaking in pieces of herself, on the
shore of Coulan, where she was brought to be refitted.

To return to the navigation of Father Xavier:--he arrived at Cochin,
January 24th, in the year 1552. The king of the Maldivias had been there
for some months: He was a prince of about twenty years of age, born in
the Mahometan religion, and bred up in the hatred of Christians. The
revolt of his subjects, who loved him not, or hated the government,
forced him, for the safeguard of his life, to abandon his kingdom, and to
seek sanctuary amongst the Portuguese, by whom he hoped to be restored.
The fathers of the Society received him into their house, and went about
to con