city (which separate their
villages from the Spaniards) were not closed at night.

The Confraternity which has been established among those natives
arouses the rest to fervor; for its members are the leaven, with their
good example leavening the mass of dough. At the Christmas feasts
they give food to all the poor whom they can assemble, and in such
abundance that there is even a surplus for the prisoners (Spaniards
as well as Indians), and also for another very needy class of people,
those who work in the powder-house. After this repast they wash and
kiss the feet of all the poor, who fall upon their knees and offer
up prayers for those who have performed for them this charitable
act. In company with those of our Society, they betake themselves
to the hospital of the natives, especially during Advent and Lent,
to serve and entertain its inmates. They make the beds, sweep out
the house and clean it thoroughly--which for them is a great deal,
since the Indians are a fastidious people, who are wont to remain in
their homes to die, in order not to see the hospital; but with their
fervor and devotion the members of the Confraternity overcome this
and other obstacles.

They are greatly addicted to prayer and fasting; some, indeed,
have passed whole weeks subsisting on bread and water alone. They
have made retreat in our house, to make their general confessions,
and perform similar exercises, greatly to their own profit and to
the edification of the people.

There was a Christian woman who, in former days, had been made a
captive by infidels who had taken her to the islands of Mindanao and
Burnei, where the doctrine of Mahoma is taught; and they carried her
through many peoples of that infidel land, but never did she relapse
from the Christian faith.

A certain Indian had, with others, made his confession for the
purpose of receiving communion; but he remained silent in regard to
some circumstances of his sins. He says that in a dream he beheld a
very beautiful child who seemed to desire to give him the communion;
the Indian excused himself from receiving it, as being so great a
sinner. The child said to him: "It is true, thou dost not deserve
communion, because in thy confession thou didst conceal this and that
circumstance." On awakening, the Indian betook himself to our house;
and, communicating to one of Ours what had befallen him, he said that
he wished to make his confession anew, which he did.

Another Indian,