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scarcely pass through it. As it contains a great abundance of trees,
it is well adapted for shipbuilding, as are many others of these
islands. On this account workmen were building there, in December
of the year one thousand six hundred and one, the ship in which I
departed from those islands, early in July of the year one thousand
six hundred and two. As many Spaniards, Indians, and other peoples had
gathered there for this work of construction, they furnished sufficient
occupation to Father Francisco Vicente of our Society, who came from
Carigara, or Alangalang, to visit them and provide for them spiritual
consolation. The father arrived there at a juncture when our Lord had
undertaken to prepare the hearts of all those people. They were indeed
prepared, as by the Divine hand, by an occurrence which affrighted
and horrified them. There was a Spanish speaking negro who entered
the service of the captain there, and was accompanied by his wife. It
became necessary for him to go away, to procure some articles necessary
to the progress of the work. Returning one night, he found his wife
with another man, and, maddened by jealousy, he killed the adulterer
with a lance and wounded the woman, leaving her for dead. This was
a deplorable occurrence, for the murdered man was a youth of comely
parts and beloved by all; and to see him thus slain--a reputable
man, without confession, and in such circumstances, by the hand of a
negro--was sufficient to lead all to do penance. For assistance in
this, it was necessary for Father Francisco Vicente to proceed to
Panamao; and he, finding the harvest ready, was soon reaping, with
his sermons, discourses, and confessions, the now ripened grain--as
that father reports in one of his letters, which runs as follows:
"I reached Panamao, on Saturday before the last Sunday of Advent, and
we were welcomed by the captain with much affection and kindness. It
is a large population which has been gathered there, of both Indians
and Spaniards, and among them God our Lord gave us a goodly harvest
of souls. On arriving there I sought to speak to them and show them
my affection. At the outset, I undertook to have a church built;
and this was done so that we said mass on the following day. I also
preached to them on matters relating to sin, explaining to them its
hideous and injurious nature--especially by recalling to their minds
that recent example or sermon which our Lord had preached to them a
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