sting some and
putting others to the torture, and making earnest prayers to placate
the wrath of God, but no trace of the thief could be found in these
or any other ways, even to the present day. [64]

On the twentieth of June an eclipse of the sun began at eleven o'clock,
and at thirteen minutes after twelve it was so far eclipsed that it
could not be seen at all. It seemed as if it were night, and the stars
were seen in the sky, so that we were forced to light candles in order
to eat; for there was a dinner that afternoon, on the occasion of a
certain feast. As far as I know, this eclipse was not seen in Nueva
Espana; it is the most complete one that I have ever seen, though I
have seen many.

On the eighteenth of July last, in the village of Guiguan, which is
a mission of the Society, an image of the Immaculate Conception of
Our Lady with a gilded face, began to weep piteously--in the sight
of all, and of the father who was expounding Christian doctrine in
that village--with a saddened countenance, to the great terror of
all who were present. It seemed as if this was the announcement of
the disasters and calamities which have been suffered by those poor
islands of the Pintados (which are in our missionary charge) from
their enemies the Camucones and the Joloans, who have become very
insolent--plundering many ships on the sea, some of them valuable;
robbing and burning towns, capturing the people, and destroying the
images, which the fathers have kept well until their flight and refuge
in the mountains. It has been considered a singular providence that
no one of our fathers has been captured (although there are fears
about one, but nothing certain is known about it). The enemy suddenly
landing, one father was surprised in bed, but made his escape almost in
his shirt; they surprised another while saying mass, and he was obliged
to make his escape in his chasuble, fleeing through the marshes;
another they found sprinkling with holy water the whole population
of the town in the church; another they met on the sea, and having
given chase to his vessel, the father leaped overboard and finally
escaped. The father provincial was in great danger several times, but
in the end God preserved him and all the other fathers. The greatest
hardship is, that it seems as if those who conduct the government do
not endeavor to check these raids; may the Lord do so by restraining
the enemies.

Relief was sent this year to the Malucas