all reached Mexico
in the above-mentioned year and since because of various accidents
that happened during the voyage, in the islands and in the port of
Cavite no ships came from Philipinas to Nueva Espana, either that
year or the two following, the mission had to stay in the said
city all that time incurring the expenses and fatal consequences
that one can understand. In the year 1662 the viceroy of Mexico
despatched a boat to the islands to get a report of their condition,
for there was fear that they had been invaded by enemies. One of
those missionaries ventured in that boat, and arriving at Manila
it caused not a little rejoicing to the inhabitants there. The next
year ships from Philipinas were seen in the port of Acapulco, and as
a consequence fourteen religious took passage in them and arrived
at Manila in August 1663, and not in 1684 as was wrongly reported
in volume three. The five others remained in Nueva Espana, but they
afterwards reached their destination and all served in those fields
of Christendom where they were of great use.
909. Father Fray Christoval de Santa Monica, after having been
provincial of Philipinas, to which dignity he was elected in the year
1656, was appointed in 63, to come to Espana in order to collect and
lead a mission. He came then, having received on the way not a few
favors from St. Nicholas of Tolentino--favors which he received under
the appreciable quality of miracles, but which we cannot specify
for lack of documents. He negotiated in Madrid as successfully as
could be desired, and collected a mission of twenty-four religious,
all generally of good qualities and with the characteristics that are
desired in that province. He set sail with that valiant squadron June
16, 1666. [After various miraculous happenings on the way, the vessel
reached Vera Cruz in safety, whence the passengers went across the
peninsula to Acapulco. August of 1667 the Recollects all reached Manila
save two who remained in Mexico for another year because of sickness.]
910. In the year 1668, the venerable father Fray Juan de la Madre de
Dios, of Blancas, was elected president of Mexico in the provincial
chapter of Mexico, and father Fray Agustin de Santa Monica, commissary
for Espana. The latter died aboard ship, and on that account, when
the former arrived at Mexico, he found an order within two years
to go to the court of Madrid in order to discuss some matters of
not small magnitude, and to give hi
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