o lack of meritorious occupation. From
the first time that our venerable father was in Bolinao, he worked
with his accustomed zeal in order to place those people in the
pathway of their eternal salvation. He had obtained from them that
the Christians should be obedient to the law, and that the heathen
should leave the opaque shades of paganism, so that it was conceded
to him to found a new settlement in the island of Poro with them,
with a general pardon and the accustomed privileges. Moved by so
good hopes the father went to chapter, and since he had so much
influence with the governor of the islands to whom the giving of
such licenses pertains, he procured one for the founding of the
village which he was attempting, with all the privileges that those
Zimarrones and idolaters could desire. But since the religious to whom
it was charged, did not succeed in finding the means prescribed by
prudence to unite spirits dissimilar in other regards, not only was
the project not obtained, but their good-wills having been irritated,
the desired attainment came to appear impossible.

985. So passed affairs, when renouncing the priorate of Manila,
as we have said above, that gleaming sun returned to illumine the
hemisphere of Bolinao, and not being able to prevent the activity
of his light, he immediately shed his reflected light even to the
darkest caves where those Indians were taking refuge in the manner of
wild beasts, fleeing from their own good and blindly enamored of the
most unhappy freedom. Again did the father establish the compacts for
their conversion. In the first step that he took in the undertaking,
he made the greatest sacrifice of himself, by exposing his life to a
danger which might make the most courageous man tremble, if he were
less holy. For when he heard that the fugitive Christians and a great
number of heathens and some Chinese idolaters were celebrating a solemn
feast to the demons, in the above-mentioned place of Cacaguayanan,
he determined to go thither in person with the intrepidity suitable to
his valor, and almost alone to oppose so sacrilegious worship and at
the same time reduce those who paid that worship. In these ceremonies
called Maganitos in the language of the country, intoxication is the
most essential part of the solemnity. And since the Zambal Indians are
extremely warlike, esteeming it the principal part of their nobility,
unless they are illumined with the Catholic faith, to lessen with