he went from our midst laughing, without anyone molesting or troubling him; neither has he felt that the Spaniards are in this land to any purpose.  In this matter, I do not care to blame anyone, because I understand that the governor did his duty—­although I was always of the opinion that the pirate should be pursued and that the result thereof would not be so bad as some say.  The belief here, however, is that God is chastising us for our sins, and is making us the laughing-stock of other nations, who have all hitherto stood in such fear of us.  I must explain to your Majesty two other points bearing on this subject, although it detains me somewhat, as I consider that I do thereby a very great service.  The first is the failure of the expedition to Maluco.  We all had been certain that with fewer men and less equipment than there actually were, the king of Terrenate could be subdued; but, quite to the contrary, our men came back as if fleeing from an unknown foe.  The Indians of this archipelago, who feared us, now laugh; and, together with those of Terrenate, threaten us.  The second point is that in the island of Mindanao, which is subject to your Majesty, and for many years has paid you tribute, the law of Mahoma has been publicly proclaimed, for somewhat more than three years, by preachers from Burney and Terrenate who have come there—­some of them even, it is believed, having come from Meca.  They have erected and are now building mosques, and the boys are being circumcised, and there is a school where they are taught the Alcoran.  I was promptly informed of this, and urged the president to supply a remedy therefor at once, in order that that pestilential fire should not spread in these islands.  I could not persuade them to go, and thus the hatred of Christianity is there; and we are striving no more to remedy this than if the matter did not concern us.  Such are the calamities and miseries to which we have come, and the punishments which God inflicts upon us.  The reason for it, He only knows; but, as I infer and fear, it is because we have ill acquitted ourselves in this land, where it is so needful that we be upright and furnish good examples.  I have written to your Majesty on this point at other times; and I think that either my letters are not read, or what I say is not credited.  I assure your Majesty that I have never written anything which is not true, and free from all outward influence, or self-interest, or human considerations; but I have only done my duty.  The temporal affairs of this land are in the condition which I have related to your Majesty; and I consider that there will never be improvement, since cupidity is increasing so immeasurably that neither the punishments of God nor the threats of men are effectual to produce any moderation, nor do the manifold outrages cease to be felt.

The spiritual state, which is my concern, is in the sorriest condition, because there is no more respect for the things of God than if we were not Christians.  I refer to the Indians and their instruction; and because entering on this subject is like embarking on a bottomless sea, I have determined to send to your Majesty a relation of the islands and towns of this bishopric which are without instruction, in order that your Majesty’s conscience may be relieved by commanding that the remedy be applied.  Therefore I shall now proceed with the said relation.