Some people of the castle, who were returning from Cangoxima, and who had there seen Xavier, invited him, by the way, to come and visit their lord; not doubting but Ekandono would be glad to see so famous a person.

Xavier, who sought all occasions of publishing the gospel, lost not that opportunity.  The good reception which was made him, gave him the means of teaching immediately the true religion, and the ways of eternal life.  The attendants of the prince, and soldiers of the garrison, who were present, were so moved, both by the sanctity which shone in the apostle’s countenance, and by the truth which beamed out in all his words, that, after the clearing of their doubts, seventeen of them at once demanded baptism; and the Father christened them in presence of the Tono, (so the Japonese call the lord or prince of any particular place) The rest of them were possessed with the same desire, and had received the same favour, if Ekandono had not opposed it by reason of state, and contrary to his own inclinations, for fear of some ill consequences from the king of Saxuma; for in his heart he acknowledged Jesus Christ, and permitted Xavier privately to baptize his wife and his eldest son.  For the rest, he promised to receive baptism, and to declare himself a Christian, when his sovereign should be favourable to the law of God.

The steward of Ekandono’s household was one who embraced the faith.  He was a man stepped into years, and of great prudence.  Xavier committed the new Christians to his care, and put into his hands the form of baptism in writing, the exposition of the creed, the epitome of our Saviour’s life, the seven penitential psalms, the litanies of the saints, and a table of saints’ days as they are celebrated in the church.  He himself set apart a place in the palace proper for the assemblies of the faithful; and appointed the steward to call together as many of the Pagans as he could, to read both to the one and the other sort some part of the Christian doctrine every Sunday, to cause the penitential psalms to be sung on every Friday, and the litanies every day The steward punctually performed his orders; and those seeds of piety grew up so fast, that some few years after, Louis Almeyda found above an hundred Christians in the fortress of Ekandono. all of an orderly and innocent conversation; modest in their behaviour, assiduous in prayer, charitable to each other, severe to themselves, and enemies to their bodies; insomuch that the place had more resemblance to a religious house, than to a garrison.  The Tono, though still an idolater, was present at the assemblies of the Christians, and permitted two little children of his to be baptized.