They pursued their voyage cheerfully; and turning towards the cape of Comorine, landed at Cochin. The whole city came to pay their last duty to their instructor and beloved Father; and it is incredible what demonstrations of piety the people gave. From Cochin they set sail for Baticula. The wife of Antonio Rodriguez, one of the king’s officers, who had long been sick, was in hope to recover, if she could see Father Francis. She caused herself to be carried to the ship, and at the sight of the dead saint, was restored to her health at the same moment. Not satisfied with this, she was desirous to have a little piece of the cope, with which the Father was habited; and it is wonderful what cures she effected by that precious relique.
The ship being now within twenty leagues of Goa, and being unable to make any farther way, because of the contrary winds, the captain went into the chalop, with some of his people, and got to the town by the help of oars, that himself might have the honour of bearing the first news to the viceroy, and the Fathers of the Society, that the blessed corpse was coming to them. Father Caspar Barzaeus was already dead, and Father Melchior Nugnez declared his successor in his two offices, of rector of the college, and vice-provincial of the Indies, in virtue of the letter which Father Xavier had left sealed behind him when he went for China, and which was opened after the death of Gaspar, according to the orders of Xavier himself.
The viceroy immediately ordered a light galley for Nugnez; upon which he and three others of the Society embarking, together with four young men of the seminary, they set sail towards the vessel, to bear off the body of the saint. They received it with the honourable discharge of all the cannon, not only from the ship of Lopez, but from six other vessels which were in company, and which had been wind-bound towards Baticula. On the 15th of March, in the year 1554, the galley landed at Rebendar, which is within half a league of Goa; she remained there the rest of that day, and all the night; while they were making preparations in the town, for the solemn reception of the holy apostle of the Indies. The next morning, which was Friday in Passion week, six barks were seen to come, which were all illuminated with lighted torches, and pompously adorned, wherein was the flower of the Portuguese nobility. Twelve other barks attended them, with three hundred of the principal inhabitants, each of them holding a taper in his hand; and in every one of these barks, there was instrumental music of all sorts, and choirs of voices, which made an admirable harmony. The whole squadron was drawn up into two wings, to accompany the galley, which rowed betwixt them. The body of the saint was covered with cloth of gold, which was the present of Pereyra, and was placed upon the stern, under a noble canopy, with lighted flambeaux, and rich streamers waving on both sides of it,
In this equipage, they rowed towards Goa, but very softly, and in admirable order. All the town was gathered on the shore, in impatient expectation of their loving and good Father. When they perceived the vessel from afar, there was nothing to be heard but cries of joy, nothing to be seen but tears of devotion. Some, more impatient than the rest, threw themselves into the sea, and swimming up to the galley, accompanied it to the shore in the same posture.