There was at that time in the village an officer, sent expressly from the prince to collect a certain annual tribute.  Father Xavier went to see him, and expounded so clearly to him all the law of Jesus Christ, that the pagan presently acknowledged there was nothing in it which was ill; and after that gave leave to the inhabitants to embrace it.  There needed no more to a people, whom nothing but fear withheld from it; they all offered themselves to be baptized, and promised thenceforth to live in Christianity.

The holy man, encouraged by so happy a beginning, followed his way with more cheerfulness, and came to Tutucurin, which is the first town belonging to the Paravas.  He found, in effect, that this people, excepting only their baptism, which they had received, rather to shake off the Moorish yoke than to subject themselves to that of Jesus Christ, were wholly infidels; and he declared to them the mysteries of our faith, of which before they had not received the least tincture.  The two churchmen who accompanied him served him in the nature of interpreters; but Xavier, reflecting within himself, that these churchmen frequently altered those things which passed through their mouths, and that our own words, when spoken by ourselves, have more vigour in them, bethought himself of finding some expedient, whereby to be understood without the assistance of another.  The way he took, was to get together some people of the country, who understood the Portuguese language, and to join them with the two ecclesiastics who were knowing in the Malabar.  He consulted both parties for many days together, and, drudging at his business, translated into the Paravas tongue, the words of the sign of the cross, the apostles’ creed, the commandments, the Lord’s prayer, the salutation of the angel, the confiteor, the salve regina, and, in fine, the whole catechism.

The translation being finished, the Father got, without book, what he could of it, and took his way about the villages of the coast, in number thirty, about half of which were baptized, the rest idolaters.

“I went about, with my bell in my hand,” says he himself, “and gathering together all I met, both men and children, I instructed them in the Christian doctrine.  The children learnt it easily by heart in the compass of a month; and when they understood it, I charged them to teach it their fathers and mothers, all of their own family, and even their neighbours.

“On Sundays I assembled the men and women, little boys and girls, in the chapel; all came to my appointment with an incredible joy, and most ardent desire to hear the word of God.  I began with the confessing God to be one in nature, and trine in Persons; I afterwards repeated distinctly, and with an audible voice, the Lord’s prayer, the angelical salutation, and the apostles’ creed.  All of them together repeated after me; and it is hardly to be imagined what pleasure they took in it.  This being done, I repeated the creed singly; and, insisting on every particular article, asked, if they certainly believed it?  They all protested to me, with loud cries, and their hands across their breasts, that they firmly believed it.  My practice is, to make them repeat the creed oftener than the other prayers; and I declare to them, at the same time, that they who believe the contents of it are true Christians.