The good which has resulted to that colony from this institution is beyond exaggeration.  Nearly a hundred young girls have retired to the protection of its walls, the greater part of them daughters of Spaniards—­who, if they should go outside the seminary, would risk, and even achieve, setting the world on fire.  The fathers of our college sometimes go to preach to them; and for my own part I can say that, whenever this duty fell to me, I did not fail to render praise to God at seeing there so many young women retired from the world, occupied in divine service and knowledge, and removed from the dangers and temptations without.  Those among them who become established in matrimony give manifest token in their manners of the excellent education that they have received there, and the holy instruction upon which their superior has taught and reared them.  This seminary for girls owes a great deal to the archdeacon of Manila, Don Francisco Gomez de Arellano—­who, not content with expending his wealth in other works of great service to God, occupies himself and spends a large share of his means in the protection and maintenance of this institution.  At his own expense he constructed some of the inner apartments in the seminary’s house, which were greatly needed, and in the church a large and beautiful reredos, of elaborate architecture; but, even more important, he has with his ministrations and instruction carefully cultivated those souls.

But to return to the Indians:  two of them were rescued at that time, for which they had reason to be thankful; for, as they were Christians, the greater would be their loss and peril.  One of them, who was twenty years old, had learned with great thoroughness a certain device of witchcraft; and yet during all this time, through some special providence of our Lord, had practiced it to no profit.  It is certain, too, that if he had been successful he would have ruined himself and harmed many others.  But I say no more of this, to avoid prolixity.  Another Indian had a book containing certain verses of poetry, which they call Golo [74]—­most pernicious, because they included an express compact with the devil; this its owner freely gave up, that it might be burned, which was done.  Most of the prisoners in the jail are Indians, placed there for various crimes which they committed; and they also have their own separate hospital in the city (as also the Spaniards have one), where their sick are healed.  Both hospitals are royal foundations, established by order and at the expense of his Majesty the Catholic king of blessed memory.  To both Spaniards and natives Ours have ministered, in both these hospitals and in the prison, in order to aid all with the offices which, in such places, the Society is wont to exercise, for both bodies and souls.