to persuade her to receive baptism.  Much persuasion, however, was not necessary; for she herself desired it, and expressed herself to that effect—­adding that, even though it should displease her husband, she would begin the task; and that, instead of returning to his house, she would go directly to that of a Christian woman, who should instruct and prepare her for baptism.  These sentiments she expressed privately not only to the father, but even to her husband, before many other persons.  As she said, so she acted; and her solemn baptism was celebrated with many feasts, dances, and rejoicings.  The husband seeing this, put away the other two wives, giving them the amounts of their dowry; and, freed from this obstacle, received baptism and was married in Christian fashion.  On the feast-day of the glorious resurrection of Christ our Lord, we celebrated the baptism of this man and eleven other chiefs, who were also baptized amid great festivities and rejoicing, and with the concourse of many people.

I have thus given an account of what took place in the five stations in that island of Leite.  Before we pass on to the rest, it will be fitting to explain, as far as we can, their usages in marriage and divorce—­as well to make more intelligible what we have already related as to have a better understanding of a topic which in the course of our remaining narrative must frequently arise.

Of marriages, dowries, and divorces among the Filipinos.  Chapter XXX.

I had lived in the Filipinas for almost ten years before I learned that there was any man who had married several wives; and I did not know it until I went to the islands of Ibabao and Leite, for in Manila, Mindoro, Marinduque, and Panai, I had not observed the practice of such a custom.  I had, however, been once told by a Spaniard that in a certain part of Mindanao, toward Dapitan, it was the custom for the Bissayan women (the inhabitants of Mindanao also are Bissayans) to marry two husbands; the practice of having several wives I had understood to belong only to the Mahometans who dwell in Mindanao and Burnei.  It is certainly, however, not a general custom in the Filipinas to marry more than one wife; and even in the districts where this is done the practice is by no means general.  The most common and general usage is to marry one woman.  The Bissayans always try to procure a wife from their own class, and closely connected with them in relationship.  The Tagalos do not insist so much on this latter point:  they are satisfied if the wife be not of inferior rank.  As I have already stated, in neither race is any other impediment considered than the first degree of kindred.  Uncle and niece marry as readily as do first cousins; but brother and sister, grandfather and granddaughter, or father and daughter, can in no case marry.  There is a marked distinction between concubinage and wedlock; because the latter, besides consent, has its own ceremonies, as we shall later see.