“It is a source of great consolation to see the purity that shines in many of these poor women.  I know concerning some of them that, after being annoyed and even persecuted with liberal offers of money, neither by gifts nor threats were they in any way overcome.  I also know of other women who, when, they have learned that lawless men have entered the village, have absented themselves from home and retired to their grain-fields, to avoid the danger of offending God.  One of those soulless men promised a young boy, one of those who aid us at our house, that he would give him I know not what gift, if he would search after a certain woman for him.  The lad answered that he could not, since he belonged to the house of the father, assist in such a matter.  When he was told that the father would not know it, he replied:  ‘But will God fail to see it, even if the father does not know it?’ At this reply the man became abashed and ashamed, and ceased to importune him.  From Easter-time until the date of this writing, which is about a month and a half, more than eighty adults have been baptized—­the greater part of them very old, but well prepared—­and with these about ninety who are younger.  While journeying during Lent, to the village of Leite, we were overtaken by a storm so violent that it drove our boat upon the shore and compelled us to continue our course by land.  This change, however, was not without the special providence of God; for, as we were passing by some grain-fields, an old woman lay very sick in her wretched hut.  Learning that I was going by, she had me summoned; and after I had given her instruction, I baptized her, with great consolation to both, and on the following day she died.”

The remarkable case of three old men, of whom two were converted, and the third, who was blind, refused.  Chapter LIX.

The village of Leite, which the father here mentions, lies on the banks of a very beautiful stream of the same name; which gives its name to the whole island.  The village lies at the very entrance of the island, as one goes eastward from Manila, from which it is distant about one hundred and thirty leguas.  The distance between Carigara and Leite is five leguas by land and ten by sea.  The fathers usually make the journey by sea, to avoid the fatigue of crossing on foot the great mountain-ranges in that route.  On the other side of Carigara, proceeding along the coast of this island—­which, as we have said, runs east and west—­there is another river, called Barugo, two leguas distant; on its shore are many dwellings, which, being united in a village, numbered three hundred houses (besides which there were many others).  Father Mattheo Sanchez repaired to the village of Barugo, where at one haul he caught two of three fishes; the third remained in spiritual and bodily darkness.  As the incident is a notable one, I shall relate it in the words of a letter from the same father, who writes thus:  “In the village of Barugo an event occurred by which our Lord