In the absence of Father Christoval Ximenez, this village was left alone; and while in this plight it was visited by Father Alonso Rodriguez, who went there to hold a mission.  What he accomplished in the few days that he could spend among them he himself relates in a letter, a section of which is as follows:  “We held a mission at Paloc; and the method of teaching the doctrine by decurias [8] so aroused the enthusiasm of all that within ten days many learned the prayers and gained all the knowledge necessary for baptism.  Such was the emulation among them that their prayers never ceased—­at night, in their homes; and by day, in the church.  As a result, on the feast of the glorious St. Joseph I baptized fifty adults, among them the most prominent persons of this village.  To see their leaders already Christians is a strong incentive for the others to follow these.  From many others I withheld baptism, as it was necessary to investigate their marriages, and this could not be done on account of the absence of the persons concerned.  Of these latter there is a considerable number, but I trust in our Lord that within a few days not a man will remain unbaptized in this village; for already they are all catechumens and attend the church.  At the same time I baptized also fifty children.”  The father proceeds to relate other devout exercises of those Christians, which I do not repeat here, as they are similar to those which I have recounted of others.  Afterward, Father Juan de Torres held another mission in the same town, and our Lord made him joyful by granting him another rich haul, when he cast from the pulpit the net of the word of God, in order to fish for souls.  This was a chief, one of the most powerful in that district; in imitation of the chiefs of Botuan (although ignorant of what they had done), he arose like them in the congregation, and after earnestly asking for baptism, began then and there his preparation—­by publicly asking pardon of all those whom he might have wronged, and offering full satisfaction, whatever might be the amount of his obligation; and (an act of much greater importance), by putting away one of his two wives.  Through this the Spirit of truth, [9] which is uniform, swayed the hearts of the others to be like this man’s, and brought them, most efficaciously and harmoniously, under the gentle yoke of Christ, although he and they were so far away.  But inasmuch as this divine Spirit is present in all places, in all alike it operates as if they were but one, its strength and power being subtly and efficaciously active.

A third mission was held in this village during Lent of the year one thousand six hundred, by Father Melchior Hurtado, who had gone to these islands in the previous year with the father-visitor.  Devoting himself to the study of the language, he used it effectively as we may judge from a letter written by him from Paloc to the same father, as follows:  “In the village of San Salvador (which is the same as Paloc)