matter by the chief pilot, Father Francisco de Vera, whom our father general sent as visitor of Japon from one of the provinces of India.  When he reached Macan and learned how cruel the persecution was, he determined—­in spite of being almost seventy years old and afflicted by many infirmities—­to go this year to Japon, to console and encourage the Christians and our brethren who so commendably labored with them there.  His life has been a great source of edification and consolation to all.  In order that his presence there should do no harm, he went very secretly and without company.  He wears secular dress.  The good father goes from house to house, under a thousand inconveniences and dangers, such as the other fathers also endure.  What he has suffered and is still suffering in this way is very pitiful.

Some religious (although only a few) from the orders of St. Dominic, St. Francis, and St. Augustine, are also working laudably in the vineyard of the Lord.  Some went to Japon this year, but the majority of them have not succeeded in this design, because most of the Japanese boatmen, although Christians, have been afraid to carry them.  For the emperor issued a very stringent order that any boat which should carry religious should be burned with all its goods, and that those going in it should be put to death.  Nevertheless, some Franciscan friars have gone, very secretly.  Some time ago, in the city of Fixoxuna, Father Antonio and Brother Leonardo, both Japanese, were imprisoned for the faith.  For this also, on August 16, 1618, they beheaded in the city of Meaco Fray Juan de Santa Marta, of the Order of St. Francis, and a native of Cataluna.  He had been imprisoned three years in the public jail, where, in spite of the hard labor and bad treatment to which he was subjected, he continued to preach our holy faith to the heathen prisoners, some of whom received it and died in it. [72]

At midnight on December 13, 1618, they seized Father Carlos Espinola, procurator of the province of Japon, and his companion, Brother Ambrosio Fernandez.  The same night they seized two other fathers, Dominicans, two of four who went to Japon last year.  The other two returned to these islands.  On the twenty-fifth of March, 1619, they seized the provincial and the prior of the Dominicans, Fray Francisco Morales and Fray Alonso de Mena.  One of these Dominican fathers died in the jail.  Thereupon the rest of the religious concealed themselves so effectively that the Portuguese traders in the country could not find any one to whom they might make their Lenten confessions.

Last year I wrote how one of the ships which were despatched from this city to aid Maluco resorted to treason, and took possession of everything.  Thenceforth, as is well known, it went from one country to another and from one place to another.  Finally it sailed, almost shipwrecked, to an island of Japon.  When the Portuguese commandant learned of this, he sent to the ruler of the island to demand those robbers who had mutinied on one of the king’s ships.  The ruler sent to the commandant, proposing to hang them; but some religious forbade it, whereupon he sent them prisoners to Macan, where, they say, the mutineers were punished.