But, although we have been free from these enemies this year, we have had to deal with others, the Camucones, [14] a people who owe allegiance to the king of Burney, They are thieves who scour the sea, plundering everything within their reach.  They are so cruel that they never imprison, but kill all upon whom they can lay their hands.  These people came to the Filipinas this year with seven caracoas and seventeen ajuangas, vessels resembling large galleys, but not so strong; ordinarily they carry four hundred men at the oars.  They did very little damage, however, for they must have heard that our fleet was on the sea, and therefore they soon withdrew to their own territory.  Their withdrawal was also due in no small degree to the fact that when they once landed upon an island the native Indians, sallying forth, killed some of their men and put their heads upon poles along the coast in order to terrify the rest.  It was the special providence of our Lord that our father provincial did not fall into the hands of these corsairs when he went to visit the Pintados Islands, for when they [the father and his crew] were not far from the islands, a strong wind came up ahead of them, which compelled them to remain sheltered in a small bay for more than fifteen days.  Here the news of these enemies came to them, and therefore the father retired to Manila.  It is certain that if that contrary wind had not arisen he would have gone forward, and would have fallen into their hands.

The devotion to the Immaculate Conception of the most sainted Virgin has greatly increased among all the people.  As soon as the ship from Nueva Espana arrived, bringing the news of the elaborate demonstrations that had been made in all Espana in honor of this Lady, they began to place on all the corners and upon the doors of churches notices that read, “Praised be the most holy sacrament and the Immaculate Conception of the most holy Virgin, conceived without blot of original sin.”  There was no lack of persons who tried to efface one of these notices that was on the door of the church of Santo Domingo, a fact which caused the people to burn with greater devotion to this Lady.  It was arranged that for two nights there should be a procession of masked figures.  In it a banner with an image of the Immaculate Conception was displayed; lamps were placed throughout the city; the cathedral bells began to chime; and the orders formed in line of march.  One devout person placed on the corners eighteen images of the Conception of our Lady, with a legend reading, “Without blot of original sin.”  Other pious people adorned these images with gilded ornaments and lights that burn all night.  The children continually recited before these images, in loud voices, various couplets in praise of the Immaculate Conception, thus fulfilling that saying of David, ex ore infantium e lactentium ["out of the mouths of babes and sucklings"], etc.