Eagerly had the apostolic men left Espana in search of misguided and lost souls whom they might lead to the knowledge of God and into the flock of His Church.  When once they had set foot on the destined land they could not be kept from turning their eyes and their desire to all parts.  The first task was to learn some one of the many languages which are spoken among so many and so barbarous nations, in order to have the means to convert the people that should happen to fall to their lot.  Accordingly, after well considering the matter, they determined to study Tagal, as it was the most general tongue, and the one that was talked as native in Manila and its environs.  All immediately applied themselves to one language with no little desire and diligence.  He who learned it first was father Fray Miguel de Santa Maria, who was called Bombau.  Discussing with him in what part it would be better to begin their missions, they thought that it was not advisable to go far from Manila, since they were so few.  At that juncture a very good opportunity came to their hands in the shape of a village quite near by, now called Marivelez. [34] Its inhabitants had no ministers, no one of them wishing, although many were at its very doors, to abide in it—­both because of the insalubrious climate of its location, and because of the bad disposition of the Indians, who were like brutes in their intercourse and in their customs.  The vicar-provincial stumbled over none of these obstacles, because of his firm zeal.  Accordingly, he sent the said father, Fray Miguel de Santa Maria, accompanied by father Fray Pedro de San Joseph—­who, although of the Observance, had discalced himself—­together with a lay-brother, named Fray Francisco de Santa Monica, who also went with both of the former, all of them being skilled in the aforesaid language.  They invoked in common the grace of the Holy Spirit, and, after a fervent prayer, they took their farewells—­these anxious to accomplish their desires, and the others sick at heart at seeing themselves left behind them.  They were not long in arriving at the lairs of the wild beasts, who lived eight leguas from Manila, and were desirous to subdue and soften them, together with the rest of the coast of Zambales and of Tugui, which extends for a little more than thirty leguas to Bolinao.

The customs and ceremonies of those people must be touched upon briefly, not so much for the diversion that they may afford as that we may certify to the labor of Ours in changing them according to law and reason, and putting them into a suitable condition.  The worship with which they then reverenced their false deities they were wont to perform not in the villages, but outside them in the mountains, or the part nearest to their fields.  They had certain little houses there like chapels, in which they all assembled.  But that did not prevent them from having gods—­penates, or idols, which they called anitos.  The priesthood was exercised