Our order owes the district of Dumalag to the care of our father Baraona, for he obtained it by entreaty from Don Juan de Silva—­and that while he was merely prior, and not provincial.  It cost him considerable labor, and was like to have cost his life, for he made many trips to Manila and to Sugbu, and, in his labors in 1612, he encountered death many times, embarking on the sea in only a cockle-shell of a boat, and ploughing it for more than thirty hours, when not a champan or caracoa was to be seen on the sea that was not knocked to pieces by this storm, and those well equipped were driven aground on some islands.  The storms past, the father found himself on the island of Mindanao, without food.  He had some dogs, for he was very fond of hunting.  He ordered his men to go up the mountain, and perhaps they would find some game which they could take, for all were perishing from hunger.  All went but himself, and he remained or the shore.  But by and by a deer of unusually large size came bounding down toward him, to seek the protection of the water in order to escape from the dogs.  Our father, who saw it pass, eager for the chase, went behind the deer, and seized it, so that had not his men arrived so promptly after the dogs, he had drowned there.  For the deer had already taken to the deep water; and the father, weighed down by his thoroughly soaked garments, was almost drowned.  But his men saved him from this danger, and killed the deer.

After they had embarked and had reached the harbor-bar of Aclan, the little boat was overturned, so that the father lost everything, and was able to save only the clothes on his back.  Thus that boat, which withstood so many buffetings of the sea without any harm, happened to overturn four brazas from shore, through the carelessness of its steersman.

After he became provincial, he left the islands with the priorate of Ibabay for that of Tigbauan.  This was not a bad thing, for the latter was very far from intercourse and people, and in great danger.  There was necessity for religious, and permission was sent to India so that some could come.  They began to come, but experience has proved that this measure is not effective; for when it is desired to bestow habits they can be given to youth in Manila, who have come from Espana, many clever ones of whom are in the colleges.

As soon as he could, he made father Fray Alonso de Mentrida—­who was without an appointment in this province of Bisayas, and was a pattern for the order, as we shall see later—­prior of Manila.

In all other things, he did his utmost in the service of the province, as the great religious that he ever was.  As he busied himself in going at times to the country, he happened to discover some remarkable things.  Among others, he discovered in Dumalag a vast cave, which must have extended more than one or two leguas.  The father walked a great distance in it, but never found its end, for his lights went