going up stairs, he saw that the greater part of his house was burned.  By dint of ringing the bells, a number of people came in, but they could not prevent the burning of the house.  This happened March 9, 1628, at one o’clock in the afternoon.  It was a great pity, and cause for compassion; for the convent, by the efforts of father Fray Pedro de San Nicolas, was very well finished.  He had been most diligent in both the building and the furnishing and adornment of it; and his province lost more than five thousand pesos by the fire.

Everything was well advanced for the expedition.  Accordingly, all the forces embarked, being accompanied by a father of the Society, an Italian named Fabricio de Sorsale.  The commander was a devotee of the most Holy Child, although he did not take Him as patron this time, a thing he was wont to do.  Yet he would not go without bidding Him farewell, which he did with great devotion, a ceremony which did not lack many candles.  The Child showed Himself so pleased, that I was obliged to tell the commander that he should take comfort, and that I promised him in the Child’s name a very fortunate expedition, as happened—­and it would have been better, had they known how to use their victory.  The fleet left Sugbu on the fourth of the same month, with more than one hundred Spaniards and three hundred Indians.  There were two captains of infantry, subordinate to the commander—­one Francisco Benitez, the other Juan del Rio.  Other volunteers accompanied them.  They reached Jolo, found it unprepared, and burned the town, the king’s houses, the ships, and whatever they found.  Had they followed the people, they would have found them in confusion and hiding in the grass; for on account of the long peace, the Joloans had not provisioned their stronghold, which was impregnable.  The soldiers contented themselves with this, and let slip the best opportunity that could have been desired.

Upon the day that this occurred, some Spaniards happened to be in our church with father Fray Pedro de Torres, and they saw that the Child was laughing.  This was the church that had been built by the said father Fray Pedro de Torres—­a fatal one, I call it.  For four days after the fleet had left, on the eighth of the same month, while I was in the refectory dining with the Recollect fathers, whom I had brought to our convent, another Recollect came from Manila, who was coming to be ordained.  While recounting to him the misfortune that had occurred, the prior said:  “Tell me, brother, if you saw this convent ablaze, would you not feel compassion?” We went up stairs, and at one o’clock the fire began in the middle of the city, to the windward.  It originated from some tobacco; cursed be it, and the harm that that infernal plant has brought, which must have come from hell.  The wind was brisk, and blowing toward the convent.  In short, everything was burned, though we saved the silver and whatever was possible.  The Holy Child willed to allow His house and most of the city to be burned, although no two houses had ever before been burned in that city at the same time.  This happened on Saturday, the eve of Passion Sunday.  I gathered together all that escaped from the convent of San Nicolas, and set about going to Manila, to repair that loss as far as possible.