--while another religious who was there
was able to escape miraculously, at the cost of incredible hardships
that he suffered, by hiding in the mountain. In the year 1721 they did
the same thing in the village and island of La-Agutaya, [35] and in
Manaol, which is located in the island of Mindoro. The evangelical
ministers fled thence in a small boat and thus saved their lives,
although after very prolonged hardships; and from there they took
refuge in the mountains, in order to endure, without other relief
than that of God, the discomforts that one can imagine. In the year
1722 the Moros landed on the island of Cuyo, and although they could
not take the redoubt, for the Indians (captained by our religious)
defended it bravely, one can imagine what the latter suffered in a
siege so immeasurably prolonged. In the year 23, the Moros bordering
on the province of Caragha besieged the presidio of Catel. Father
Fray Benito de San Joseph, son of Casal de Caceres in Estremadura,
who, as its minister, undertook to attend to its defense, was left so
exhausted from the fatigues of war in which no relief came, that after
the retreat of the Moros, he lived but little longer; for he gave up
his soul to God amid the plaudits of victory. Almost at the same time,
in the island of Camiguin, the religious were compelled to hide in
the mountains, where they were besieged by many fears. In Paragua,
they killed father Fray Juan de la Purificacion (a native of Atea in
the kingdom of Aragon) with an insidious poison. The invasions of the
said Mahometans were continual until the year 30 through Calamianes
and other districts; for, although they were not seen in large fleets,
a great number of pirates were never lacking, and they caused those
persecuted ministers repeated troubles. But in the above-mentioned
year they had the boldness to assault the presidio of Taytay [36]
with such swiftness and fury that two of the three religious who
were there succeeded by great good luck, and without any preparation,
in retiring afoot to the mountains; while the other, only saving the
chalices and ciborium, retired to the redoubt where he suffered the
hardships of the siege.

741. In the year 31 they attacked the village of Culion; in 32, that
of Linacapan and all the villages of Paragua, where they committed
innumerable acts of cruelty. In 33 they ruined the village of Calatan;
and father Fray Antonio de Santa Ana (whose death I shall relate
later), had n