Guerrero, all counseled me in the negative,
and charged my conscience.

Finally, the Lord has been pleased to relieve me of that charge,
and to leave me the old responsibility of my own failures; and,
accordingly, I am returning thither with much pleasure and happiness,
to finish my days among my people, aiding them in whatever I can;
for they have suffered considerably during these years from the enemy
from Mindanao and Jolo, who are very powerful, and who make extensive
raids with their fleets--burning villages, firing churches, destroying
images, and capturing many Indians. Especially last year did those
enemies display themselves most insolently; whereupon Governor Don
Juan Cerezo Salamanca was obliged to apply the only remedy which
we believed there to be--namely, to construct a fort at Samboanga,
in the land of Mindanao, which might serve as a check to both enemies.

That fort was commenced when Don Sebastian Hurtado de Corcuera arrived
to govern these islands. Hearing of the advisability of that work,
he determined to forward it, for its benefit is great, and its cost
to the royal treasury but slight; and even thus it is hoped that it
will be of great advantage in a few years, for those enemies will be
obliged to pay tribute to your Majesty--and, in fact, whole villages
have already begun to enter your Majesty's obedience. I hope that they
will also enter the obedience of our Majesty [_i.e.,_ of God]. For
that purpose, I have given and entrusted the spiritual affairs of
those islands to the fathers of the Society, so that by their excellent
method of procedure and their gentleness they may continue to attract
and convert the natives, who are very numerous. Already have they set
their hands to the labor, although the number of subjects that they
have is few; because those of this order come but very seldom, and
they have much to which to attend, and every day they have more. For
I, for only the time during which I governed the archbishopric of
Manila, have, in consideration of the welfare of the Indians and the
devotion and efficient method of administration which those of the
Society preserve among them in all parts, entrusted them with new
posts. Both in the island of Negros and in that of Mindoro, besides
the old Christians, they have three or four thousand heathen to whom
to attend; and they are already baptizing these, in addition to the
said heathen of Mindanao, who number many thousands.

Consequently, I