city
of Cochin, [81] assuring us that she would give us wind. He pledged
himself to give double the alms collected, even if she did not give
the wind. Much surprised in so great confidence in a Moro, and all
of us being encouraged, he collected in a short time eighteen pesos,
and after folding them in a cloth, he tied them to the mizzen-masthead
begging the Virgin to fulfil her promise. The fact was that from that
day the wind to navigate (little or much) never failed us, until we
reached Cochin. That was on January twenty-three, and on entering the
bar there, we met a fleet of Malabar pirates who were sufficiently
powerful to oppose us. But God so disposed that we came upon them
when they were tired out, as we afterward learned, by a battle that
they had waged for the space of two days with another pirate, also a
Malabar--who, conquered by them at last, scuttled his ship and went
down with all on board, in order not to fall into their hands. For
that reason they did not attack us so quickly, and we had time to
enter Cochin.

The fathers provincial received us on the beach--the present father
Francisco, [82] and the past Alberto Laercio [83]--accompanied by
the most grave fathers with music and other kindnesses. We stayed
two months in Cochin, where we received singular kindness and
entertainment from all. They took me to Caranganor, five leguas from
there, along very pleasant rivers, in a boat like a house, belonging to
the archbishop of Sierra, Father Don Francisco Ros [84] of our Society,
a native of the city of Girona in the principality of Cataluna, whose
hand I desired to kiss. We found him at Peru. He seemed a saint to
me. When I remarked to him, a propos of the retirement and poverty
in which I found him, at the first salutation, "_Qui Episcopatum
desiderat, bonum opus desiderat_," he replied, "Our Chaldean answers,
_Bonam servitulem querit_." [85] He is learned in that language,
in which his priests pray and celebrate the mass with peculiar
ceremonies. We found him living so apostolic a life that he did not
have room to entertain the eight of our Society who were there--among
whom was the rector of Cochin, Father Gaspar Fernandez [86]--nor did
he have any food to give us. Consequently we returned to the boat,
which was more comfortable than the house. We went to Caranganor, a
Portuguese fortress, and a residence of ours, just opposite Samorin. I
saw some doors and windows that had been broken with volleys, and