f years, in the
manner in which it occurred. Accordingly, having closed his ears to all
the proposed advantages, he undertook to go to the port at the end of
that year, where we shall leave him continuing with his observance of
rules and pious devotions on the roads, although these were horrible,
as if he had been in the most comfortable and most quiet convent of
all those which he had lately left well established in Espana.

[The remainder of chapter V is concerned with matter that does not
touch the Philippines, namely, the founding of the college of Zaragoza,
that of the convent of Pedroso, and the life of Sister Polonia de
los Santos.]

Chapter VI

_Our religious reach Luzon, after the death of Father Andres de San
Nicolas in sight of the islands. They found the convent, which is
located outside the walls of Manila, and undertake the conversion
of the barbarous Zambales, in which three of their men die from the
hardships, and father Fray Alonso de la Anunciacion at the house
of Portillo._

We left father Fray Joan de San Geronimo and his twelve associates,
anxious to finish their journey, continuing their road from Mexico
to the port commonly called Acapulco, because it was necessary to
embark once more in order to reach Philippinas, where God our Lord
had prepared many souls who, oppressed by the demon, had no ministers
to lighten their darkness. There was already in the said port a ship
ready to sail, called "Espiritu Santo," and they were accordingly
detained but a short time. They finally set sail on the twenty-second
of February, that year of one thousand six hundred and six, in all
safety, and all being overjoyed at seeing themselves nearer the land
that they were seeking. Some incidents happened on that voyage which
were afterward regarded as miracles, and all attributed them to the
good company of so notable religious whom they carried. The first
one was that, the ship being all but sent to the bottom by burning,
the fire having approached near some barrels of powder, warning was
given in so good time that it could be extinguished, when if there had
been but little more delay, this would have been impossible. The second
seemed more prodigious; for on a certain very clear and serene night,
shouts came from the bow from those who were stationed there, crying,
"Land! land!" The pilot and sailors were thunderstruck as soon as they
saw themselves upon some shoals or sunken rocks, and already lost