contempt on the devil;
and many infidels ended by submitting to the knowledge of the truth.

Encouraged by so good an outcome, Ours proceeded with the conversion
of those peoples. They were not stopped by the manifest danger to
their lives, nor by the famines or other bodily privations that it was
necessary for them to suffer, in lands new, rough, and productive of no
relief for their so many hardships and miseries. However, the divine
providence made all these, and as many more as might be very mild,
by giving the fathers inward consolation, as well as outward aid on
not a few occasions. One of those occasions, experienced by the same
father, Fray Rodrigo, during a trip on the sea, was notable. At that
time, a sudden squall overtaking him, his boat was driven on certain
rocks and knocked to pieces, so that those aboard it were drowned,
although they knew how to swim well. Only the said father, by the
will of God and the beneficent miracle of a wave, which bore him safe
and sound to a rocky islet or reef, escaped. He remained there until
next day, in the fright that one can imagine, but hoping in God our
Lord that He would continue his rescue by conveying him to a place
of safety. That happened after twenty-four hours, for an Indian who
had seen him from a distance swam out to him and took him upon his
shoulders; and he gave thanks to heaven for so great mercy.

More marvelous was the case of father Fray Joan de la Ascension, who,
while sailing along the coast of Zambales, was struck by a very violent
storm, and the boat in which he was embarked, and all the Chinese who
were accompanying him, were lost, without one of them being saved. The
boat keeled over--as they say--and was turned completely bottom up. The
father remained in the hull of the boat, but so that he could hold
only his arms and head clear of the water, while the rest of his body
was under water. He supported himself in that darkness with his hands
tightly clasping a beam. For the space of three days did he remain
thus, while the hull tossed hither and thither. At the end of that
time, as some Indians were passing through that region and saw the
wreck, they drew nigh to see whether they could find anything. They
thought that they would surely find some pillage, and therefore began
to break open the boat in the part open to view. Consequently, when
they had made a small hole, the pitiful voice of the religious who
was crying for aid was heard. The greedy