as so worn out that the skin
scarcely adhered to his bones--a living image of death. Our fathers
pitied the man, and prayed to God for him that He would not deny
His compassion to this most pitiable of men. Soon after, the dying
man revived, and with great joy received baptism. As soon as he had
received it he was again deprived of his senses, and, gently calling
on the names of Jesus and Mary, he rendered up his soul to God.

Information was brought that there was a man lying grievously ill in
the most distant part of the district. Although we were not a little
deterred from the journey by the darkness of night and the great
number of serpents, as well as by the necessity of crossing a river
full of crocodiles; yet we did not regard all these things as of so
much consequence as the value of a single soul redeemed by the blood
of Jesus Christ. One of the fathers, therefore, went thither, and with
a medicine healed the sick man in the name of Jesus. On the father's
return, something more extraordinary happened to him. He came upon
a sick woman, who, although she did not seem to be dangerously ill,
yet departed to the better life as soon as she had received baptism. As
two of Ours were making their way over a sandy soil at noon, under the
dreadful heat of the burning sun, being without any food or drink, they
laid this their affliction before the Lord God; and behold! suddenly,
at this most unusual time, there was a man sitting on the ground,
who showed himself most kind and courteous. He ungrudgingly offered
to the hungry and thirsty men fresh fruit from his basket. When they
accepted it readily, he not only took great pleasure in that, but
also urged them, with a certain strange earnestness, to feed upon
it as if it were their own. Strengthened with this little meal they
went on, which they could hardly have done otherwise, and offered
great thanks to God that He had come to their assistance in their
extremity. Afterward, when they had considered all the circumstances
of the fact, and of the place in which the man was found with the
fruit, and had reflected that no Indian was in the habit of going on
a journey alone in the heat of the day, and again that, although they
were unknown to him, he had shared the fruit with them so kindly and
generously, they came directly to the conclusion that he was an angel
of God. At least it was a proof of the singular providence of God;
and it is well worthy of belief, that God in this