o made converts
to Christianity in the Filipinas, preaching to them of Jesus Christ
in their own tongue--of which he made the first vocabulary, which I
have seen and have also studied.

The discovery of an image of the child Jesus, which gave its name to
the city of Sebu; the holy patrons of the same and of Manila. Chapter
II.

The city of the natives in the port of Sebu was at that time
so large and populous that it extended a space of more than a
legua along the beach, on the spot where now stands the city and
fortress of the Spaniards. As the Indians had already in the past
experienced the valor of the latter, and were fearful at thought of
their treachery in killing Magallanes years before, they greatly
feared our men on this occasion. Upon sighting our vessels, they
began to offer all possible resistance with their bows and arrows,
lances and shields--such being their arms--to prevent our men from
landing. When our people saw the islanders disposed to hostility,
they discharged some cannon into the air, frightening them to such
an extent that they abandoned their houses and fled inland. Thereupon
our men leaped ashore unimpeded and began to seek food in the houses
(as is the custom among those who have just disembarked after a
long voyage). At this juncture it happened that a Biscayan who was
rummaging among the movables and ornaments of one of the houses,
found in a basket, among other things, a carved image of the
holy child Jesus, presumably left as a trophy of the devotion of
some good soldier of the first expedition of Magallanes. [39] The
Indians, partly on account of the novelty of the image, which they
understood to be the God of the Christians, and partly on account of
the respect and reverence with which our Lord himself inspired them,
held the object in great veneration, as was afterwards learned, and
had recourse to it in all their necessities--making sacrifices to it
after their custom, and anointing it with their oils, as they were
accustomed to anoint their idols. And our Lord exercising, moreover,
His wonted mercy toward those who honored Him without knowing Him,
did not act otherwise toward those who, in their ignorance of Him,
were at the same time offending Him; He succored them most liberally
in their needs, as a token and pledge of the greater favors which He
had marked out for them when they should come to a knowledge of Him,
and preserved for these times which they are now enjoying. Fo