some who had been baptized were confirmed
in the faith. Some improper relations were dissolved and converted into
Christian matrimony. In Tigbauan and its villages, besides the baptism
of many children and adults, there were introduced the holy sacraments
of confession, communion, and extreme unction, the last of which they
neither knew nor had ever heard of. Church-feasts were celebrated with
vespers and solemn masses, particularly at Easter and in Holy Week. A
large school was formed, containing the children of all that region,
where they learned to read, write, play musical instruments, and sing;
two children from this school were sent every week to each one of
the churches in the district, to take care of it and to assemble each
afternoon the people of the village to repeat the doctrine in front of
the church, as was done in Tigbauan. Here occurred an event regarding
a boy, which gave me great satisfaction. An infidel chief living in
a village called Taroc, a legua from Tigbauan, had a little son who
was a Christian, a child of five or six years--of whom I knew nothing,
as they had concealed him and others from me, being reluctant, through
their natural barbarity and wildness, to hold intercourse with us and
deliver up the objects of their affection. This child fell ill, and,
realizing his condition, urged his infidel parents to summon me. They
made me repair to him in great haste, for as I was told that the sick
boy had called for me, I was convinced that he was not so young that
he could not at least confess. In short, I went; I merely read the
gospel to him, and in a few days he was cured of his sickness. As
a result of the visit, which was greatly appreciated by the people,
that village was won--especially his own parents, who were afterward
pleased to have their son go to Tigbauan to join the school with the
rest. The town of Arevalo is three leagues distant from Tigbauan;
we also assisted there in the pulpit and the confessional, at the
instance of the Spaniards who resided there, and of the bishop's
vicar, in whose charge they were. This vicar was then the licentiate
Don Francisco Gomez Arellano, archdeacon of Manila, through whose
earnestness and devotion divine worship was greatly augmented in
that church, and its service increased. This vicar embellished it
with new ornaments, very rich and curious, such as lamps and silver
candlesticks, thereby augmenting the reputation and esteem of our
holy religion amon