e king our lord has taken an island in
Great China, called La Hermosa, with a great fortress which is there_.

During the former year of 631, twenty-eight professed religious of the
Order of St. Dominic, from different convents in Spana, who voluntarily
offered themselves for the service of God our Lord, the holy apostolic
Roman see, and their order, left the port of San Lucar de Barameda,
having embarked to cross over to the province of Nueva Espana in the
Yndias, thence to the Philipinas Islands, Japon, and the kingdom of
Great China, in order to preach the faith of Jesus Christ in those
said kingdoms to the barbarous and idolatrous heathen there. After a
prosperous voyage of eleven months they arrived at the city of Manila,
where they were well received by the other religious who reside in
those islands. However there died during the said voyage father Fray
Juan Quixada, a native of Xerez, and a son of that convent; father Fray
Vicente Ripol, a native of Zaragoca, and a son of the same convent;
father Fray Francisco Castaneda and brother Fray Jacinto Robles, both
sons of Salamanca; brother Fray Vicenta Ybanes, a son of the convent
of Valencia; and brother Fray Jayme Escuder, native of Mallorca. The
rest arrived safe and sound, full of joy at finding themselves where
they desired to be busied in the preaching of the holy gospel.

The news from Japon has it that the emperor of that country is holding
a large number of Dutch in prison, on account of difficulties which
they have had with the Japanese, and even worse [were their dealings]
with our people; for through friendship for the Dutch has arisen
the great persecution and martyrdom of so many religious, of so many
different orders, who have suffered martyrdom in those regions. Having
ingratiated themselves with the emperor until they stood well with him,
in order that there might be no increase in the faith of Jesus Christ
they counseled him that it was altogether inexpedient to consent that
any friar of any order should enter his kingdom, for that they were
a vile people, driven out of Espana, to preach the faith of a God
whom they adored, who had died crucified upon a cross; and that with
that humble garb they were doing great harm, converting the people to
their faith and straightway delivering over the country to the king
of Espana, as they had done in other parts of the Yndias. But as God
our Lord is ever mindful of his own, His Divine Majesty has permitted