ministers of the gospel whom they can capture is as follows--as has
been done lately with six religious whom they hold prisoners among
them, two of these belonging to our order of St. Dominic: Within the
prison they strip the fathers, and throw boiling hot water on them
over their whole bodies, until they are horribly burned and wounded,
and their skin is quite flayed off. Then they are cared for; and when
they are recovering they are again stripped, and the same thing done,
and so they have been kept for a year.

Concerning missions in the kingdom of Camboxa, we learn that four years
ago, when the king sent to ask for religious in order to make himself
and his kingdom Christian, six belonging to our Dominican order only,
went there, and carried to him a handsome present on behalf of the
governor of Manila. The king received them with much kindness at
first. Afterwards, when they instructed him in our faith and told
him he must give up his idolatries to receive it, he began to hate
them--until, after two years, he ordered them to return; and so that
kingdom is without a Christian, as it was impossible to persuade a
single person; for they are wild barbarians, who, like the negroes,
go about attired in skins.

As for Great China, it is the chief object of our desire; for the
people are intelligent, and the country great and populous. The King
of Espana has taken an island which lies eighteen leguas from Great
China, and is called Hermosa Island--a thing which was considered
impossible, for it seemed that all the power in the world would
not be enough to conquer it. In this island there is a great fort
and a city, where many Spaniards are in garrison; and six of our
religious, with none of any other order. A ship-load of provisions,
and one company of soldiers, are sent to them every year from this
city of Manila. Five of our friars went this year. In that island
they are engaged in conquering it with soldiers, although most of
it has made peace. Our friars are converting some whose conversion,
through the goodness of God, is very effective. From this island two
of our religious went to Great China; and eight days ago we received
a letter from one of them which reads as follows:

"Your reverences may give thanks to our Lord, for the Order of
St. Dominic is already within Great China. They killed my companion
immediately after we landed. I am considering how the conversion of
this land can be best accomplished, etc. In