a
competent person, who has spent considerable time in those islands--he
may use what portion of it seems most advisable, in accordance with
the present condition of affairs. The Council; May 26, 619."]

RELATION OF THE EVENTS IN THE FILIPINAS ISLANDS
AND IN NEIGHBORING PROVINCES AND REALMS, FROM JULY, 1618, TO THE
PRESENT DATE IN 1619

These Philipinas Islands are surrounded by so many and various
neighboring countries that they are like the center of a very beautiful
circumference composed of cities, kingdoms and provinces. The condition
of this district depends so much upon that of other places that it
will not be inappropriate to relate briefly what has occurred this
year in these other places, in order better to understand the present
state of affairs here. And if the description of any places should not
fulfil this purpose, it will at least serve to give an interesting
notice of countries so far away. All that is written here is taken
from relations and letters which our fathers have sent from various
places, and from what I have seen this year in this country.

_Of Eastern India_

To begin with, the most notable of the events that have occurred
in India is the destruction of the city of Bacani, a very beautiful
city, and important as containing many Portuguese hidalgos. It was
situated on the north coast, opposite the Mogors, with whom the
Portuguese carry on war. [60] It was very well built of stone, with
seven good monasteries of various orders; but its great strength
was not sufficient to defend it from the powerful hand of God, who
chose to raze it to the ground. To accomplish this, He employed all
four of the elements: the water, which fell in a great deluge from
the heavens; the air, which broke loose in the most horrible and
furious winds ever known; the earth, which trembled terribly; and
fire, which, wishing to serve its Creator in no uncertain manner,
shot out its tremendous bolts into the air and discharged them over
the miserable city. With such powerful enemies all the buildings
fell down--not one stone remaining upon another--except a chapel of
our Lady of Health [_Nuestra Senora de la Salud_], and part of the
convent of St. Francis, where some people took refuge. There were
lost, in the river more than sixty vessels loaded with provisions,
bound for Goa; and two others from Ormuz, one coming and the other
going. This destruction took place on the seventeenth of May, 1618. The
reason fo