it.

But to return to Catubig: I shall conclude my account of this mission
with the miraculous experiences of two children, which gave us more
consolation than did the incident which we have just related. While
some Indians were on their way to visit the father, one of those fierce
beasts attacked their boat, and seized a boy by the arm, carrying him
away before anyone could rescue him. The boy, following the pious
custom that those people have of invoking Jesus and Mary, when he
found himself in the water in the power of the crocodile, cried aloud:
"Jesus and Mary, help me!" and the marvelous thing was that the beast
at once let him go practically unharmed, for the few scratches that he
had received from the nails hurt him but little. Rejoicing at this,
and strengthened in the faith, they drew the child from the water
into the boat, praising God for His mercies toward them. One night
the same father was summoned in behalf of another child, who was
very sick. His parents were very sorrowful, for, although but ten
days old, he had not sucked his mother's breast for three days. They
were anxious for his recovery, but desired, even more, that he should
not die without baptism. The father went, and baptized the child;
and the next morning, when he inquired about it, they replied that
the infant was already well, for holy baptism had immediately cured it.

Let this suffice concerning that mission, and at the same time conclude
my narrative, since I have now related the most notable events, and
those which seemed most important and edifying, up to my departure from
those islands--which, as I said in the beginning, was in the month of
July of the year one thousand six hundred and two. [30] I trust that
the progress of events from that time until the present, a period
of almost two years, may give no less satisfaction and consolation,
and that of the future even more; and I hope that it will have a more
able chronicler; indeed, any one in the Society can do it better than
I. It is enough for me that I have tried to render some service to the
Society by this humble work, which although a small one, has cost me
much effort. This, and that other and greater task of undertaking so
many and so long voyages (made not for my own pleasure, but in response
to the claims of obedience), I think deserve the reward which I desire
and claim for them, which is nothing else than the object to which
those labors were dedicated--the increase a