vert to Christianity any
persons in his kingdom who wished it.

I wrote last year, that, annoyed by the injuries which these islands
had received from the king of Sian, who had seized in one of his ports
a ship of ours richly laden with silks, our galleons had gone there
and made reprisals on some of his ships. The latest news is that
a ship was sent there with some of the Sianese who were captured,
and some Spaniards, to give an account of the affair; and to tell the
king that our people desired to continue in peace and friendship, but
that he must satisfy us for what he had seized from us, and in return
we would satisfy him for what we had seized from his people. As yet
we have had no answer from there, nor have we heard how the matter
was concluded--much less if our fathers who reside there lost their
lives when our galleons did so much damage to the Sianese ships.

The outlook for Christianity in Cochinchina was very promising, and
in the year 1627 eight hundred adults were baptized; but this year
we have had news that the fathers had encountered adverse fortune,
and were fearing expulsion from that kingdom--but now they write that
the tempest has already abated, and the skies are clearing.

In late years, there have been many wars in the kingdom of Tongin,
which adjoins that of Cochinchina; but the Christians have been
left in peace, and thus many have been converted to Christianity. It
is even reported that this same king and a brother of his had been
or were to be baptized. Would to Heaven that it were so! although
hitherto there has been no certainty of anything, because we have
had no letters from our fathers, on account of the said wars.

The Tartars have again revolted against the Chinese, who are so hard
pressed that they have sent to Macan for artillerymen and artillery
for the war. The Portuguese lent them two heavy guns, and thirty men
to go with them, among whom was Father Palmerin, the visitor of that
province [_in the margin_: in the secular habit], to visit, on this
occasion, the houses and the residences in China.

As to the condition of Christianity in Japon, I cannot better give
account than by inserting here letters and relations sent from
there. The first, dated 1627, reads as follows:

"The persecution of the Christians here, which was begun several
years ago, continues without any remission of its vigor, but rather
increases with every day--not throughout the whole kingdom, however,
but