s and Cimarrones they founded the village of Naojan, with some
other villages annexed to it. They enjoyed that ministry a long time
with their accustomed success. The one who excelled in the missions
of that island was Father Luis de Sanvictores, whose glorious memory
and reputation for sanctity was conserved for many years among those
Indians. They, notwithstanding the rudeness of their style, never
spoke of him without praise. But that father having retired in order
to begin the conquest of the islands of Ladrones (which were afterward
called Marianas), where he with glorious martyrdom gave the utmost
encouragement, although others followed his attempts in Mindoro with
great zeal; the Society finally abandoned that island into the hands of
the archbishop. [42] We cannot give the exact time of their resolution
or the reasons which could move so zealous fathers to it, although we
regard it as certain that they did it in order to employ themselves
in other places where the evangelical fruit was more plentiful.

791. His Excellency the prelate immediately formed two curacies of
the entire island, which he handed over to the secular clergy so that
they might aid those souls. Later as the two could not fulfil that,
a third cura had to be appointed. They carefully maintained what had
been conquered, a territory that included the coasts along the north
side extending from Bongabong to Calavite. But because there were
very few Christians, since it is apparent that they did not exceed
four thousand, who were scattered throughout various settlements or
collections of huts along a distance of eighty leguas of coast, it was
not to be supposed that those missions would produce enough income
for three ministers. Consequently, they had necessarily to be aided
with other incomes, which were solicited from the royal treasury,
and with other pious foundations. Neither was that enough, so that
at times it was very difficult to find seculars to take charge of
those districts. Those ministries were, it is true, scarce desirable,
both because of the smallness of their stipends, because they carried
with them unendurable hardships, and because of the unhealthfulness of
the territory. But finally, moved, either by charity or by obedience,
there was never a lack of zealous seculars who hastened with the bread
of the instruction to those Indians. The curacies were consequently
maintained there until the year 1679, when our discalced order took