it pleases Him. What is left for me to
relate, is the departure of the Dominican religious for China; and,
although we do not know how it has fared with them, as they set out
so recently, still the beginnings give us reason to hope that with
the help of our Lord, they will be very successful.

Of the Dominican religious who came to these islands, four are
engaged in ministering to the Sangleys. Two of these four officiate
in the church of Sant Gabriel, which, together with the house where
the religious live, stands close to the Parian. Another church with
its house is on the promontory of Bay-bay, near Tondo--which a river
divides, separating it from Manila. Two of the four have learned
the language of the Sangleys so well, and one of these two how
to write also (which is the most difficult part of the language),
that the Sangleys wonder at their knowledge. The opportunity which
the infidels of both towns had to hear the sermons preached by the
fathers to the Christians, made them acquainted with many matters
relating to our faith, and some of them desired to be baptized. But
when they saw that, by becoming Christians, they would not be allowed
to return to their own country, on account of the danger which the
faith encounters in a country where the people are all idolaters,
they said that our religion was too severe, since in embracing it one
has to forsake his native country, and to deprive himself of father,
mother, wife, children, and relatives. The arguments that they set
forth were such that it seemed as if they wished to persuade us to
baptize them without cutting off their hair, and without forbidding
them to return to their own country. We saw that it was not advisable
to do as they desired, and left matters as they stood. The Sangleys
themselves told us to send fathers to their country to preach to them,
saying that there they would become converted without so much risk as
here. After due consideration of the matter, the Dominican fathers
and myself decided that it was necessary to go to China; for, if
God permitted the religious to remain in that land, we could baptize
the Sangleys here without cutting off their hair, or preventing them
from returning to their country to rejoice in their children, wives,
and property. The Sangleys were much pleased at this decision; but
there were differences of opinion regarding the manner in which the
religious should go. The president thought that it would be best for
th