Christian place of worship in his kingdom, but rather destroys them, and burns those which he may find in other kingdoms. He receives in his kingdom the worship of Mahoma, which is preached with his consent, and he gives permission to his subjects to turn Moors. We also considered the king of Canboja was such a friend of ours that he protected our faith, and that he was so placed that he would be heartily pleased to aid the Spaniards with all his power against that tyrant, because the latter would then be destroyed and put in the power of the Spaniards. For this is what he wishes, even although he should help the Spaniards to win all the kingdoms in the neighborhood, of which there are more than twelve; for I have always heard this from him, and further that he wishes to be a Christian and that his whole kingdom should be Christian. Accordingly, pondering over what means we could use to advise your Lordship of all this--as you are a person so jealous of the honor of God and the service of his Majesty, and are in a position to remedy it all; and, with so good and certain an ally, would win all those rich kingdoms and reduce to the holy Catholic faith so many thousands of souls, which are being lost, not by their own fault--we noticed that the king of Sian had been much pained by the death, before he had seen it, of the horse which was brought from your Lordship. And, considering the great pleasure which he took in a philosopher's stone, we promised him that if he would send me to this country I should bring him back a large horse and mare for breeding, and a philosopher's stone a cubit long, which he had said he would prize much. Out of desire for these things, he ordered that I be sent back; and told the fathers that they on his behalf should write to your Lordship--for he is so arrogant that he even sets no store by writing. He ordered to be given to me, to present to your Lordship, two elephants and an ivory tusk, which I have already delivered to your Lordship. After I set out upon the voyage I underwent many hardships, as I arrived at Malaca with ill weather, and when the chief captain found what message I was carrying and learned my intentions in the matter, he wished to interfere with me and detain me and stop the voyage. He attempted to take the elephants from the junk, in order to send them to Goya, and to take me prisoner. And in fact I suffered in the said city and fortress of Malaca, more hardships and hindrances than among the heathen before I was sent on the road with these letters to bring to your Lordship, as appears more at length by the information which I have given your Majesty for the remedy of all this.